BY THE AUTHOR OF INTERSTATE, WINNER OF THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR
"Sayarer's thoughtful, meditative travelogue feels very important . . . [An] exploration of how people persevere in the darkest of circumstances" Guardian
"It conveys powerfully what life is like for people on both sides of 'the world's most entrenched impasse'. At the same time, it's full of free spirits and the joys of freewheeling" Telegraph
Ten years after breaking a world record for cycling around the world, award-winning travel writer Julian Sayarer returns to two wheels on the roads of Israel and occupied Palestine.
His route weaves from the ancient hills of Galilee, along the blockaded walls of the Gaza Strip and down to the Bedouin villages of the Naqab Desert. He speaks with Palestinian hip-hop artists who wonder if music can change their world, Israelis hoping that kibbutz life can, and Palestinian cycling clubs determined to keep on riding despite the army checkpoints and settlers that bar their way.
Pedalling through a military occupation, in the chance encounters of the roadside, a bicycle becomes a vehicle of more than just travel, and cuts through the tension to find a few simple truths, and some hope. As the miles pass, the journey becomes a meditation on making change - how people in dark times keep their spirit, and go on believing that a different world is possible.
"The vast energy of his commitment to discover, observe and communicate makes for engrossing, often incandescent prose. We need writers who will go all the way for a story, and tell it with fire. Sayarer is a marvellous example" HORATIO CLARE
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
ISBN: 9781529439793
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 270 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 32 mm
Sayarer's thoughtful, meditative travelogue feels very important . . . An exploration of how people persevere in the darkest of circumstances - Ben East, Guardian
His book took courage on the road and is adventurous on the page. It conveys powerfully what life is like for people on both sides of "the world's most entrenched impasse". At the same time, it's full of free spirits and the joys of freewheeling. - Michael Kerr, Telegraph
Sayarer's thoughtful, meditative travelogue actually feels very important. This is less a personal adventure than an exploration of how people persevere in the darkest of circumstances - Ben East, Guardian
Vivid and meditative . . . Hope is found, again and again, nowhere more so than in this wonderful book - Buzz Magazine
A great read by a great travel writer. Takes me right back to some very special places - Levison Wood
Sayarer is a brilliantly thoughtful writer ... One can't help thinking that the future of travel writing lies in this adventurous, post-modern genre - Sara Wheeler
Sayarer has made something of a specialism of reporting on the world from the roadside. - Daily Telegraph
On the Road for the Occupy Generation - Open Democracy
Sayarer's love of the open road and his ability to evoke the beauty of travelling by bike are a potent combination that makes you itch to go cycling - Cycling Active
With all the heartbreak that has stemmed from the 1917 Balfour declaration, you might not think that there is any joy or hope to be found in a new book of travels in Israel and Palestine. But 50 Miles Wide defies... More
I’m a cyclist, I’ve been to Palestine and the West Bank and have lots of sympathy for the Palestinians and how they are treated by Israel and forgotten by the west … however I found the style of writing tedious, and... More
I don’t normally read travel books but as I’m interested in the land of historic Palestine, I was drawn to this book. I was curious to learn about the conclusions reached by a cyclist who travelled within the state of... More
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