I should mention that some of the descriptions of people use racial words. Then again, when you read about the hospitality and the stunning landscapes that Murphy experienced in Afghanistan you cannot help feeling sad that this country is now a place that most travellers would avoid. I was shocked to read this and wondered if the world was a more dangerous place back then than it is now. In Iran she had to fire another warning shot when a group tried to steal her bicycle. There are many dramatic situations during the author's adventure, including using her gun to fire a warning shot when she awoke to find an almost-naked Kurdish man standing over her bed. If I am murdered en route it will have been well worth while!'

'This is the part of Afghanistan I was most eager to see, but in my wildest imaginings I never thought any landscape could be so magnificent. Murphy has a great sense of humour that comes across in the writing:

Throughout this book you get an overwhelming sense of the author's total love of travel and experiencing everything and recording it in exquisite detail. For her the bike is simply the mode of transport, although she has a lot of affection for her bicycle and gives it the name of 'Roz.' Dervla Murphy is clearly a travel writer with beautiful descriptions of the places and people she encounters. I have read many books about cycling adventures and I find that many tend to focus on the cycling more than the experience of travelling because the author is more a cyclist than a travel writer. This book is a beautifully written and gripping account of a cycling adventure that paints a gorgeous portrait of the landscapes and peoples of these regions. And she ends up having to use it! This was the 1960s and she was making her way through countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. 25 automatic pistol as part of her kit list for travelling by bicycle to India. Who takes a gun on a cycling trip? Dervla Murphy lists a.

Full tilt bicycle