Customer Reviews

One Man Caravan

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"One Man Caravan" is a story very much like adventure travelogues I used to read as a kid.

In 1932, a young man of maybe limited resources, but unlimited resourcefulness and "chutzpah", saddles up his motorcycle and travels around the world in 18 months. En route, he encounters exotic locals and locales, battles bad roads, breakdowns, injuries, officials and wanders into hot zones of civil wars - such as the British fighting some rebels in fictitiously-sounding Baluchistan.

This would be quite typical travel adventure fare, except that it really happened. The author is Robert Fulton (later known to Cold War afficionados as the inventor of CIA/Navy Skyhook recovery system), grandson of steam-ship builder Fulton. In 1996 (re-publication time of the book) he was alive and riding his motorcycle at age of 87.

Well-written and spell-binding, particularly in light of its authenticity.

Mr. Fulton's style of writing is very straightforward and not nearly as dated as you would think. The narrative moves forward quickly as he describes his adventures in a matter of fact tone. But what a story and what a commentary on how our world has changed!

One vignette. He is out of food in the middle of a desert. An Arab shows up and, as was the custom, shares exactly half of his food. Then he disappears inside of his closeby hut. Looking inside, Robert sees him setting up a homemade backgammon board. The Arab beckons him in and begs with his eyes--do you play?? They played all night and he gets trounced by his new friend.

As I was reading about his trip from Damascus to Baghdad, our troops were attacking Iraq. I thought that this young man's journey simply could not be made today. The world, despite the technological advances in communications and plane travel, is not a safer place for the American adventurer.

Get this book! You will not be able to put it down.

This is the first young man to travel around the world by motorbike. According to him he had no intention of doing so but blurted it out to impress a young girl and then he had to go. Lots of wonderful, funny, self-deprecating humor. He is well educated, highly intelligent, and it shows in his writing. Many wry phrases sneak into this book, "The driver cried out for in". Great reading, and very interesting to learn what traveling was like in 1932. He is apparently still alive and kicking. What an adventure.

Excellent story. It gives us a peek at a world that is mostly forgotten. I highly recommend it for those that are interested in adventure stories and those that are interested in learning about a world very different from the one we currently live in

The best travel book I have ever read. As a young man in 1933, almost on a dare, Robert Fulton rode a Douglas motorcycle (which he still owns) around the world, not only seeing some increible places but writing about them in a highly entertaining and informative way. The book, like the trip, lacks the higher agenda which mar so many travel stories. Fulton simply set out to have a grand adventure and to write about it with humor and respect for those he met. You'll want to go right now to see some of these places for yourself. My favorite is the spot where Krakatoa once stood, marked by flames on the surface of the sea. A must read for anyone who likes a good travel story.