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 One of the best books ever written, July 7, 2002
By sir_isaac_newton (UK)
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This book captures first hand the now little known adventure of a British journalist who set out to ride around the world on a motorcycle. It is an incredible story and something any reader should enjoy. Every teenager/student should be issued with this book so that they can understand what adventure is [they should also be issued with Ernest Shackleton's story]. It is also a period piece capturing something of the flavor of the early 70s -- although not so obtrusively that it would offend those who scorn that period. The writing is direct and honest. The author does not shy away from ridiculing himself at times -- the linen suit incident still stays with me 15 years after I first read this book. This book provides insight into not just the authors thinking but the behavior of people in different cultures across the world (Ted came to accept problems calmly as help always seemed to come along). I read this book while in hospital and sadly gave it away to a fellow patient who I had been friendly with. It probably changed my life, as I still sometimes think of some of the incidents described. I will buy a copy for my son one day so that he will understand what adventure is. [Contrast this to that dreadful "Zen & the Art of..." book]. Ted travelled around the world on a Triumph Trident (perhaps the last ever made) -- not a BMW or a Harley. No support team, cell phone or GPS satellite navigation. This book let's you share the experience.
40 of 41 people found the above review helpful.
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 Four years on two wheels condensed into 447 pages., August 22, 2003
By AllenH (Corn-Country, Midwest USA)
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Hard to determine how to rate this book. I just finished the last page... I have to admit that it's truly a travel book. ZMM by Pirsig is much more of a philosophy than a book about travel. Simon instead takes you through Africa and the Atbara desert, roads that had channels cut through them deep enough that he had to keep his legs up near the handle bars, various bribes at numerous country borders, and tea stops along the way for rest. He also intrigues you with a prison escapade in Brasil and a fever in India as well as waiting for rivers to drop in Austrailia while drinking stubbies and eating steaks with truckies at a local outback cafe. My negative comments are relatively simple: 1) No hard description of what he's up to in the beginning, just jumps right in, and all of a sudden you're in Africa. 2) A great lack of description of most of the mileage (runs from place to place sometimes). Perhaps this is a given for such a long trip. [Please don't be deterred by this... he's very descriptive for most of the journey.] 3) Lack of a map showing the whole trip. [Small maps are given in each "Chapter"- if the chapters could be called that.] Writing style compared to Pirsig is very different and much less refined, but in a way this also allows us to go along with Simon on his great adventure. The writing and the road-miles seem to roll together. And in this way I think it's true to form. I have to admit that it was a great book even with the minor faults above. And as far as the god-talk previously mentioned, it's easy to forgive someone who can recall his experiences, in most of the major countries on the globe, first hand a slight misplaced grandiosity. :^) Especially with how much he's been through by the end. From one rider to the other, my hat's off to Simon.
14 of 16 people found the above review helpful.
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 Not just about motorcycle travel, March 12, 2000
By Chad Hervig
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I was thrilled by this book. All the way up until about the last 50 pages, anyway. This book is certainly not just a travel log of the author's exploits across the globe. Mr. Simon tries to give the reader an idea of what he was thinking all the way through his journey. I guess his thoughts were getting pretty weird as he neared the end of his journey. At one point in the book, he actually tells the reader that he thought he was God. I didn't buy this book to read about Mr. Simon's thought on God and all things divine. I wanted to hear about all of his adventures, the people he encounters, the challenges, his attempts to avoid highway robbers, or prison, or both. This book provides all those things with aplomb. Unfortunately for me anyway, it also includes what I think was unnecessary, unrelated, philosophy. A book like this should have a happy ending, and leave the reader bursting with desire to hit the road and get lost in the world. When I finished this book I felt sorry for the author and wished him good luck with all his problems. In short, the book was really good, but it would have been much better if the last 50 pages had been left out altogether.
13 of 17 people found the above review helpful.
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Run Out and Buy This Book!, June 9, 1999
By A Customer
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JupiterŐs Travels stays with you long after you close the book. it is a classic travel narrative which belongs with the finest: ThesigerŐs Arabian Sands, NaipaulŐs An Area of Darkness, ChatwinŐs In Patagonia. Ted SimonŐs motto should be Carpe Diem. One day he decided to stop what he was doing to travel around the world on a Triumph motorcycle. The trip took him four years to complete. Ted shares with us his thoughts and feelings during the journey and his insights into many different cultures. What impresses me most, however, is TedŐs openness towards the people he meets and their different modes of life, and his honesty with himself and with us, his readers. Best of all, before our eyes, he grows and becomes a wiser person. He changes and so do we!
12 of 14 people found the above review helpful.
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Jupiter's Travels interesting, but not always to the point, October 6, 2000
By Michael Schelb (Boca Raton, FL United States)
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As someone who managed to put 36000 miles on his BMW motorcycle in two years I was interested in the story of a man who took it beyond the "next level". I enjoyed the book, but thought that Ted did not always get to the point and got sidetracked in his thinking process. Ultimately it boils down to his style of writing and a matter of personal taste... I recommend the book, but keep in mind that there will be pages one has to just chew through...
9 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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Amazing!!!!, April 16, 2005
By Steve Harris (Victoria, British Columbia Canada)
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I've read a few travel books - Miles From Nowhere (a brilliant book in its own right), 10 years on 2 wheels etc... but there is something my limited vocabulary will simply fail to explain about this book - something intangible. Perhaps it's something that cannot really be put into words - more of a feeling - how finishing the book makes you feel (almost as if you were there with Ted). Anyway - make your own mind up but don't pass this book over it is truly great. Good travels - Steve
7 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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A book to be stranded on a desert island with. Superb, August 4, 1998
By steveh7011@aol.com (NEVADA. USA)
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As an ex biker who never got further than the Lake district as far as Bike rides go this book took me to the world. It inspired me to adventure and look beyond Britain and its limitations. I took a year off and travelled (not on a bike) but this book was the start of my life. Ted Simon is hero in my eyes, I now live in the USA and was unable to find a copy until I found this in amazons search engine. Ted....if you read this there will always be a cold beer for you in Nevada.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Stuck in a rut? Read this book, January 29, 2000
By martyn john herman (london, uk)
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I haven't even finished reading the book yet, actually Ted has only reached Cape Town. But his journey down the African continent has already left a deep impression on me.. how huge is the power of the human spirit. On page 178 he writes "I am learning as I make my way through my first continent that it is remarkably easy to do things and much more frightening to contemplate them." As I negotiate the various obstacles that I find blocking my own journey I hope these wise words burn long in my conscience. Fantastic reading!
6 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book that will open your mind to what the world has to offer ..., February 28, 2007
By G. M. Matthews (Camino, CA USA)
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I'm about 25% through it. I'm thoroughly enjoying the book. I ride a BMW GS myself in backcountry and less-traveled roads, although I've not and may never do anything close to what the author did. This book a great story and provides wonderful insight into a fantastic journey. It's not just a recount of a journey. It's also about what he thought, what he enjoyed, what he feared, what he learned. The photos aren't great, as just black and white and not great quality. But they still add a lot to the story, showing you important events along the way. Just to say it's not a coffee table photo book about the journey.
The book I think will also open your eyes to just how much there is to learn by getting out into the world and seeing and experiencing how others live, and how that might affect you personally.
The information in the book is dated in as far as the world has changed since his journey. But if you're considering any similar journey, I think this book is a definite read for you as it gives insight into just how many surprises you will probably face. What you will face today is different, but the character of his journey is still I think entirely relevant.
If you enjoy this, you will also enjoy the Long Way Round DVDs highlighting the trip that Ewan McGregor took (get the long version if you can find it). Both are not to be missed.
This is a great book to read sitting by the fire on a cold winter night when you can't ride and want to get away in your mind to some fantastic and far-away places.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Great!, January 16, 2004
By A Customer
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I've always ranked this as the finest travelog about motorcycle touring ever written. I agree with all the positive comments by other reviewers, and don't have a quibble to make. I've read this book twice, and loved it both times. However, the best motorcycling touring book is "Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba," which I consider one of the best travel books ever written. It's a fascinating and sometimes hilarious, sometimes hair-raising story of a 7,000-mile journey and justifiably the winner of both the 2002 "Travel Book of the Year" and the North American Travel Journalist Association's Awards of Excellence "Grand Prize."
5 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Hands down, the best motorcycle travel book I have ever read, May 14, 1998
By Allen J. Bartell (Trinity, TX USA)
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Ted immersed himself in the cultures he encountered. I felt like I was meeting the people as he met them. His insights and observations are candid and revealing. Through every trial and tribulation I was feeling his discomfort and his victories. A good read for anybody interested in world travel and a "must read" for anybody interested in motorcycle travel.
4 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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 Wake me up!, January 21, 2003
By "justanexplorer" (Santa Monica, CA United States)
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Kept waiting for the book to get better but ran out of pages before it did. I felt Simon left out too much and was just riding to put on miles. Would agree with an earlier reviewer that there was too much (fuzzy) philosophy. I also thought the material was too dated and could have been updated somewhat. I was disappointed probably because I expected much more judging by the other reviews.
4 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
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A Biker's Classic, April 11, 2007
By Truth About Caffeine.com (SCR Books)
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If you're enjoy taking a trip on a motorcycle or you're planning such a trip, check out this man's adventures on a bike. Surprises around each bend!
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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inspiring, May 19, 1999
By A Customer
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I went to a slide show at Powell's Travel Bookstore where Ted Simon showed slides from his journey and talked a little about his experiences. I was fascinated and bought the book. It is amazing and inspiring, and just like the warning on the back of the book, I was tempted to give up college and buy a motorcycle. Then I remembered that I can barely drive a car...But this book is truly inspiring, although I had to keep reminding myself that the man who completed the journey was the same person that I had met at Powell's. I would recommend this book to anyone.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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The Trip of a Lifetime, November 11, 2000
By A Customer
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This book is the next best thing to being there, all over the world. Another good one, with great, coffee-table sized photos though less text: 20 Years On Two Wheels, by Helge Peterson
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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A Million Thumbs Up!, April 5, 1999
By A Customer
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If you are a rider and you havent read this CLASSIC you should be ashamed of yourself! "Jupiters Travels" is REQUIRED READING! You will Not be Allowed to Ride Anymore if you dont read "Jupiters Travels". NO READ-NO RIDE!
3 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book but not the greatest, April 24, 2007
By JP Ledermann (Gilbert, AZ USA)
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I read a lot great reviews of this book and I guess my expectations were too high. It is a nice book, a little bit difficult to understand with many complex words. But who understands the brits anyway? It is good literature with all sorts of tales and adventures in the whole world. It is funny that the same things can/will happen to you if you travel around the world, but 40 years later! The world didn't change much after all. This book will keep you reading until you finish it because of the great detail of the adventures. Nice book, worth the price.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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A Classic Adventure., October 21, 2002
By Robert Merivel
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A great adventure from one of the first motorcycle adventurers. His tales are genuine and his connections with the people in the countries he visits are real. What I find refreshing is he is a sincere person with real anxieties and doubts. He doesn't hide his fears and lays it on the line. To comment on previous reviews. I did not find his observations that he was God or Jupiter bothersome. He was only commenting in the context of his long period on the road and did not detract from the book.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Light years ahead of his time!, February 1, 1999
By sfseals (Seattle, WA)
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It still boggles the mind to think of the magnitude of what he accomplished, especially considering how far the technology of both bikes and accessories has come since Ted set out on his epic two-wheeled journey around the world. Nowadays you see folks riding big expensive dual-sport twins and triples from the likes of BMW and Triumph, sporting their exteme Kevlar/Gortex riding suits. But IMHO they dont seem to have the time or imagination to ride further than the nearest Mel's Drive-in. Seems to drive home the message that we, especially in the US have become so technology-obsessed that we are no longer capable of implementing a grand vision such as Ted did back in the 'stone-ages' of the '70s.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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 Jupiter Travels, February 4, 2009
By Victor Fanfan
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This is rated too high. I read and found it extremely bored, found Mr. Simon too negative as biker and feel him an opportunist. On a couple of times found my self trowing this book at the floor. I felt I waist my money
2 of 14 people found the above review helpful.
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A unique travelogue of a world-trip by motorcycle, March 6, 1998
By A Customer
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Ted Simon writes an evocative travelogue of his round-the-world promotional trip on a Triumph motorcycle.
The first half of the book is beautifully written and can be appreciated by bikers and non-bikers, alike.
The scope of the undertaking, both in travel and in writing, tends to bog down the second half of the book, and some of the extended lay-overs become a bit tedious.
For the sheer flavor of an extended bike trip and the adventure of travel to "the back of beyond," this volume is a worthy addition to any personal library.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Incredible Journey., July 26, 2009
By C. A. Surovi (Hellertown, PA United States)
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In this inspiring book, Ted simon takes us not only on his physical journey, but on a mental one as well. His observations and insights are as relevant today as they were over 30 years ago. He is an amazingly talented author,who conveys his thoughts and observations so vividly that you feel you have taken the trip right along with him. Intelligent, articulate and thoughtful......you must read this book and see the world!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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A compulsive page turner, August 18, 2007
By C. W. Ellwood
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This book is almost impossible to put down and is absolutely inspiring to read. Deaf to the pleas of my wife and children I read on into the night. I often felt I was actually there with Ted as he copes with some pretty dire stuff. As a New Zealand motorcyclist living in India I could relate so much to his experiences. More needs to be written about the amazing opportunities to ride in India, so perhaps with this as my inspiration its my turn.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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You Need This Book!, July 17, 2000
By olioscourge.blogspot.com (Brookland, AR United States)
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Looks like a book about a guy riding a motorcycle around the world, doesn't it? Well, Jupiter's Travels is that and a whole lot more. It's an inspiring object lesson in turning a dream into reality. It's also a reminder that there are more good people than bad people in the world. Ted Simon's experience shows what wonderful things can happen when you finally realize you can't have a contingency plan for everything and that if you embrace risk and the unknown, you'll be the richer for it. I've ridden more than 200,000 miles on motorcycles, but I am in absolute awe of Mr. Simon. Now, at the age of 70, he's retracing his route - this time on a BMW. He broke a leg in a spill last summer in Africa and had to spend a couple of months in Nairobi recuperating. At last report, he was heading north through Colombia. The guy is a living legend and a helluva writer, too.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Good read, July 24, 2008
By Barry J. Vancamp (Avon, Indiana)
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I purchased this book after reading about it in a motorcycle article. I found it to be a pretty good read, although I find it hard to believe someone in the 1970's would choose a triumph motorcycle to do this trip on, knowing their history and reputation during the 70's! I thoroughly enjoyed Ted Simons' writing about his experiences and would recommend this book.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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jupiters travels, July 29, 2007
By 2 wheel traveler (New Jersey)
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Contnet of trip around world found to be good however the way it is written it gets extremely boring and at time hard to understand. Have read "Long Way Round" and found that book to be great, but "Jupiters Travels" was dull.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Another review about a book you already know is stellar, June 2, 2006
By Right Turn Clyde (the Palouse)
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Ok, so if you do not get it already Simon's work is a well-deserved classic. Read it.
That said, one of my lone disappointments was the rapid fashion in which the book covers the last segment of Ted's epic journey. I found myself thinking he needed to do so because the (wonderful) detail he had written with up to that point had consumed so many pages. And no complaints there. It was just a bit disappointing.
Here is another really sad observation: more picts. [ducking and running for cover] I say that not to diss his work, but to explain that (in the edition I had) this was a weakness.
What does the book do well? In particular it is exceptionally well written especially in terms of revealing his mindset. I recently read Long Way Round. Nothing like a little contrast to help one see how truly bright a gem shines. These two works are no more in the same league than are the rides they retell.
To Ted: thanks for sharing your journey. A wonderful tale that embodies so much of what riding/exploring are to many.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Sorry, but this book was boring, March 12, 2007
By Ex Republican (Washington, DC)
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I give it four stars because of content, but as much as I love reading about motorcycle trips, this book was boring. It was an interesting story, but I don't think he (or his ghost writer) was a very good writer. Sorry Ted.
1 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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I call this boob 'my Bible'., November 11, 1998
By A Customer
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This book was given to me by a good friend when I was preparing for a big trip on a motorbike. This piece of work inspired me, made me contemplate to give up my job (which I did) and encouraged me to take off. It is not only well written, it is an inspiration for adventurers, provides insights, inspires, .... Everybody contemplating to become a traveller should read this book.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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And there's a beer in Australia for you too mate, October 12, 1998
By A Customer
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a DAMNED good read. I agree with the last reviewer totally. I was sick and confined to bed at the girlfirends house when I read this book and it was a blessing, a darned good read. So if you are ever in Australia, I'll cool a tinny for you too,,,,
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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man avoids responsibilities for four years, November 26, 1998
By A Customer
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How many times do you have to rebuild a Triumph before it will make it around the world? Read this book and find out. Ted Simon has a good time for about the first six months then seems to find something crappy about allmost every civilization he encounters. His journey ends with a retreat from India in a mad rush to get home. Only to find out he learned nothing at all exept that bloated corpses float.
1 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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A few issues, May 17, 2011
By Brandon Waldo (Muskegon, MI)
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I loved this book and the way it was written but I did have a few issues with it. He seems to burn through countries the more you read. About half the book is about Africa and his first year on the road (of four) takes more than half the book so the other years seemed rushed. In one instance he goes through two countries and only describes it with a paragraph. But this book is still great and you should read it.
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Jupiters Travels, January 29, 2011
By Spider Monkey (UK)
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`Jupiter's Travels' follows Ted Simon as he travels around the world on a Triumph motorcycle and it makes for fascinating reading. His writing style is completely engaging and he comes out with some wonderful descriptions that add real colour and depth to the various stories he recounts. The route he takes is epic in scope and takes in Africa, south and north America, Australia, Malaysia, India and a few extras for good measure. He is refreshingly candid about his experiences and by the time you are half way through the book it is no exaggeration to say that you feel as if you are living the various events along with him. The relationships he forges as he travels around are as fascinating and insightful as the places he travels through and add an element to this book often lacking from other travel books. This is the book that inspired `The Long Way Round' with Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor, but it has to be said that this seems much richer in detail and the fact that he did this alone without the support team or camara crew makes it all the more impressive. Although there is a photo plate section in the middle, most of the images are blurry and not especially relevant overall, but the language is so descriptive that the photos are really a bonus anyway. If you like travel/adventure type books then this comes highly recommended and if you were inspired by the Long way Round, prepare to be blown away by this superior account of one mans awe inspiring and impressive journey.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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A True Classic of Travel Writing - Make Sure You Read This Book, September 1, 2010
By Naturalist-Skeptic (Twin Cities, MN)
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I don't care if you get it out of the library, borrow it, or whatever, you should read this book. This book should be on everyone's "bucket list."
I just finished rereading it for the nth time and I was just as moved, amazed, and thrilled by the journey (and the good writing) as the first time I read it. I know how the story ends; but I just want to keep on reading and reading and reading.
I rode a bicycle around the world for over two years. Ted Simon captures the feelings of long-distance, long-time traveling like no one else I've ever read (although there are some other great books out there, see below). The thrill of departure, the shock of the new, the wariness of the unsupported traveler in a strange place, the difficulties of language and even alphabet, the fear, the exhaustion, the new-place fatigue, the need to just lie down sometimes, the misery of illness (though he was very lucky there), the numinous joy of the great places and views of the world (sometimes even the most ordinary places), the pleasure in seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting new things, the joy of finding your fellow humans all around the world to be very much like you and enjoyable to meet and know, the incredible education that travel gives you, the powerfully ambivalent feelings of the end of the journey and the return to home-place, never again able to see the world as you once had. The difficult re-birth into the old routines and requirements of your life. His story, especially his description of the end of the journey gives me goosebumps and re-awakens powerful memories of my own journey. As the cliche goes (it's a cliche because it's true) you can never step into the same river twice. The closest you can come is to take someone else to the river and watch them swim.
This book has lost nothing and it never will. It touches the universals of human experience found in travel. We evolved as wandering apes on the plain. It's basic to our bodily fiber.
Very little navel gazing in this book and what little there is is actually worth reading, unlike nearly all travel books I read that were written since Jupiter's Travels.
A true classic. And not the kind you feel obligated to read; but the kind you can't put down. One of the truest books I've ever read. Enjoy.
Some other excellent books about long-distance travel that I highly recommend:
Seven Years in Tibet
Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle
One Man Caravan ("Incredible Journeys" Books)
News from Tartary
Canoeing with the Cree
Sailing Alone Around the World
Two Years Before the Mast (Signet Classics)
Arabian Sands (Penguin Classics)
The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons (Penguin Classics)
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Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon, May 29, 2010
By F. Haney (Seattle, WA USA)
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I'm only about a quarter of a way through this book, but so far I am finding it an excellent read! Ted Simon's "Jupiter's Travels" makes me want to sell everything, load up my bike, and hit the open road. If only I could talk my husband into it!
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THE Seminal RTW Round the World Motorcycle book, March 14, 2010
By Viking Olly (Sydney Australia)
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Yep this is the one. If you read only one RTW motorcyclists book this is the one. for me I read the adventure first in 1975 then headed off to Africa for 17 weeks. Now I have just read it again, nearly 35 years later - and this time went to South America. Despite the fact that TEd is a Pommy (Englishman) and rode a Triumph its still a great read - by teh way he did it again at 72. Yes readers it all starts HERE!.
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Great Read!, February 11, 2010
By knownway (Seattle, WA)
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I am halfway through this book and it's wonderful. I am somewhat surprised that his writing is so eloquent. We've read other motorcycle memoirs and the writing tends to be a bit more simplistic. I bought it mainly because my husband and I are avid motorcyclists. Even though Mr. Simon's travels were done on a motorcycle, non-motorcyclists would really love his attention to detail and his descriptions of some of the places he visits and people he meets. It's more of a general travel book; it's just that he happens to be traveling on two wheels. Wonderful book.
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Amazing Journey.. Amazing Story., February 8, 2010
By T. Place (NJ)
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Definitely a must read, even for someone not into motorcycling. I couldn't put this book down.. by the time Ted is halfway through Africa you feel as if you're on the journey with him. His writing is brutally honest and his descriptions are incredible.. you feel as if you can picture exactly what he describes. Your emotions will rise and fall as his did on his journey.. it's pretty cool stuff.
If there was one point where I lost interest it was during the 50 pages that cover his 12 day imprisonment. Something about it just lost my interest. I guess it stopped being a travel/adventure book at that point for me.. once he got back on the road I was swept right back in. As soon I finished the book I picked up a copy of the sequel, his trip nearly 30 years later trying to duplicate the same route. Amazing stuff... a must read!!!
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amazing, January 9, 2010
By Larry (MA U.S.A.)
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the author has real sense of adventure and has the ability to take you along. you see the sights,smell the smells with his style of writing you feel as though you are right there with him.
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SpeedReaders.info review, November 29, 2009
By Speed Readers (USA)
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It takes a special kind of wanderlust to travel overland around the world. Even more so if it is 1973 and you're traveling on a Triumph Tiger 100 motorcycle. The swansong played for the British motorcycle industry during the seventies and the idea that anyone would choose a Triumph for a globe-circling adventure seems today to be almost ludicrous. Yet Ted Simon rode around the world over the course of four years, traveling 78,000 miles, through 45 countries and became a motorcycling legend whose fame continues today.
Simon wrote Jupiter's Travels in 1979 and it quickly became a cult classic. His was a story of raw adventure. His travels took him over mountains and through jungles, through wars and revolutions. He was thrown in prison and feted at palaces, finding friendship, mystery, and romance, before always returning to his bike and moving on.
His adventure began on October 6, 1973--an inauspicious start as it was the same day that the Egyptian High Command began an assault on Israel in what was to become known as the "Yom Kippur War." The war lay directly in Simon's path. It wouldn't be the last time that his trip was rerouted because of conflict and political strife. Strangely, six months earlier when he had originally thought of traveling around the world by motorcycle, he neither owned a motorcycle nor had a license to operate one. His choice of the Triumph, rather than something more obvious like a BMW was made by his obtaining sponsorship from the London Sunday Times and its desire that a journey by an Englishman, starting in England and sponsored by a British newspaper, ought to be done on a British bike.
The 1970s were indeed a different time than today. Many of the remote places that Simon visited were less jaded and the people were less aware of the rest of the world. On the other hand, the sexual revolution was still on full song, a fact that is reinforced by Simon's frequent and mutually useful relationships with young women he meets along the way. In the end, he makes a terrific narrator and helps the reader understand the joys and sorrows of his travels.
Ted Simon inspired scores of other motorcyclists to follow in his wheel tracks. Tattered copies of Jupiter's Travels were passed from rider to rider, a sort of holy text of how to do it right. Fortunately, in 1996 a new edition of the book, self-published by the author was released and so it is now possible to read a copy of the book without greasy thumbprints and spilled coffee obscuring the text. If you ever thought about riding a motorcycle a long way and want to know what to expect, buy a copy of Jupiter's Travels. The back cover carries this warning, which sums it all up: "Reader Beware: Because of this book men and women have been known to leave their jobs and take to the road. In fifteen years it has changed many lives. It could change yours."
Copyright 2009, Kevin Clemens (speedreaders.info)
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Travel Candor!, September 6, 2009
By redhandmoto (Virginia)
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A rarity - an honest travel diary. While nothing truly bizarre, criminal, or perverse is revealed, the author's willingness to display his confusion, conflict, and emotional turmoil elevates his book up from I-went-there-I-did-this to literature.
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Wonderful journey into self and world, August 1, 2009
By Jason (USA)
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Ted Simon's Jupiter's Travels is among the best books I have ever read. It is a delightful narrative of his journey round the world punctuated with compelling insights into the nature of life and reality. It is among the best books I have ever read.
READ THIS BOOK.
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Unbelievable, July 9, 2009
By Michael Klementovich (Bethlehem PA)
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Simply put this is the most articulate intelligent author I have ever read. I read everything and everyday and thousands of books ...This man is an alien because no one on this earth has his writing abilities!!!!!!
PERIOD
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One of the best traveling books, July 7, 2009
By Anastasios Tzanis (London, UK)
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On page 153 Ted Simon quotes someone "We are in great haste to construct a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas; but Maine and Texas, it may be, have nothing important to communicate." How ironic can such a sentence seem in a book whose author tried to connect dots so far away on the map? But it's not; and there are millions of fascinating stories connecting all these places. Ted Simon put's together his own, in a genuine, vivid, humorous and insightful way.
[...]
Jupiters Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph
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Jupiter's Travels one of the best adventure stories from the seat of a motorcycle, March 12, 2009
By R. Gilbert (California Gold Country)
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This is a great personal adventure story about a man's search for himself. His around the world travels on the seat of a Triumph 500 is the vehicle for his adventure. Excellent book that I could not put down. I recommend that you then read Dreaming of Jupiter, Ted Simon's sequel to Jupiter's Travels.
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Jupiter's Travels, January 24, 2009
By NightsterRider (NJ USA)
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Great Book! I love it from a motorcyclist's perspective, but it is well written and would keep the interest of any reader.
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Great book, January 6, 2009
By B. Thomas
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Very good read. Not just a motorcycle book but a story about amazing people and places written by someone who really knows how to write. Never a dull moment. I highly recommend it.
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best adventure book ever, October 24, 2008
By leafylady (Weston, MO)
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I ate this book up with rapt joy! And halfway through i realized i knew the author - from France in 1970! It is just the most poetic, honest, juicy, deep-swimming book - I recommend it to anyone who loves the call of the open road!
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Jupiters travels - An excellent read, August 29, 2008
By sofaadventurer (East Yorkshire UK)
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This is an excellent read, well written and immensely interesting. Ted Simon dips into his experiences of a four year journey around the world on his Triumph motorcycle. This is not just of interest to motorcycle fanatics or travel adventure junkies but can be accessed by anyone as you share in Teds experiences. The only draw back is that it is just a sample of his many adventures as space would not provide enough room for him to divulge more of his adventures. I need to check out the sequel "Riding high" with further stories to pass on to those of us who would enjoy sharing his adventures. Well worth a read, what an experience to have achieved, an inspiration to many.Riding High
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Facinating Journey, June 8, 2008
By sseale (New York)
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This book is about Ted Simon's experince of riding around the world. Not only does he write about his actual experinces, but he also writes about how he feels. Some parts of the trip are glossed over in just a paragraph while others take pages and pages. It was very interesting to see hwo he felt the trip changed his life. I would have given the book five stars, but it bogs down in places. This book is more about an adventure around the world than it is about motorcycling. Overall, it is a great story and worth reading.
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Very well done, May 26, 2008
By Nelson Kaesberg (Apache Junction, AZ)
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This book is extremely well written. The author eludes to his journalism profession and it is eveident. A little too much "who am I" searching to suit me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book.
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Fantastic journey, May 23, 2007
By Jeremy L. Kroeker
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What can you say about "Jupiters Travels" that hasn't already been said? It's the quintessential motorcycle travel book, a book that inspired many men to undertake similar adventures. (Just watch Long Way Round or read Motorcycle Therapy: A Canadian Adventure in Central America to enjoy the stories of two such men.) Ted Simon will make you shake your head in wonder of his good fortune (at times) and his calm assurance that all will be well under circumstances that would make most men abandon hope. Well written and thought provoking, this is a must read for any motorcycle adventure enthusiast.
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Well..., March 23, 2011
By An Amazon Customer (Wasilla, AK, US)
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This book was a bucket list item for me (reading the book not doing the trip) I must say I am a bit disappointed. The book starts strong with an eloquent and stimulating writing style, i couldn't help myself quoting his lines, but, after 20000 miles or so, it falls apart, like an old Triumph. I'm not going to give specifics, but toward the end I felt like I was reading a tame but equally fragmented version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I must say however, that making a similar journey is now on my list, if only to give a different perspective.
The information is good enough, but of-course dated. If your looking for a "how too" on adventure riding, skip this one and buy something more modern and level headed. If you are looking for a travel log of the road to insanity, maybe you should pick this one up.
Please don't get me wrong, it is a good book, and I see why he is considered the Father of adventure riding, however it seems that he lost the trail somewhere after California, and rode a flat tire (or maybe a broken heart?) the rest of the way.
Riding the world with a sense of humility, and awe is honorable, Riding the world with a sense of guilt and shame and letting it drive you mad, is delusional.
Just my .02, You may love it and you won't know until you ride it through to the end.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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For son, February 24, 2011
By Fran B. (Boca Raton, Fl.)
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I bought this for my son who is a pro Motorcycle Road Racer. He was so surprised that I got it for him, as he said he always wanted to do that.
I'm very happy I got it for him...another excellent purchase from Amazon!
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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A must-read for motorcycle adventurers, September 13, 2010
By John Turnbull (Sydney, Australia)
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This book has been an inspiration for many a motorcyclist over the years, including Charley and Ewen of course. Great story, great adventure!
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Jupiters Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph, September 13, 2008
By F. Barron
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I did not read this book. It was a gift for my son who enjoys motorcycles.
0 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Timeless, on a Triumph. Knocks us Dual Purpose riders down a notch., November 13, 2011
By Jay
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I loved it, no cell phone or GPS, nothing. Just the man and his ambition. Ted's intellegence and charisma made it happen along with a relaxed in the moment life as it shifts through the years. What was the real price and reward of this trip. I am happy for his follow up books that complete the picture that until now has been left to imagination.
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Thank you, Mr. Ted Simon!, September 14, 2011
By Wanda Hudson (Harvest, AL USA)
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I really enjoyed reading this book. I especially enjoyed the author's descriptions of the people he met along the way. He reads people well and always remembers to give a little psychoanalysis of each person, in addition to describing the surroundings, weather, and road conditions. I might never get the opportunity to take four years off to ride the world. The author has provided a wonderful gift to all who may never get to do what he did. He provides valuable insights into what was going in remote parts of the world and how the lifestyles differ from the western world. I think it is good to have an average citizen write a book like this; it is refreshing and quite different from the perceptions presented by the media. I also recommend the follow-on book, Dreaming of Jupiter, which documents Mr. Simon's second ride around the world at age 70.
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Pretty good read, August 21, 2000
By A Customer
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Good book with lots of adventures and mishaps including being in a couple of jails through no fault of his own. Found myself looking forward to getting home so I could read it. Pretty courageous guy.
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