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Home > Spokesongs: Bicycle Adventures on Three Continents
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Spokesongs: Bicycle Adventures on Three Continents
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By Willie Weir
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 (12 Reviews)
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Publisher:
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Breakaway Books
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Edition:
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Second Edition
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Hardcover
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Pages:
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256
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Reading Willie Weir is like bouncing along on the back of his bike, hanging tight to this poet/guide who knows just which potholes offer the most travel thrills and hits them expertly. In Spokesongs, his bite-sized stories of biking through remote corners of the world not only entertain, but also inspire travelers to get out there and meet people.-Rick Steves, author of Europe Through the Back Door
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Customer Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 Fantastic!!--Each story whisks you away on a new adventure., June 11, 1998
By A Customer
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Reading Spokesongs was like a wonderful journey into places I have only dreamed about. Willie writes on such an absorbing and personal level that after reading each chapter, I found myself looking up and almost blinking when I realized I was still in Seattle. He takes us with him as he travels the world and what a wonderful adventure we are invited to share!
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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"Innocents Abroad" on a bike, May 21, 1998
By A Customer
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Willie Weir is a wonderful story-teller. His lighthearted accounts of daily adventure in unfamiliar lands have an "Innocents,Abroad-like" quality that is very engaging. Read this book!
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Endearing tales of intrepid adventures, September 22, 1999
By A Customer
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Beginning with his ride out of Delhi, India, where he felt "as if all 8.4 million residents of that city were on the same road" and "bicycles are at the very bottom of the vehicle caste system," Willie Weir has an uncanny way of summing up situations in a few wry, descriptive sentences. His sense of humor is infectious, and usually quite ironic. Yet, he also confronts the serious isues of racisma nd discrimination in all three countries. In the Balkans, where he toured in 1996, he is constantly faced with war-torn villages, food shortages, and ethnic hatred. One particular day he eats lunch with a Muslim family, then shares dinner with a Croat one, and realizes he has the privilege of being "able to pass back and forth between the camps without being threatened."
4 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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A riveting account of biking in places I only dream about, May 20, 1998
By Greta Bryan (Yakima, Washington)
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This book not only appeals to recreational bikers who dream of biking in "other worlds", but gives an arm-chair traveler a glimpse into the backroads of countries, into the lives of real people living real lives. In a wonderful easy reading, humouous manner, Willie Weir has made us all believe that if we can dream it, we can do it..if we're willing to go for a week without clean underwear or everyday predictability.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Great short adventures that whisk you away & make you smile!, May 20, 1998
By A Customer
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Willie has a great way of communicating the absurd and outrageously funny, while still standing back far enough from the culture he is cycling through to paint the everyday experience for us, as well as suck us into the feeling of adventure that courses through his journey. We get to share in his lonley moments and in his fear and disgust at what he finds along the roads and tracks he peddals. I certainly hope we get more "Spokesongs" from Willie Weir in the future, but meantime buy two copies of this one, one for yourself to read every few months, and one for someone you love! Stephen Counsell
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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A very entertaining and informative book, September 13, 1998
By A Customer
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I enjoyed this book very much. It is well written and entertaining. Any person from teenager to grandparent, from biker to non-biker would find this book exciting. I have given this book for a gift to many people. Nancy Wagoner
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Goes good with Vivaldi and other mediocrities, August 11, 2002
By A Customer
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Both my wife and I approached this book with enthusiasm, and finished it with vague disappointment. Frankly, the stories are good, but the quality of the writing is throroughly mediocre. I kept imagining what a really good writer would do with the situations described in the book, and how much better they could have been handled. I think that the appeal of this book is mostly to bicyclists who are more interested in the story than the quality of the writing.
3 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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Singing Wheels!, December 19, 2000
By mason sinclair
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This is a delightful little book that you will read and reread many times. But be cautious, it will cause you to dust off that bike and go for a ride yourself, even if it is just a spin around our own neighborhood. If you are one of the lucky ones, you just might find yourself at a Joe (Kurmaskie, the Metal Cowboy) and Willie show. Friends who have gone to the Joe and Willie Show gave it enthusiastic reviews. But no matter, get the book yourself.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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You'll laugh, you'll cry...Don't miss it!, June 5, 1998
By A Customer
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In "Spokesongs", Willie Weir demonstrates the rare combination of indomitable spirit and poetic soul. "Spokesongs" will thrill you with its daring adventure and touch you with its sensitive portrayal of Willie's personal interactions. "Spokesongs" is a great read and a perfect gift.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Makes me want to get on my bike & go!!!, May 26, 1998
By A Customer
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Willie has a delightful writing style that makes the reader feel as if she is riding along with him & experiencing the country he is in. He has had some amazing experiences. I have used this book as gifts many times. I look forward to his next adventure!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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an entertaining and inspiring collection of short stories, May 21, 1998
By A Customer
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Besides being funny, Spokesongs is an inspiration to all travellers. Willie Wier seeks to find the best in every culture and has the ability to share his experiences in an entertaining way.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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An awesome collection!, October 30, 2010
By vivekchatrath (Singapore)
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This is one of those few books that I was actually unhappy finishing, only because I enjoyed it so much. The part about India was really hilarious, and glad Willie saw the humor in what can be a daunting experience for many. The journeys through India, South Africa and the Balkans showed the best aspects of humans, yet presented to him the irony of the evil humans tend to inflict on one another. A must read, full of entertainment. And since it is a collection of short stories, it is very readable and always brings on something new quickly.
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