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About the Author
George Mahood is an award-winning writer. Specifically, he was placed third in the Little Brington Village Fete's limerick competition (Under 11s category) in 1988. It was the same year that Mrs Marriott's legendary fruit loaf was beaten in the WI cake contest for the first time in six years. George studied Communication Studies and English Literature at Leeds University. After spending a year travelling in the USA (with clothes and money), he worked for several years in a variety of jobs including charity fund-raising and garlic bread making. He currently works as a photographer, specialising in weddings. George has been the lead singer and guitarist of a rubbish band and the chairman and midfielder of an awful Sunday-league football team. George has plenty more madcap ideas that will form the basis of future books. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook to keep in touch, see more photos, and to hear about future projects. http://www.facebook.com/georgemahood http://www.twitter.com/georgemahood
Review:
4.7 out of 5
93.85% of customers are satisfied
5.0 out of 5 stars Just great reading.
Loved the challenge. Very brave. Also, very resourceful and heart warming to see are mostly kind.Funny and well written
4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
An excellent book, enjoyable and fun. My only caveat and why I decided to downgrade from 5 to 4 stars was its unnecessary foul language. A book is not written for the enjoyment of the writers but for the enjoyment of the public....
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful ---so funny
It's not often I laugh out loud reading a book. An excellent read of two men cycling from Land's End to John O'groats with no money.
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm amazed they made it!
I'm not sure which is the most remarkable achievement: cycling 1,000 miles, starting without a bike, clothes, food or accommodation or writing about the adventure in such an amusing and engrossing way. One thing is for sure, I'm surprised Ben and George made it and in such relative comfort too! How on earth did they manage to blag their way into staying a night at such places as top hotels, cosy Bed and Breakfasts, barns and a narrow boat barge? They must have lots of charm and look incredibly honest, even when looking rough, strangely dressed and no doubt smelling a bit too! In the the same circumstances, I think I'd be sleeping in a ditch with an empty stomach and no bike at my side! I loved the narrow boat story because that happened only a few miles from where I live and it was great to see my home area written about. I'm glad we were so generous. Yes, George, I live in the area where you were getting confused about whether you were in England or Wales. Your confusion was understandable- even the locals get confused as to where the very convoluted border is. And at least you got to sleep in a boat.What interesting characters Ben and George met on the way, from helpful old ladies, shop assistants and students, to "hitman" Ronnie, two would-be thieving deaf boys and a pair of delightful Llama farmers. And they didn't cycle all the time. They took time out from their struggle with The Falcon, Pinky and others, to watch a film, take a slow speed boat round a lake, visit Robbie Burns' cottage(at least it was warm), look out for the Loch Ness Monster and go whisky tasting, still without spending any money. Quite brilliant and it really does say a lot about the generosity of the British that they managed it.Told with a great sense of humour and a wry smile at themselves (the strange array of clothes they were desperate enough to wear was very, very funny...bin bags and tiny wellies included) this is a well written and entertaining read. Well done, George and Ben. Highly recommended.
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant
I lived it. Very well written. Kept me entertained all the way. Huge respect for your journey and perseverance throughout.
4.0 out of 5 stars A nice change!
If you fancy something different this book is just the thing. It's written in diary format. It involves two men challenging themselves to go from Lands End to John O'Groats starting out with absolutely nothing-and I mean nothing-apart from each a pair of Union Jack/flag boxer shorts! They have no money, no food, no clothes and they have to blag items or work for them-eg. washing up in cafes or restaurants, cleaning hotels etc. This book is great and hilarious at times, really well-told. Each journal entry has photos of the days' events. My only criticism of this book-well the kindle edition anyway-is that the pictures are a bit small so that's the only reason I have given it 4 stars instead of 5. Ok you could enlarge each one individually but I would prefer for there to be say two decent sized photos per page but I don't know the costs or processes involved. You can look on George's website or Facebook page for more photos or better sized pictures but I would have preferred them to be easier to view in the book also. Some great moments in this book. They are given, for example, trousers way too big so they have to tie string around the waist as a belt also given a pair of trainers which I seem to remember were too small but, in the absence of any other footwear they had to wear one each until someone else provided them with other items. An excellent read, very different, refreshing and entertaining. I really liked the style of writing and I hope George thinks up another challenge to do and to write about because I would definitely buy that book too.
3.0 out of 5 stars Impressive brass neck and completely bonkers
When a friend and I did LEJoG we planned it and used money to buy food and pay for places to stay, not to mention buying new bits for bikes and cycle clothing beforehand. All in all it cost us each about a thousand pounds. I have to admire this pair for their sheer brass neck in doing it for nothing on blagged but completely unsuitable bikes, not to mention their persistence when it was pouring with rain protected by nothing more waterproof than bin bags.The story of their adventures is genuinely amusing - there are some real laugh out loud moments. The characters they met and engaged with along the way show Britain at its quirky best. A great adventure.I was however disappointed to discover that they had been followed by a TV crew along the way - so although they claimed not to use it they were never that far away from a safety net if required. I guess that's the difference between an ordeal and an adventure - an ordeal being an adventure without a contingency plan.I am also curious as to how they got back from John O'Groats - maybe the TV crew were there for that bit?
5.0 out of 5 stars Free Country
Excellent book detailing two peoples journey from Lands End to John O' Groats. Amazing tale of travelling end to end with only their wits and honest nature from all the people along the way. Well worth a read, really well written.
Freeing
How enjoyable, a trip of a lifetime, in pants. A special trip told from the villagers perspective - thank you, George (and Ben)!
Great fun
This book was great fun. I read it during one of the lockdowns and it made me feel like I was travelling vicariously. The story really shows how amazing people and travels are, and it's presented with a good dose of humour. Enjoyed it very much.
Wonderful, hilarious adventure
Such a fun story...or I suppose ‘stories’ as every part of the journey produced another story to tell. It was written in such a relatable way, especially as I’ve gone on my own bike adventures and created some unforgettable memories. Yes, George and Ben, when people read your story we might be envious of your zany adventures, but can’t imagine many of us having the courage (or be crazy enough?) to go ahead and do anything like it. At least we get to experience it vicariously, thanks for writing the book!
Wow.. what a book and what great adventure
Inspiring. Great Fun to read and way too much to learn about life. One of the best books I have read in the recent times. Absolutely crazy adventure, but like one of those guys said, it is a life affirming trip.
Entertaining and Inspiring
I love a good story of human achievement, and this book, ‘Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain,’ did not disappoint.Humanity at its finest, and human endurance to be astounded by. Not only did the author highlight what we all wish for in this world, kindness from our fellow citizens, but also the spirit of resilience, bouncing back and never giving up.Not only that, Mahood did it all with good humour as he entertained and informed his readers in equal measure.Highly recommended.
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Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain
BHD8581
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Product origin: United Kingdom
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