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bookwoman1967's review against another edition
4.0
I want Michael Palin's job! Traveling around for the BBC, what a dream.
andrew_j_r's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, for several reasons. The first is that Palin an genuinely funny, engaging writer who draws you into the narrative so you almost feel like you are there. Secondly, I watched the TV show along side this, and very little of the TV show is in the book. You might get a sentence that says "we spent the morning filming" and then it goes into no more detail than that, and he concentrates on other stuff that happens, so it's not just a book of the TV show.
And finally, the third reason this book is so strong is because of the way the world is changing at the time it is written. The USSR dissolves less than a week after they leave it. They visit villages close to Chernobyl a few years after the accident - and some of the villages have only been vacant a year or so. They go through the prosperous country of Zimbabwe, and enter a South Africa that is has only just started to dismantle Apartheid in the last five months (in which the journey was in progress).
The TV series was pretty good, but the book is awesome - both as a novel and a historical document. Brilliant stuff.
3.11.23 Reread the splendid Folio Society edition published in 2023. Agree with all the points raised above, and now I’ve reread the book I shall rewatch the TV series.
And finally, the third reason this book is so strong is because of the way the world is changing at the time it is written. The USSR dissolves less than a week after they leave it. They visit villages close to Chernobyl a few years after the accident - and some of the villages have only been vacant a year or so. They go through the prosperous country of Zimbabwe, and enter a South Africa that is has only just started to dismantle Apartheid in the last five months (in which the journey was in progress).
The TV series was pretty good, but the book is awesome - both as a novel and a historical document. Brilliant stuff.
3.11.23 Reread the splendid Folio Society edition published in 2023. Agree with all the points raised above, and now I’ve reread the book I shall rewatch the TV series.
samstillreading's review against another edition
4.0
Pole to Pole is the last of Michael Palin’s travel books that I have to read. (I still need to track down a copy of Hemingway Adventures in the future, but I may watch the series first as I’m not really into Hemingway). Set in the early 1990s (just before the fall of the USSR), Palin and the regular crew (including Basil and Clem) start at the North Pole with the aim of reaching the South Pole following the same longitude as closely as possible.
This takes them through Greenland, Finland, Estonia, the Ukraine (both part of the USSR at the time), Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa with an unexpected detour to Chile and finally, Antarctica. As always, the trip is not without its problems (digestive issues appear to occur quite often) and there are witch doctors, African animals and strange living quarters. I haven’t seen the series in its entirety but I think it would be interesting particularly from a retrospective point of view – there have been big changes in Europe (especially the Ukraine and Estonia) and Africa (eg. Zimbabwe) since this was made.
Once again, Palin can easily transport the reader to the time and place with interesting facts about the country as well as a great insight into the people.
This takes them through Greenland, Finland, Estonia, the Ukraine (both part of the USSR at the time), Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa with an unexpected detour to Chile and finally, Antarctica. As always, the trip is not without its problems (digestive issues appear to occur quite often) and there are witch doctors, African animals and strange living quarters. I haven’t seen the series in its entirety but I think it would be interesting particularly from a retrospective point of view – there have been big changes in Europe (especially the Ukraine and Estonia) and Africa (eg. Zimbabwe) since this was made.
Once again, Palin can easily transport the reader to the time and place with interesting facts about the country as well as a great insight into the people.
jon288's review against another edition
4.0
What a journey. I would love to emulate it! Particularly interesing just after reading about the polar exploration in Erebus, and cool to see the politics of the world changing dramatically as he moved through it (e.g. collapse of the USSR just after he left)
mrhumpage's review against another edition
4.0
Palin is a superb narrator of his own audio book, that is in itself an accompaniment to the 1980s BBC television series.
It's also strangely relevant almost 30 years on, with opinions on the development of the middle east and India which could have been formed yesterday.
A most enjoyable account of what is essentially 11 weeks of boat travel.
It's also strangely relevant almost 30 years on, with opinions on the development of the middle east and India which could have been formed yesterday.
A most enjoyable account of what is essentially 11 weeks of boat travel.
sebjs's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
nattly's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
thunguyen's review against another edition
4.0
Only a few years after "80 Days Around The World", Michael Palin and his BBC team took on the quest of "Pole to Pole" in the later half of 1991, such a time in world history when the Soviet Union was days away from collapsing, child soldiers were obviously present in Sub-Saharan countries, and the process to end the Apartheid in South Africa had barely started.
The team chose to follow the 30th meridian east line, a longitude that cuts through the most number of countries then (and even more now after the end of the USSR), which also means most the land crossing is through the length of Africa. Given the slowness of travelling through countries where roads were non-existent, most of the book happened to be in Africa.
Michael Palin's reading is very fast and energetic, making an exciting armchair travel time. His humour and optimistic was as good as can be in a lot of situations where travelling conditions were abhorrent.
The team chose to follow the 30th meridian east line, a longitude that cuts through the most number of countries then (and even more now after the end of the USSR), which also means most the land crossing is through the length of Africa. Given the slowness of travelling through countries where roads were non-existent, most of the book happened to be in Africa.
Michael Palin's reading is very fast and energetic, making an exciting armchair travel time. His humour and optimistic was as good as can be in a lot of situations where travelling conditions were abhorrent.
flinx8's review against another edition
Unlike around the world in 80 days there is no narrative just straight diary entries and just a touch of nastiness about locals