Free Country by George Mahood
The Blurb
**THE AMAZON #1 HUMOUR, #1 TRAVEL AND #1 SPORT BESTSELLER** "...spent last night laughing so much my coffee came out my eyes..." "...this book is quite simply the best I've read in years..." "...a completely bonkers challenge and a brilliantly funny read, I couldn't put it down..." "...it reminded me of some of Danny Wallace and Dave Gorman's best bits..." "...this wonderful story had me crying with laughter more often than not..." "...inspiring, uplifting, need I say more? Quite brilliant..." "...funny, totally engrossing and actually quite moving..." "...one of the most heart-warming, genuinely funny books I have read in a long time..." "...not many books keep me up 'till 4am, endangering my marriage in the process... Read it now..." "...for the price of half a pint of beer you'll fill at least 4 pint glasses with tears of laughter..." FREE COUNTRY: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain The plan is simple. George and Ben have three weeks to cycle 1000 miles from the bottom of England to the top of Scotland. There is just one small problem… they have no bikes, no clothes, no food and no money. Setting off in just a pair of Union Jack boxer shorts, they attempt to rely on the generosity of the British public for everything from food to accommodation, clothes to shoes, and bikes to beer. During the most hilarious adventure, George and Ben encounter some of Great Britain's most eccentric and extraordinary characters and find themselves in the most ridiculous situations. Free Country is guaranteed to make you laugh (you may even shed a tear). It will restore your faith in humanity and leave you with a big smile on your face and a warm feeling inside.
About George Mahood
Born
The United Kingdom
Website
http://www.facebook.com/georgemahood
georgemahood
Genre
Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir
Member Since
July 2012
URL
https://www.goodreads.com/georgemahood
George Mahood is an award-winning writer. Specifically, he was placed third in the Little Brington Village Fete's limerick competition (Under 10s 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 from FREE COUNTRY, and to hear about future projects. www.facebook.com/georgemahood www.twitter.com/georgemahood
My Review
Insanely funny, and true. What could be a nightmare for some, being left with no money, no clothes and nothing but a pair of boxer shorts to cover their modesty, faced with having to travel a thousand miles. Well for two men, George and Ben, this was the start of living their dream, to walk and hopefully acquire bicycles to complete a journey from Lands End to John O' Groats without spending a penny for clothes, food, accommodation and their bikes. It takes a certain amount of bravery, ingenuity and bags of charm to survive on a trip like this, not to mention the physical stamina it would take to complete the journey within a reasonable time. It is also a story of the great British public. Forget what you see in London, where hoards of people in Oxford Street or riding the tube go to great pains to get where they want to go without giving so much as eye contact to another person. This story is about tapping into the goodwill that is within us all. Everyday of the trip unfolded new surprises of acts of human kindness from individuals to these two strangely attired strangers that came into their towns or villages. I literally laughed out loud at the humour throughout the book which left me envious of their incredible achievement and cherished memories. It was a joy to read from start to finish.
