This title has been shortlisted twice for the 2024 Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Award, in the category Best Debut Author and Books About Motor Cars & Motoring Costing No More Than £50.
40,000 miles, 40 countries, one unique adventure
by ‘Waxy’ Wainwright, Mike Palmer and Chris Wall
● An epic drive through three continents, 40 countries and covering 40,000 miles
● A nine-month journey spiced with life-threatening danger
● More than 270 photographs, documents and press cuttings
● An ideal book for Land-Rover enthusiasts and those with a passion for travel
Setting out from London’s Charing Cross in 1969, this extraordinary adventure took three young men through Europe, Asia and Africa on the trip of a lifetime.
At the wheel of ‘TEN’, their 1964 Series IIA Land Rover, Chris Wall, Mike Palmer and Andrew ‘Waxy’ Wainwright navigated across challenging terrain and through political unrest – finding themselves held at gunpoint, being arrested on suspicion of murder and even accused of spying!
From the civilisation of northern Europe, to crossing into Burma on an inflatable lilo – this brand new, 208-page book is the tale of a truly epic overland trip covering 40,000 miles and 40 countries, as told by the three gentlemen who undertook such an achievement – using their own personal diaries of the time as the basis and including more than 250 never-before-seen photographs and documents from their archives.
With support from the United Nations Association, the ‘UNAtrek’ overland expedition also visited a number of supported projects in remote areas, helping to highlight the important work that organisations such as UNICEF were carrying out at the time and, through reports sent back to the UNA as well as the wider press, their story is an intriguing window into an evolving world, as the 1960s gave way to a new decade.
For those with a passion for travel, overlanding or Land Rovers, this tale of triumph in the face of adversity is certain to have you dreaming of exploration and adventure – even if just from the safety of your own armchair!
The authors
Chris Wall; a graphic designer from Sussex working as a visualiser in a London advertising agency. His skills made him the unanimous choice to be the project’s photographer.
Waxy Wainwright; appointed UNAtrek’s quartermaster and mechanic. He had previously worked as an apprentice gardener.
Mike Palmer; finished his degree at Oxford three months before the start of the expedition and was appointed to write reports for sponsors and friends on the trip.
Specification
Publication date: December 2023
Size: 240mm x 280mm
Jacketed Hardback
Page count: 208
Images: Over 250
ISBN: 978-1-913089-03-0
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