A Drive on the Wild Side - Twenty extreme driving adventures from around the world

Features • First hand experience of some of the most extreme roads on earth
• Behind the wheel of some of the world's finest cars
• Illustrated by some of the world's leading automotive photographers
• Exploring lands that don't feature in guide books
• Author's passionate interest in foreign cultures
• Author's determination to 'go the extra mile'
• Potent mix of extraordinary cars and extraordinary personalities
• Multi-award winning journalist (winner of six awards)
• Will appeal to both automotive and travel enthusiasts
• Exploring motoring culture across the globe

Description

Written by award winning journalist and television presenter Alistair Weaver, and illustrated by some of the world's leading automotive photographers, A Drive on the Wild Side, takes you on a fascinating journey across some of the world's most challenging roads. Experience the heat of the Laos jungle, the loneliness of the Arctic and the bullet-marked streets of Beirut from behind the wheel of some of the world's finest cars. Find out what it is really like to drive a Ferrari 612 across the forgotten wastelands of western China, or to chase poachers on the slopes of Mount Kenya. This book tells the fascinating, hair raising and moving stories experienced during a career-spanning automotive adventure in style, with 400 stunning photos. This is a book that will appeal to car and travel enthusiasts across the world.

Synopsis

A Drive on the Wild Side takes you on an exciting journey along some of the world's most fascinating roads. Discover what it's like to drive a Ferrari across the wilds of western China, take a Smart car to the Arctic, and dodge bullets on the mean streets of Soweto. This is a book that will appeal to anyone with a thirst for the open road. Written by the multi-award-winning journalist and television presenter, Alistair Weaver, A Drive on the Wild Side is a compendium of stories from a life spent behind the wheel. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, they are illustrated by some of the world's leading automotive and travel photographers. Each chapter takes us on an intriguing journey into the unknown. Hop aboard a Range Rover Sport and explore the depths of the Laos Jungle before turning south to Thailand and the lurid charms of Bangkok. Open a scissor-door to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and catch up with Sir Stirling Moss on the route of the famous Mille Miglia. Explore the Faroe Islands in a Lamborghini Gallardo, then slide into a Mini and hurtle past Moscow's Red Square in a semi-legal street race. Tales of daring-do in some of the world's greatest cars are mixed with moments of thought-provoking sensitivity. In a drug-ridden Brazilian Favela, we meet Maria Jose Clemente, who runs an orphanage supported by the Ayrton Senna Foundation. In Tanzania, we lunch with a Masai tribe, and north of the Arctic Circle, we discover the ancient Sami people. Combining a passion for all things automotive with a keen interest in the human condition and a determination to 'go the extra mile', these journeys paint a fascinating picture of life beyond the reach of the guide book. This book tells the fascinating, hair raising and moving stories experienced during a career-spanning automotive adventure in style, with 400 stunning photos. They will delight both the casual tourist and the seasoned globetrotter.

Independent Reviews

"Alistair Weaver has had some fantastic adventures all over the world and in some of the world's best cars. This book brings together some of these great stories in a mix of travel and motor writing. It is well written with humour and some beautiful pictures, a good fun read." – Track & Race Cars
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"A series of ego trips, yes, but they make for enjoyable rides with a good-humored driver." – The New York Times
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"The fine photos are by seven photographers, all successful and capable professionals and as well traveled as the author. Anyone with an eye for story telling in pictures will recognize the care that went into their composition and selection for this book." – The Flying Lady
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"... Weaver has found a fresh angle and works it well here, and because he is intelligent he has added a poignant quality to his writing about cars. Weaver is as keen on travel writing as he is on cars and he weaves the two strands very effectively. I love the scope of this book: Weaver has travelled the world in search of a good story and there are some great drives here." – Brown Book
"The writing is crisp and professional, the photography high-quality, and the adventures mouth-watering. Weaver is living the career I dreamed of ..." – Sports Car Market
"Of all the motoring books you might score as a present from well-meaning relatives, you could do much worse than this one. 'A Drive on the Wild Side' promises something for both the traveller and the enthusiast driver. The photography is excellent, the locations fascinating and the metal genuinely desirable." – Wheels
"This collection of 20 or so articles, published in titles like Autocar and Top Gear, makes for an enjoyable and, at times, hilarious read." – Motor Sport
"... read about driving a Ferrari 612 along China’s Silk Road or a Bentley Continental GT around the diamond mines of Kimblerley among 20 once-time articles with excellent photography taking in as much of the local colour as the cars themselves." – The Automobile
-"A superbly illustrated book by journalist and presenter Alistair Weaver, documents his adventures whilst driving in some of the most way-out, wacky and sometimes worryingly wild destinations." – Motoring & Leisure
"I bought this book as a Christmas present for a friend who loves automobiles but after flicking through it I decided to keep the book for myself. It's an interesting insight into the world of auto journalism and is written in an engaging and witty style. The pictures are stunning. If you love cars and travel then it's a great buy." – Amazon.co.uk
"If you like drive stories, you'll like Weaver's collection of past magazine assignments, superbly shot by top photographers." – Octane