A Thousand Miles from Nowhere: Trucking Two Continents

Rating:
Summary: Ive Driven Them Roads
Review: I'm unfortunate enough to have been on that run as a regular myself and ran with the proffesor mentioned a number of times.What the author does get across very well is the not knowing just where you are without the little remiders and the enforced lonelyness of the european system as it is not always to easy to find someone who talks the same language which i think will be missed on our American couisons.

Rating:
Summary: Sex, drugs, heavy loads and hard living...
Review: Not a foray into the ins and outs of getting laid on the road, as one reviewer accurately observed; this book is an examination of two cultures - British and American, through the eyes of the drivers who traverse their countries (and in the British case), the countries which surround them.

What you take from this book is a reflection of what you put in - Graham Coster exemplifies true journalistic style by presenting his experiences as observations - not only of the truckers, but of his own reactions and thoughts. His observations are witty and the men who drive for a living are described in more depth than the shallow stereotypes we associate with this profession.

Coster very gently draws a picture of men who are not only beer slugging, womanizing road hogs - but careful drivers, romantic travellers and lonely creatures.

In his observations, a subtle comparison of two very similar, yet completely different cultures emerges. The differences between the American truckers and their British counterparts exemplifies the differences between the two countries themselves.

I wonder if the truckers that Graham Coster describes would be interested in themselves in this book - and in some ways it doesn't matter. As a reader, I was transported. I was in the cab, I felt the stretches of road, heard the music, ached at the endlessness of it all and finished the book with a different perception and a fuller and deeper understanding of a culture that I would never have had the opportunity to explore otherwise.

This is what a great book is supposed to do and Graham Coster does it with an impeccable eye for detail, dry humour and a gentle sense of humanity.

Rating:
Summary: Sex, drugs, heavy loads and hard living...
Review: The two continents in question are Europe and America, the trucking in question being the 18-wheeler, big rig type. English freelance writer Coster took truck-driving lessons in preparation for his scheme to ride along with truckers on hauls in both continents. Unfortunately the small bit about his lessons ultimately prove to be the most entertaining part of the book, which is basically a blow-by-blow account of his ridealongs from England to Moscow, and from New England to California. His description of various driver "types" constrains no surprises, the segues into different truck makes and models are boring (unless you are a gearhead), and the attempt to weave in all kinds of nonsense about music (country and blues) is misguided and annoying. One can learn a fair number of interesting details about the trucking life and industry (especially all the permits and paperwork involved), but that wasn't enough to rescue the book for me. An interesting omission is any exploration of prostitution, which is reputed to be widespread at truck stops around the world. Coster is clearly a fan of trucking and rather in awe of the drivers and their ability to make it all work, but his enthusiasm doesn't translate well to a book. A much more compelling and entertaining account of trucking can be found in "Danger, Heavy Goods" by Robert Hutchison.

Rating:
Summary: Not Your Average Travel Book
Review: Written by an obvious truck enthusiast, this account of long distance travel by heavy truck across both Europe and the United States is both interesting and entertaining.

I read this in one sitting, not because I was trying to mimmick the drivers, who drive for incredibly long periods without rest, but because the book held my interest to the point where I did not want to put it down.

As someone who has travelled long distance by truck, I can report that the author has conveyed the experience very well, and his assessment of what motivates these men and how they operate is right on the mark.

There are enough trucking details to satisfy most enthusiasts, and although there is a Peterbilt on the front cover, Kenworth fans will probably glean more from this book as a result of some interesting trivia. Mention is made of a 'Northern Star', which should read 'Western Star', but otherwise, the book came across to me as being largely devoid of errors. Enjoy the ride!

Highly recommended