Product Description

By most people's standards, Josie Dew is hugely adventurous. By American standards, she is completely insane. For Americans drive everywhere: through cinemas, restaurants, banks, even trees. But driving past Josie as she pedalled across America was a new and alarming experience. On her eight-month journey Josie experienced it all; race riots in Los Angeles, impossible heat in Death Valley, Sexual Tantric Seminars in Hawaii. From Utah to the Great Lakes, via improbable places like Zzyzx and Squaw Tit, her two-wheeled odyssey brought her into contact with all the wonders and worries of this larger-than-life country. Highly entertaining, richly informative, TRAVELS IN A STRANGE STATE is a personal memoir of an improbable journey, revealing the United States as it is rarely seen - from the seat of a bicycle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #187189 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
'an action packed and entertaining tale...' 19 Magazine 'it is her well-developed sense of the ridiculous which makes her adventures so entertaining.' TODAY 'You might not let your daughter do it. But then again, if she could produce such an entertaining book as this, you just might.' GUARDIAN

About the Author
Josie has cycled 280,000 miles across 43 countries, some by accident. The survivor of 5 continents, several wonky knees and a handful of worn-out bottom brackets, she is still firmly fixed in the saddle. WIND IN MY WHEELS was shortlisted for the 1992 Travel Writer of the Year Award.

Customer Reviews

Repetitive and a bit dull.
Desipte being billed as "cycling across the usa" over half the book covers Hawaii. Of the rest, it seems as though it is mostly complaints about the landscape being desert or cornfields.

Added to this are the repetitive accounts of guns, murders, rapes and shootings making this a rather dull book.

She's still travelling, but it takes more courage.
Following on from the delightful, "Wind in my Wheels" JD is travelling in the USA. Although her effervescent character still shines through, the bad experiences in Bulgaria described in the earlier book have clearly dented her insouciance and confidence that things will be okay. The book is therefore much darker, and more anxiety is described than pleasure. Its still a great read, and those who enjoyed the first book will want to know how she gets on. You just end up more concerned about her.

Still pedaling
Josie Dew's welcome second book of her exploits touring by bicycle. Whilst her first was centred on Europe this cover the USA. Like most good travel writing, the account is a very personal perspective on what she sees, it's not a tourist board brochure. Yes, a fair proportion of the book is spent on the Hawaiian Isles, but most of the book is in mainland US.

She writes with great humour, telling life as it seems from the saddle and the roadside, both good and bad.

If not quite as fresh or humourous as 'The Wind in My Wheels' this is still a great read.