Product Description

Setting off from Ireland, Pete McCarthy takes us on a wonderful journey around the weird and wonderful Irish communities of the world. In his own inimitable style, Pete recounts his adventures and escapades as, in Morocco he meets the head of Clan McCarthy, and then goes on to visit the renowned Irish peoples of New York. He journeys to the southern hemisphere and then back again to the United States before ending up in a small town called McCarthy in Alaska. Will he encounter enough McCarthy's Bars, as he continues to obey the eighth rule of travel: 'never pass a pub with your name on it'? This is a funny, affectionate look at the Irish communities of the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #463313 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The amazing success of McCarthy's Bar put Pete McCarthy securely into the upper echelons of modern travel writers. His skills were many: an uncanny knack for evoking the ambience of the often bizarre and unlikely places he visited; insights into human behaviour that range from the sardonic to the insightful, and (best of all) a fractured sense of humour that made reading the book in public dangerous if you didn't want to embarrass yourself by spontaneously laughing out loud. There were those who feared that his new book The Road to McCarthy would not match its predecessor for quirky and idiosyncratic charm, but a few pages of the first chapter quickly puts paid to the nay-sayers.

Over a few pints, McCarthy unwisely decides to investigate mythical stories of his own clan history. Were the McCarthys a nomadic tribe who travelled from North Africa in the mists of pre-history? This none-too-serious attempt to anatomise worldwide Irish connections results in an outrageously entertaining odyssey. From the Fried Breakfast Zone of Belfast airport, McCarthy journeys to Morocco and Gibraltar and finds that the Casbah in Tangier doesn't have too many historical traces of a hereditary Gaelic Chief. Despite attacks from ornamental monkeys and ill-tempered geese, he ploughs through the fleshpots of the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean in his fruitless search (where the only Celts he encounters are worse-for-drink Glasgow Celtic supporters); and then, in the secluded Alaskan township of McCarthy (where else?) with its populace of just 18 bewildered citizens, he comes across a final revelation. This is absolutely hilarious stuff, every bit as entertaining as McCarthy's Bar--and that's no blarney.--Barry Forshaw

Review
'Cordial, happy-go-lucky, a bit vague, cowardly yet with an inimitable sense of adventure; a disarming, likeable travelling companion.' -- The Sunday Times 20020721 'The new book is just as quirky as McCARTHY'S BAR and even funnier ... it's full of extraordinary encounters, insightful glimpses of the places he visits and humorous comments on human behaviour, not least his own.' -- Victoria Hislop, Sunday Telegraph 20020721 Praise for MCCARTHY'S BAR: 'McCarthy is a hilariously funny writer' -- The Times 20020721 'McCarthy mines a rich seam of humour as he finds himself on the receiving end of some warm but unsophisticated hospitality. But then, he could probably make a phone book funny.' -- Independent on Sunday 20020721 'Don't panic - this is not the same story you hear from every tourist you meet ... This book will make you laugh out loud through recognition and embarrassment' -- Irish News 20020721 'One of the funniest writers around. If you were asked to choose the ideal travelling companion, you would put Pete McCarthy near the top of your list. But if he doesn't happen to be available, MCCARTHY'S BAR is the next best thing' -- Yorkshire Evening Post 20020721 'A riveting piece of storytelling' -- Observer 20020721

Review
'A disarming, likeable travelling companion' (The Sunday Times 20020731)

'The new book is just as quirky and even funnier. It's full of extraordinary encounters, insightful glimpses of the places he visits and humorous comments on human behaviour, not least his own.' (Sunday Telegraph )

'McCarthy is an accomplished writer, snappy and shrewd' (Guardian )

'McCarthy's sharp and intelligent humour makes this roundabout journey a constant joy' (Independent )

Praise for MCCARTHY'S BAR:

'McCarthy mines a rich seam of humour as he finds himself on the receiving end of some warm but unsophisticated hospitality. But then, he could probably make a phone book funny.' (Independent on Sunday )

'Hilarious, informed and intelligent ... a wonderful debut. By the end, we, too, would like to move to Ireland' (Amazon.co.uk )

'An engaging, evocative book. Four out of five stars’ (Daily Mail )

‘Don’t panic - this is not the same story you hear from every tourist you meet ... This book will make you laugh out loud through recognition and embarrassment' (Irish News )

‘One of the funniest writers around. If you were asked to choose the ideal travelling companion, you would put Pete McCarthy near the top of your list. But if he doesn’t happen to be available, MCCARTHY’S BAR is the next best thing’ (Yorkshire Evening Post )

'A riveting piece of storytelling' (Observer )

Customer Reviews

All roads lead to McCarthy
It seems that you either like Pete McCarthy or you don't. Since The Road to McCarthy is pretty much volume two of McCarthy's Bar, it won't be too difficult for most of us to decide whether we want to read it.

This time around, McCarthy's lengthy pub crawls, sticky ferry trips and sporadic reflections on roots, religion and the heritage industry cover a wider area of the world map. Otherwise, it's really more of the same.

And that's fine by me. I love McCarthy's writing. I find it wry, witty, self-deprecating and deceptively sharp. And yes, it does make me laugh out loud on the bus. But beneath the blokey banter there are genuine and surprisingly subtle insights into some of the big issues facing twenty first century westerners.

For McCarthy, these are mostly to do with working out a sense of belonging in an increasingly dislocated, commercialised and globalising culture. Neither fully English nor fully Irish, and not truly at home in either place, it's not surprising that he uses travel writing to pursue his theme.

McCarthy is particularly good on the human need to build some kind of sensible narrative around our lives. Pointing out that no-one wants to live their life as experimental drama, he puts up quite a defence for the exploding interest in genealogy and the quest for a family story, which many of us have learnt to dismiss with a sophisticated sneer. He certainly pushed me to rethink that one.

Maybe it's an age thing - I probably wouldn't have felt this when I was twenty five - but I'm quite happy to give McCarthy's favourite themes a second go. And if they are surrounded by some entertaining but perceptive and thought provoking descriptions of his life and times in New York, Tasmania and several points in between, then that's fine too. Even if most of his life and times there are spent in scummy bars. Again.

But then, you may have experienced McCarthy's Bar as nothing more than a crass catalogue of repetitive drinking sessions in the company of a dull and irritating bore, whose main pastime is taking swipes at the English, the Irish and any other available nationality. In that case, The Road to McCarthy will probably seem like a cynical and lazy attempt to sell the same book twice.

You pay your money (or not) and you make your choice . . .

The Road to McCarthy is paved with gold
It was always going to be difficult for Pete McCarthy to match the runaway success he had with the wonderful McCarthy's Bar. I was fully prepared for disappointment upon opening the second book, and am therefore pleased to announce that it is nothing short of brilliant. Fans of the author will be aware of his fondness for obscure places and unwavering ability to land himself in ridiculous and often bizarre situations.

The Road to McCarthy is similar to its predecessor in the sense that it once again follows Pete on his quest for identity: He explores his roots - just as he did last time around - and stumbles upon the history of the McCarthy clan, and the supposed McCarthy Mor. Sounds unusual - far-fetched even? That's because it is. Far from tainiting the feel of the book however, it adds a mysterious quality and sees the author trekking the globe in a highly unusual detective adventure. McCarthy frequently reprises his role of teacher and historian as he lapses into fact mode, interspersed with tales of the unusual people and places he encounters on his travels. So entertaining are the accounts of events he has witnessed or conversations he has taken part in, that I frequently found myself asking 'how does he FIND these people?' The answer is simple; they flock to him. He is a magnet for strange personalities, and thank God he is because I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time.

The author journeys further afield in this book than the last, with his adventure taking him to Montserrat, Montana and Tasmania. It was the section set in the latter that I found the most interesting, with its often moving documentation of convict settlements upon the Australian island. It's certainly eye-opening, and I frequently found myself staring at the words in disbelief. The treatment of the prisoners - many sent there for stealing just a hankerchief or a loaf of bread - was shocking. It is exactly this storytelling technique that gained my respect for the author. One moment I was laughing alound at the absurdity of a situation, and the next saddened by his descriptions of these historic events.

It is rare for a sequel to surpass its predecessor in terms of entertainment value, but The Road to McCarthy does just that. It is a warm, witty and marvellously entertaining read, which is at the same time educational. Whether or not Mr McCarthy draws any conclusions from his experiences I really couldn't say. One thing is for certain however; I can't wait to see what he's got in store for book number three.

The journey (and the laughter) continue ...
"Relentless pursuit of the non-existent by the clueless armed with the unworkable is bound to turn up something sooner or later" writes Pete McCarthy in his second book. He certainly is not clueless and what he turns up is definitely worth the detour - a detour that has us follow him Tangiers via Macquarie to Montserrat.
Full of witty observations, wonderful anecdotes, hilarious characters, "The Road to McCarthy" is a dangerous read if you're sitting on your own in a public place: you may well pass for a nutter, choking with laughter for no apparent reason. There you are: you have been warned !
And to end in McCarthy's words: "Travel can be full of surprises. Sometimes they're not even the surprises you expect."
All that remains is to re-read "McCarthy's Bar" while we wait for his next travel logbook.