Under Asian Skies

Review by Glynn Roberts, UK Horizons Unlimited Meeting Organiser "Sam Manicom's new book Under Asian Skies has a quote on the back cover that says, 'Too often... I would hear men speak of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen.' Sam has the skills of the story teller and this book easily transports you into three years of journey across Asia. He manages to bring the sounds, scents and heat of Asia to life without wordy overkill and he has obviously researched his historical facts carefully. As with his first book Into Africa, he attracts all sorts of dramas most travellers wouldn't encounter. He nearly gets killed in Australia , twice! Catches dengue fever in Thailand and is nursed back to life by a prostitute, gets arrested in Madras, in the middle of the plague that is hitting India . He battles with the red tape that anyone who has tried to get their bike in or out of India will tell you about - myself included. In places Under Asian Skies is sad, and in others it's outrageously funny - look out for his battle with the Sydney port officials and the bus ride in Indonesia . All in all this is a really good read, whether you have been across Asia, or are planning a trip. This is true travelling on the cheap and not your everyday story. Recommended."