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Alex Bescoby
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The Last Overland: Singapore to London: The Return Journey of the Iconic Land Rover Expedition (with a foreword by Tim Slessor) Paperback – May 9, 2023

by Alex Bescoby (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 163 ratings
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The Last Overland is the story behind the four-part documentary series on All 4 - the extraordinary journey of filmmaker Alex Bescoby and his team across 13,000 miles to recreate the legendary overlanding expedition of 1956.

In 1955, a young TV producer named David Attenborough was approached by six recent graduates from Oxford and Cambridge universities determined to drive the entire length of Eurasia, as it was then known, from London to Singapore. It was the ‘ unclimbed Everest of motoring’ – many had tried, none had succeeded. Sensing this time might be different, Attenborough gave The Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition enough film reel to cover their attempt. The 19,000-mile journey completed by Tim Slessor and the team was told in Attenborough’ s Travellers’ Tales, and captivated a nation emerging from postwar austerity. Tim’ s book, The First Overland, was published shortly after and soon became the Bible of the overlanding religion.

Inspired by Attenborough’ s comment fifty years on that it was a journey ‘ that I don’ t think could be made again today’ , Alex made contact with now eighty-six-year-old Tim and together they planned an epic recreation of the original trip, this time from Singapore to London. With their improbable team and the prospect of getting the original ‘ Oxford’ – arguably the world’ s most famous Land Rover – home to London, their goal was to complete the heroic journey started more than sixty years earlier.

In awe of the unstoppable Tim, and haunted by his own grandfather’ s deterioration due to tragedy and then dementia, Alex soon finds himself on the defining trip of his lifetime and discovers how the world has changed for better, and for worse, since the First Overland.

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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 9, 2023
  4. Dimensions
    9 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1789294770
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1789294774
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alex Bescoby is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer and presenter with a love of history, travel and storytelling. A Cambridge University history and politics graduate, he has written for BBC News, the Telegraph, National Geographic and Lonely Planet. His long- and short-form films have been shown by global broadcasters including the BBC, History Channel, Discovery and Canal+.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michael O'Mara (May 9, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1789294770
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789294774
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.09 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 163 ratings

About the author

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Alex Bescoby

Alex Bescoby

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Alex is an award-winning filmmaker, author and presenter from Manchester, UK, with broadcasts on All4, History, BBC, Discovery and Canal+.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
163 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

A. Cicogna
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome story
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Lovely story and very well written. I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this wonderful book but right into the first paragraph, I was on my way to reading a truly remarkable story. Full of great adventures, cross world travels and very well written. If you like overland traveling, which I do, and dream of ever traveling in a Land Rover through many regions (which I do) read this wonderful story. You will be charmed and will really like all the members of the team. I am so glad I read it. Highly recommended!
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mc
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you want to travel
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is a story about history, family, and the love of getting out for an adventure. The fact that it is a recreation of an early road journey. Very well written and told.
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Gill Huntington
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
Devoured this in a couple of days. Great read.
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Jah
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
Love it!! Great adventure
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Donna O'Connor
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
My son loved this book, he's really into landrovers. Doesn't read very much.
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Amazon Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein Muss für Landy-Fans
Reviewed in Germany on November 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Als Landy-Fahrer ist es schwer eine neutrale Rezension zu diesem Buch zu schreiben, aber ich werde es versuchen.
Es ist ohnehin nicht nur ein Buch für Anhänger des englischen Kultautos, sondern für jeden, der spannende und unterhaltsame Reisegeschichten mag.

Vorweg:
Ich habe die Reise dieses Autos und seiner unfassbar engagierten Besatzung fast durchgehend verfolgt.
Egal wo, es gab unfassbar viele Quellen und es werden tatsächlich immer mehr. Dokumentationen im Fernsehen und eben dieses Buch.

Der Kauf des Buches war für mich einfach ein Muss und ich habe es tatsächlich in wenigen Tagen komplett gelesen.
Es ist zwar in Englisch, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass auch Menschen mit wenig ausgeprägten Fremdsprachenkenntnissen gut damit klar kommen. Garantieren kann ich das aber nicht. ;)
Das Buch ist sehr kurzweilig und unterhaltsam geschrieben, ohne die Erlebnisse dabei irgendwie ins Lächerliche zu ziehen oder abzuwerten.

Von mir eine klare Kaufempfehlung - nicht nur für Landy-Fahrer oder Fans
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Nick H
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Travel Journal Read in a Long Time
Reviewed in Singapore on December 10, 2023
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One word - Epic.
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DJ
5.0 out of 5 stars The best overland travel book I have read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2023
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In short. This is the best overland travel book I have read.

If you’re coming here having read the ‘First Overland’ by Tim Slessor, I’m sure you will love it.

Why is it so good? It offers more than the average adventure travel story. It felt like stories regaled by an enthusiastic team on a reunion in the Grenadier Pub. Alex is an experienced documentary producer and has turned his hand to writing in a wonderfully creative way. He knits excitement into the sometimes mundane ups and downs of expedition planning and execution. He portrays deep emotion and suspense into the health concerns and Tim Slessor’s ability to continue on the expedition. He is unafraid to articulate the child like glee of new experiences and the mystical passages through seldom-travelled lands. He also has a humbling self-deprecating way of describing his own fitness to be a part of the expedition. Alex has deep historical and political understanding, which gives a sobering context to the story and fills the book with vibrant colour beyond the descriptions of what lay on their path. He somehow keeps things positive in some deeply troubled lands, often with a visceral respect for the real people encountered on the journey. One of many favourite quotes: “Passing mercifully fast through customs, where enormous men in fur hats thumped sausage fingers on tiny keyboards. We were set free into Kyrgyzstan.” But the surprise was the philosophical questions of why we attempt such challenges. This really makes the book stand out. It could be a love story; the love for travel and adventure, the love for family and home, the love for the team; it is deeply relatable and brought laughter and tears in a thoroughly enjoyable way.

I’m looking forward to watching the 4-part documentary series of the same name.
3 people found this helpful
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hazstar
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Discovered this when the author gave a talk at wilderness - book did not disappoint, a great account of their travels
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