Full Tilt cover art

Full Tilt

Ireland to India with a Bicycle

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Full Tilt

By: Dervla Murphy
Narrated by: Emma Lowe
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About this listen

Full Tilt is the inspiring true story of Dervla Murphy's 1963 journey from Ireland to India on an Armstrong Cadet bicycle, and the trials, landscapes, and cultures she encountered along the way. The route takes her through the valleys and snowy mountain passes of Europe and India to the scorching deserts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the metal of her bicycle, Rozinante (named after Don Quixote's steed), becomes too hot to touch. She travels alone, without luxuries, sleeping on the floors of teahouses or on blankets outdoors, vulnerable to wild animals, insects, and thieves. However, she is often met with generosity and kindness, and shares many meaningful encounters with the locals. Her portrayal here gives a fascinating insight into the unique communities of the Middle East in the early 1960s.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2019 Naxos Audiobooks Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Travel Writing & Commentary Women Pakistan

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Featured article: The best biking audiobooks


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Fascinating account of travels by the most intrepid adventurer, beautifully written, endlessly amusing, insightful, wonderfully observed. And fabulously narrated as well. My favourite book.

A ripping yarn, and then some! Dervla is my absolute hero.

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I have had this book on the shelves for many years and had pulled it out to read given the coronavirus lockdown, however, when I saw it could be read to me my wife, and I jumped at the chance. We tend to listen in the car and found ourselves filling these empty days enjoying Dervla Murphys 1960s adventure as she cycled from Ireland to India. There is so much to be gleaned from this true story. Mostly we hear first hand about the people she met. The lives these people lead. The poverty but a harmony of village or mountain life. How protected these people were from western ideals. It is so much more than an amazing journey. Emma Lowe the narrator is the icing on the cake. Highly recommend. Escape to a better time.

What a wonderful thoughtful adventure.

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From frost bite and wild dog attacks in frozen Europe to Afghani hospitality and sweltering temperatures of Pakistan, Dervla’s incredible journey showcases the most understated bad ass to have made it from Dublin to Delhi by bike.
This incredible tale offers a compassionate and curious traveller’s insights into nations and cultures that long gone or forbidden to us now.
I’m so pleased she has penned so many other stories to enjoy!

One change of clothes and four rounds of ammunition!

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simply amazing
Dervla is something else, an inspiration and role model.The way we should be.

Excellent

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Recommend listening to this - any age and type of person will get something from Dervla Murphy’s journey, getting on with it through tick and thin.

Brilliant tale by a wonderful traveler

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loved it. just kept falling asleep...as planned ...and kept having to rewind so I didn't miss any!!!-

great fun!

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In the tradition of Robert Byron who also wrote well of his travels over some of the same ground, three decades earlier, Dervla brings the Reader into really sympathetic contact with so many ordinary folk in the lands she travelled through. And her bulletins, written each evening (despite some extreme rigours in the day) are evidence of the accurate descriptions of her courageous progress always attracting friendly encounters with humble locals, ready to share (and she to accept) their sparse provender.

A Compulsive Diarist

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what an amazing accent of a woman travelling alone from Ireland to India on a bike in the early 60s.
enjoy it.. and remember her options and observations are of its time.

humour in bravery

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For a woman in her 20's to cycle across the world in 1964 was an incredible idea and at times a very dangerous adventure.
The story itself is almost exclusively taken directly from her journal entries.
This was written in the 1960s. The language and terminology used would no longer be considered appropriate or politically correct. However the author does not intend offence and I do not believe it is legitimate to judge by applying current standards of language usage on a book written almost 60 years ago.
What is clear is that the author had extreme fondness, respect and love for the people and places she visited. In addition she makes many astute observations and concerns on the forced westernisation of countries and the negative impact of same.
Apart from all that the struggles of a run woman dragging a bike alone across the world is in and of itself and very interesting.

Amazing story of insane journey

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Felt immersed in the whole journey and very much enjoyed it. The last section in India seemed to be a bit of a sanctimonious dig at Britain which spoilt it for me a bit.

Grea...until the end

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