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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 Middle East
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Wonder story and adventure. Great insight into Afghanistan, Parkistan. The landscape but especially the people in those countries, their beliefs which defines their hospitality.

wonderful story!

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A great journey. Some views and language have dated with time. Wished it was longer.

A great stroy by a great lady

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I can’t tell you how many times I giggled and sighed reading Full Tilt…or how often she made my palms sweat, wild dogs,Dervla literally takes us on a horse ride to the edge of life with her, melting snow bridges and terrified donkeys…her practical approach to her adventures indeed her ‘daring do’ is astonishing…Her compassion and empathy towards all creatures great and small is wondrous…. Her story is my all time favourite bed time story….I have listen to Dervla’s epic adventure over and over usually when I’m driving long distances or at night when I either can’t sleep or just want to be carried away to a different time and place …coupled with Emma’s brilliant story telling voice, together they are my favourite nighttime lullaby…. Ps that littlest goat curling up and sucking on her fingers melts me :)

Astonishing

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I have been a Dervla fan since reading an extract from Full Tilt in an anthology of travellers' tales in the late 1980s, with the compiler describing her as The Intrepid Dervla Murphy. Although I have many of her books, I had not read Full Tilt. And I enjoyed this audiobook rendition, with the narrator's soft, lilting Irish sounding as if Dervla was reading from her travel journal.

The Intrepid Dervla Murphy

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a really good story of a woman's adventure to India in the 60's. a very honest tale of a very out of the ordinary journey.

incredible story

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The account of scenery and people was lyrical, honest and profoundly interesting. Makes me want to visit these places. I loved her witty optimism and her nonchalant attitude to tough terrain and worse...

The only advantage I can see of reading it rather than listening to it would be it would be easier to follow along on a map but the audible version was simply wonderful too.

Fascinating listen

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From start to finish, exciting, informative and so well described.
I loved every minute
A true pilgrim .

What an adventure 👍

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What an amazing person is Dervla Murphy.
Fabulous Irish accent of the narrator.
I felt like I was taken on her adventures - so rich were the descriptions - wonderful writing style.
Oh how I wish Audible had more of her adventure books to listen to!
I can say this has been my most enjoyed book from Audible.

Best book I have read for a long time

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Woman. Bicycle. Panniers. Smokes.
60s and the Middle East.....
Real Adventure told in real time with humour, honesty and detail enough to carry as a retrospective story

Magical and Real

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The most uplifting, compassionate, and funny listen! Full of subtle mind opening phrases. Minus the actual physical effort, Dervla takes us with her through the brilliant narration of Emma.

Brilliant

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