Peking to Paris: The Ultimate Driving Adventure - Hardcover

Philip Young

9781845841201: Peking to Paris: The Ultimate Driving Adventure

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845841204 ISBN 13: 9781845841201

Publisher: Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2007

This is the official record of the centennial re-enactment of a great motoring milestone: the 1907 Peking to Paris race. Man and machine against the elements, driving where no car has gone before...That was the impossible challenge of 1907 when a handful of buccaneering madcap motorists took up the idea of a Paris newspaper to prove that the car could now go anywhere by driving the huge distance between two capital cities...from Peking to Paris. To mark the 100th anniversary of the original "Great Race", over 100 cars set out to drive the original route used by Prince Borghese in 1907: they ranged from authentic veteran Italas, to vintage Bentleys, to classic Aston Martins and pretty much everything in-between. Drivers of 26 different nationalities came together to pit their wits and their cars by driving 40 days from the Great Wall of China, across the Gobi Desert.After the Gobi Desert came ten days of wilderness crossing Mongolia's vast plains to Russia, then on to Moscow's Red Square and St. Petersburg, to Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Germany. The survivors finally rolling into Paris for an amazing party. Even though 100 years on from the original ground breaking event, today's rally enthusiasts discovered that in Mongolia, conditions of poor fuel, problems of food and water and finding their way to distant horizons remained a challenge exactly as faced by the original pioneers. This then is the inside story of the great driving efforts and human endeavour required to complete an amazingly challenging route. With over 400 photos, official maps and inside information this is a fascinating read for any motor enthusisast. The book also briefly describes the original event, including previously unpublished photographs.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review

.. this is a fascinating read for any motor enthusiast. - Mercedes Owner

This stunning book begins with the story of the first transcontinental motor rally held in 1907. Adding depth to the story and setting the stage for the second chapter are historic photographs, many never before published. The remainder of the book is a detailed, lavishly illustrated daily diary of the 100th anniversary rally, a 40-day adventure from Peking to Paris. To say this book is a must for every enthusiast of vintage automotive rallying would be a gross understatement. - Cars & Parts magazine -

Sand and dust, sand and dust: you may be tempted to wash your hands by the end of this heavily visual account of the re-enactment last year of the 1907 road rally from Peking to Paris ... the meat of the sandwich is the colour images: lively, anecdotal and exciting ... - The New York Times -

Of the several books published about this epic event, this one really is the most comprehensive, touching upon many details only the organizing team would know ... the book gives a chronological, diary-like account brimming with (mostly) Gerard Brown's excellent photos of the cars, people, and landscapes. - The Flying Lady -

Be warned, there are times you might be tempted to wear sand goggles or rain gear as you flip the pages ... the book will drag you inevitably into a delightful, long evening of reading, poring over photos and serious forehead slapping incredulity. Great fun. - Sports Car Market -

The text and photographs capture superbly the monumental challenges of organising and participating in such an exhilarating event. This book makes a great contribution to documenting veteran, vintage and classic car rallying and this event in particular. - Rolls-Royce Owner's Club of Australia -

It's a beautifully presented account of the re-run, written in diary form and accounting the trials and tribulations of the cars, the drivers, the officials and the locals, and visualised through hundreds of high quality photos. For any red-blooded motoring enthusiasts who are also keen on tales of great adventure, this is a fantastic read ... - ADI News -

Packed with over 250 beautiful action photographs in its 224 pages, and edited by Philip Young, the doyen of rally masters, you will travel along with 130 intrepid drivers making the 40-day drive through the Gobi Desert, Outer Mongolia and across Russia to Europe. Much of the text is in diary form and quite frankly this reviewer found the book hard to put down as page after page reveals the extraordinary hardships the crews endured. Highly recommended. - Classic MG -

Relive a modern day grand adventure and thrill to such feats of daring do as retold in word and photo in this lavish 224-page book. - Gay Classic Car Group -

Of great interest are the hundreds of terrific photos depicting the cars in full flight and under full repair. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and suspect that anyone with a sense of adventure will, too. - Australian Classic Car -

We were blown away by the superbly reproduced action shots of photographer Gerard Brown in this book of the 2007 centenary event. But the text is good, too, and includes the 1907 original race. Perfect for rallyists of all types, even the armchair sort. - Octane -

Just how arduous were some of the conditions is amply conveyed by Gerard Brown's wonderful photographs. That it was clearly a grand event is shown very well in this excellent book. - The Automobile -

... what you get is one man's view of the transcontinental undertaking but, with Young being an ex-Fleet Street man, it's well-written with superb pictures liberally dotted throughout. --Classic & Sports Car

If you're into grand voyages and scenery, and vintage cars, this book is unlikely to disappoint. --Autosport

About the Author

Philip Young has written for The Times, The Guardian, and The Observer; worked on the news desk of the Daily Mail for three years, and is generally credited with having kick-started the historic rally movement with events such as the Pirelli Classic Marathon, Monte Carlo Challenge, Around the World in 80 Days, Classic Safari, and, in 1997, the 90th anniversary of the Peking to Paris. This the largest and most adventurous event for vintage and classic cars ever organized, marking a famous anniversary.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.