★★★★☆

By Zoltán Sulkowsky, WhiteHorseBooks.com

Published by Whitehorse Press

ISBN: 978-1-884313-77-6

Hardback: $29.95 (no e-book version available)

Imagine being a student in Europe during the 1920s—the Great Depression era, where there were few jobs, and even fewer prospects… but with a planet still wildly open to discovery and adventure.

That’s what it was like for young Hungarians Zoltán Sulkowsky and his best friend Gyula Bartha. Both were in their 20s when they purchased an already “old” Harley-Davidson, and rickety handmade French sidecar in 1928, before setting off on what would be the first motorcycle expedition to ride the majority of the land masses of the world. Filled with personal accounts, great photos and maps, the Whitehorse Press version is the first English language edition of this remarkable story.

For almost a decade the boys drove—often hauled or dragged—their hack the long and difficult way round, through then 68 (now more) countries and six continents. Because of their historic accounts, observations and experiences, the modern reader quickly realizes an undertaking like this could never be duplicated again. It’s difficult to conceive just how impossible the conditions were at times, but Sulkowsky often, in his somewhat cavalier manner, relays how they did it and how they survived their incredible journey. Given the somewhat parallel world economic climates of then and now, Sulkowsky’s book contains another message relevant to today’s adventurers—that perhaps there is no “right” time to get out there and do it.

The book also reveals just how far back some of our overlanding motorcyclist traditions go. The Hungarians, for example, were precursor to the now common practice of festooning their machine with hundreds of auto club badges and travel-related medallions and stickers. Their sidecar motorcycle used skins of exotic animals to replace the worn out original leather coverings. And they traveled with a dog—another tradition that is so popular amongst sidecar motorcyclists nowadays.

Whether you’re a history buff, or simply an adventure biker who is interested in those who have gone before you, you’ll love this book. My only regret is that I let it languish on the bookshelf so long before getting to it. WhitehorseBooks.com