At the age of sixty, and having lived with Parkinson’s disease for over ten years, Guy Deacon CBE set out on one last adventure: to drive solo from his home in the UK 18,000 miles and through twenty-five countries to Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa. This incredible journey, across Europe and down the full length of Africa, took the former British Army officer over twelve months. Along the way, he broke down five times, underwent one emergency evacuation, and took 3,650 prescription pills.

There are only a handful of vehicles each year which attempt this difficult journey; many never complete it. Ongoing conflicts in Libya, South Sudan, Mozambique and many other countries make any journey exceptionally dangerous. In central Africa, road conditions, particularly in the rainy season, often make the going treacherous. Further hazards include illegal checkpoints, extortion, contaminated fuel and a lack of services.

My Thoughts:

I fancied something a little different from my usual reads and came across this book. I have to say it is a must read. Guy has Parkinson’s but is not letting it take over from his life. In this incredible story he decides that for one last time he will do something that he knows he can achieve come hell or high water and that is to go on adventure by himself and drive all the way from his house to the end tip of Africa. There is a lot he goes through on his way and at times I thought would he give up and go home but he has pure determination and does not let anything stop him or get in his way. I am not sure why but I felt as though he was my dad and I was spurring him on in this lengthy journey of his. I felt super protective and proud of him. Guy is a true inspiration to everyone and I am so glad I got to go on his last adventure with him. I felt as though I learnt things about my person and how to deal with certain situations in the future. Thank you Guy for writing such an inspiring book.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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