- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown; 1st Edition edition (5 Jun 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0316729361
- ISBN-13: 978-0316729369
- Product Dimensions: 14.7 x 22.5 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 506,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Bandit Roads: Into the Lawless Heart of Mexico
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Product Description
Review
Erudite & street-smart... that rare thing: a travel writer who not only amuses & informs but also reappraises a well trodden landscape with brio & originality (MAIL ON SUNDAY )
[Grant] brings to light a range of darkly romantic wanderers who strayed from the American mainstream while exemplifying the American Dream (OBSERVER )
....the freshest travel book on the US in a long time & one of the best short entrees to its history & culture (TLS )
His yarn rips along to a staccato sound-track of gunfire and inventive obscenities from some of the most unrighteous examples of humanity alive' Peter Carty, INDEPENDENT ('A raw, colourful tour through the Sierra Madre . . . he is a cracking travel writer, and his book brims with revealing conversations, escapades and history’ )
[Grant] brings to light a range of darkly romantic wanderers who strayed from the American mainstream while exemplifying the American Dream (OBSERVER )
....the freshest travel book on the US in a long time & one of the best short entrees to its history & culture (TLS )
His yarn rips along to a staccato sound-track of gunfire and inventive obscenities from some of the most unrighteous examples of humanity alive' Peter Carty, INDEPENDENT ('A raw, colourful tour through the Sierra Madre . . . he is a cracking travel writer, and his book brims with revealing conversations, escapades and history’ )
Book Description
* A tale of high adventure in Mexico's bandit country
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am sure, from the witness of the authors experiences during his time in the Sierra Madre that it truly is a gun infested, drug fuelled, hellhole, it reminded me a bit of Newcastle on a Friday night but with AK47'S.
However, risky as his time in Mexico was, the writer also takes risks within his writing, as at various times he confesses to various forms of drug taking, drinking to excess ( I mean REAL excess) and travelling unmade roads at speed in vehicles that would make a 70'S Austin Allegro look robust.
What the physical and emotional state of Richard was afterwards can only be imagined, but the book is a great read, the first chapter alone stands one of the most gripping intro's I have ever read and that alone makes the book well worth its price.
However, risky as his time in Mexico was, the writer also takes risks within his writing, as at various times he confesses to various forms of drug taking, drinking to excess ( I mean REAL excess) and travelling unmade roads at speed in vehicles that would make a 70'S Austin Allegro look robust.
What the physical and emotional state of Richard was afterwards can only be imagined, but the book is a great read, the first chapter alone stands one of the most gripping intro's I have ever read and that alone makes the book well worth its price.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I feel I have to write a few words to balance the account on this book.
I found it to be a very funny, interesting, crazy read and, frankly, I'm hard to please.
Or so the girlfriend says....
I found it to be a very funny, interesting, crazy read and, frankly, I'm hard to please.
Or so the girlfriend says....
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There is one chapter in Bandit Roads( actually it's split over two chapters book ending the narrative) that is as tense, compelling and exciting as anything you will read in a thriller. This is mainly because it's the type of scenario you might read in a thriller except this actually happened. Even the fact that the reader knows the outcome doesn't lessen it's impact . I will not elucidate further (even though the books jacket and no doubt corresponding promotional blurb will do so) for fear of giving too many details away . The rest of the book , not too surprisingly ,struggles to match the beginning and conclusions visceral thrills yet despite this Bandit Roads is an engaging and educational read.
Richard Grant acknowledges that he is a risk taker and you would have to be bearing in mind that the journey he undertakes for this book is through the Sierra Madre in Mexico. Different rules exist in the huge underdeveloped expanse of the Sierra Madre- in fact it's fair to say no rules exist in the Sierra Madre , certainly none that could be classed as rules by Western standards. Despite this and despite numerous dire warnings about travelling alone in such a dangerous place Grant set out in his truck hoping a few contacts( there are some great characters in the book) would be enough to get him all the way through .
So why is the Sierra Madre so dangerous you might reasonably ask? Well it's all to do with drugs, lack of effective judiciary, corruption, family & tribal feuds ( revenge is an inherent part of Mexican culture leading to whole family's being wiped out) excessive drinking and the general machismo of the Mexican male. If you know someone of standing you have more chance of making it unscathed , if you know Mexican history and laud historical figures like Pancho Villa, that will help though not always and if someone offers to drink with you never ever refuse. Speaking Spanish is a good idea too...though as Grant concedes numerous times you don't need linguistic skills to recognise that some people are just plain nasty. There a lot of plain nasty people in the Sierra Madre.
Like Tim Butcher's tale of Congo travelling "Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart" Bandit Roads is a terrific way to learn about the culture and geography of an area most of us wouldn't give a second thought to. Its not as emphatic a political and historical discourse as that book but then again it avoids much of that books rather prosaic navel gazing . It also confirms that while we may feel we live in perilous times in the U.K. in truth we really don't know the true meaning of the word. Just ask Richard Grant ...or better still read this book.He deserves it after what he went through.
Richard Grant acknowledges that he is a risk taker and you would have to be bearing in mind that the journey he undertakes for this book is through the Sierra Madre in Mexico. Different rules exist in the huge underdeveloped expanse of the Sierra Madre- in fact it's fair to say no rules exist in the Sierra Madre , certainly none that could be classed as rules by Western standards. Despite this and despite numerous dire warnings about travelling alone in such a dangerous place Grant set out in his truck hoping a few contacts( there are some great characters in the book) would be enough to get him all the way through .
So why is the Sierra Madre so dangerous you might reasonably ask? Well it's all to do with drugs, lack of effective judiciary, corruption, family & tribal feuds ( revenge is an inherent part of Mexican culture leading to whole family's being wiped out) excessive drinking and the general machismo of the Mexican male. If you know someone of standing you have more chance of making it unscathed , if you know Mexican history and laud historical figures like Pancho Villa, that will help though not always and if someone offers to drink with you never ever refuse. Speaking Spanish is a good idea too...though as Grant concedes numerous times you don't need linguistic skills to recognise that some people are just plain nasty. There a lot of plain nasty people in the Sierra Madre.
Like Tim Butcher's tale of Congo travelling "Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart" Bandit Roads is a terrific way to learn about the culture and geography of an area most of us wouldn't give a second thought to. Its not as emphatic a political and historical discourse as that book but then again it avoids much of that books rather prosaic navel gazing . It also confirms that while we may feel we live in perilous times in the U.K. in truth we really don't know the true meaning of the word. Just ask Richard Grant ...or better still read this book.He deserves it after what he went through.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Jump on a bandit wagon
Why would ANYONE travel to the lawless heart of Mexico? Grant's account of his time there is funny, insightful, and full of delightful (and not quite so delightful) stories of his... Read more
Published on 18 May 2010 by Mark Rees-Jones
I pity the story
I like travel writing quite a lot, it's interesting to hear of other peoples experiences as they travel around the world and see amazing things. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2010 by Mr. T. C. Gospel
great start, poor finish
The author begins his tale with detailed and dramatic accounts of his experiences traveling in parts of Mexico infested with drug gangs and warfare. Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2009 by pwillow
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