Book in review: These Are The Days...... Dan Walsh

[TexasShadow]

These Are The Days That Must Happen To You

Anyone who reads Bike magazine (UK) is familiar with Dan Walsh. If you aren't, you should be. He is the quintessential Hunter Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Ted Simon rolled into one. He's the Jimmie Dean of motorcycles. He swears, smokes and probably scratches. His writing is raw, real, and risque.

Yet, underneath all that cigarette smoke, hair and dirt is a human being with all the same qualities you and I share. And he loves to ride. Anywhere and everywhere. This book is a compilation of riding around Africa, Central, South and North America. It even has pictures ;) (color plates)

I just got the book. I'll offer more when I'm done.

[TexasShadow]

I just finished the book. No, it's not finished. It's something you mull over, toss around in your head, chew on, maybe spit some portions out, others roll around your tongue.

Dan's writing is in part lyrical, poetic, stream-of-consciousness, brash, certainly non-conventional. But that's Dan. And more power to him for being himself.

More than anything, he's candid and frank. And he has the balls to write it for for "10,000 mirrors" around the world. Sometimes exposing his deepest darkest dungeons, other times riding lyrical air happy as a mad hatter on a bike.

Regardless if readers like or dislike him, his travels put all the adventure posers to shame. ADV.com is like a schoolbook for children; Long Way Round boys are spoiled kids on a nappy ride. Dan's travels are real life, in the real world; a world few of us really see or experience.

Anyone who rides a bike will see a reflection of themselves in his book. Even if it's an embarrassing view or a peek behind your hands that hide your face. Dan compromises a part of all of us, all rolled into one. We may fit different pieces at different times, and the puzzles are of various sizes. But you can't help but laugh, nod, shake your head, tsk, tsk, roll your eyes, and, at the end, take a good long look around you and at the mirror.

Dan's life is on a bike. Read the book and ride pillion with him.