The Last Overland

Singapore to London: The Return Journey of the Iconic Land Rover Expedition

By: Alex Bescoby

Narrated by: Alex Bescoby

In 1955, a young TV producer named David Attenborough was approached by six recent graduates from Oxford and Cambridge universities determined to drive the entire length of Eurasia, as it was then known, from London to Singapore. Many tried this before, but none succeeded. Sensing this time might be different, Attenborough gave The Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition enough film reels to cover their attempt.

The 19,000-mile journey completed by Tim Slessor and the team was told in Attenborough's Travellers' Tales and captivated a nation emerging from postwar austerity. Tim's book, The First Overland, was published shortly after and soon became the Bible of the overlanding religion. Inspired by Attenborough's comment fifty years on that it was a journey "that I don't think could be made again today," Alex made contact with now eighty-six-year-old Tim, and together they planned an epic recreation of the original trip, this time from Singapore to London.

With their improbable team and the prospect of getting the original Oxford, their goal was to complete the heroic journey that started more than sixty years earlier. In awe of the unstoppable Tim, and haunted by his own grandfather's deterioration due to tragedy and then dementia, Alex soon finds himself on the defining trip of his life and discovers how the world has changed for better, and for worse, since the First Overland...

©2022 Alex Bescoby (P)2022 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Land Rover

I wasn't sure about this book at first but I took a chance and was presently surprised by how good it was. It did start off a little slow but I soon couldn't wait to have to go for a car ride. A good travel tale of a Land Rover going from Singapore to England in modern times that recreated the original trip from England to Singapore.

excellent travel book for any 4x4-er

an outstanding story of an amazing journey.
If you love 4x4-ing or exploring off-road then this book is a must read.
10/10.

Fantastic!

I never leave reviews and I’m usually against giving ratings but this book is excellent. It’s so much more than a book about an old truck. The author does a near masterful job of contracting the past with the current journey, as well as the vibrant but slowing Tim with his own grandpa’s struggles with dementia. Wonderful wonderful book

Excellent

The first Overland London to Singapore was in the early 1950s. David Attenborough filmed the adventure for BBC. In this book, Alex Bescoby writes about a repeat of the Land Rover expedition from Singapore to London. One of the Land Rover vehicles was the original Oxford Land Rover. There were some differences mainly because of political changes since the first expedition.

The book was well written and documented. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been a long time since I have read a travel documentary. I was interested in the changes of various countries since the first trip.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book was ten hours and twenty-one minutes. Alex Bescoby narrated his own book.

Fun Read!

Captures the essence of adventure, a fun well written story about following a dream and experiencing different countries and cultures!

A journey of a listen.

Great recap of an adventurous story. Most countries covered in depth, but a couple were skimmed over. Overall, amazing story to listen to.