First Overland: London-Singapore by Land Rover

This is a wonderful travelogue documenting a “mad English plan” to drive from London to Singapore AND BACK! For anyone interested in travel or even what the Middle East and South Asia were like in the 1950s, it is a must read.

Interesting read. Like a top gear episode set in the 1950's

This reprinted book, "First Overland: London-Singapore by Land Rover" recounts the Expedition from London to Singapore undertaken by six twenty-something lads from Oxford and Cambridge Universities in 1955 and 56. Because they were young they didn't know enough to worry that it might not be possible, they managed to get sponsorship from the BBC and the still-young Land-Rover Company (the obvious and only commercial vehicles at the time rugged enough to undertake the trip). Their avowed purpose was to study irrigation techniques being developed in the very new country, Pakistan. The other reasons were to document travel in countries very much unknown to the average traveler in 1955, and produce a film and photographs for the BBC. Their sponsor representative for the BBC was Sir David Attenborough, famous for his nature documentaries. The adventure was very much a lark for the young men, but their organizational skills helped keep them out of trouble, and their jolly attitude and camraderie made them attractive to all the many people they encountered. Another virtue of this account is a view into a world now much changed and not always for the better. The most serious difficulties driving through Iran and Iraq were a lot of local hospitality that often delayed their departure, the mountainous terrain and crazy desert traffic. Otherwise, the people in those areas were kind and welcoming, and the kids - well, like kids everywhere. For the Land-Rover enthusiast, the vehicles, named "Oxford" and Cambridge", were a pair of brand-new Series One 86-inch wheelbase standard vehicles. This journey helped solidify Land-Rover's reputation as the best Any-Terrain vehicle built up to that time, and for many years to come. Any reader who enjoys adventures in a world now mostly fraught with danger and political insanity will really love going along on this ride, with a group of buddies who nearly always were cheerful and ready for anything.

An interesting book. I would have given it a 4, excepting it is so dated. It is an edited journal of a trip taken by 6 young men overland from London to Singapore in 1955/1956. Of course everything has changed a lot since then. I did especially enjoy the part about Syria, which one would not be able to traverse today, and Burma, which also is much changed I think. Someone interested in the history and politics of the 1950s or who has traveled in these countries would find it more interesting. I actually have traveled in Turkey and India - including Darjeeling and Sikkim, so could make comparisons between their experiences and how it is today.I read this book because of my daughter, who is a teacher. One of her elementary school students is currently traveling by car with his family over this same route, using the book as a guide. Of course they had to skirt Syria. Currently they are in Burma, caravaning with 2 other cars of tourists whom they met on the road, with an in country guide. Burma is now open to tourists, but everyone MUST have a certified Burmese guide in that country. (First overland was written shortly before Burma was closed to the outside world, and now this family is experiencing the current day, shortly after Burma has re-opened their borders.) My daughter, of course, wanted to read the book to understand better the experiences of her pupil.

I love the idea as well as the act of exploring. Unfortunately I do more of the former than the latter. This book does a great job telling the story from an earlier time when much of the world was unknown and communication was hard. Amusing anecdotes and lovely British humor. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

If you like travel adventure, this book is among the best. Must read.

Definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in overlanding or Land Rover vehicle exploits. Great blend of geography, history, adventure, and human interaction.

A great read that will keep you engaged and reading on. Loved the story; takes you back in time to a point where everyone was prepared to have a go and the word "risk" wasn't automatically paired with the word ''aversion", "management" or "mitigation". If you like travel and getting off the beaten track, this is the book for you.

The adventure of a lifetime.These days its common to take a year out before Uni "Traveling" to get some independent experience.These guys did it differently (bar one Oxford man), and passed their degree courses before setting out.In the year that it took them to complete this one-off adventure, they are exposed to some hardship and some opulence; influence and power, humility and grace, fun, friendship and responsibility, heat, cold and general discomfort. But mainly they learned to work as a team to achieve their ultimate goal.Some very different personalities, temperaments and early life experiences with a cross section of skills, worked together as one team, sometimes two and always ably supported by the home team. They made it through to the end of land (Singapore) in two early Land Rover vehicles. In doing so, they directly influence what they would eventually do with their lives. Something that many still find hard to decide on completing their degree. End of Empire? Yes, that too.Would highly recommend reading this re-print of Tim Slessor's excellent book.

I'm a Land Rover fan and from the Land Rover Series Once Club forums heard about the re-creation attempt. This got me interested in the original trip and so I got hold of a copy. It was a very interesting read. As an off-road driving instructor I do get people who want to drive in far flung places and the planning aspect is often forgotten. In this book Tim discusses the selection process as well as the overall planning.The book is well written and engrossing - I have now lent it to several other people who also enjoyed it.The one aspect that may seem alien to those of us later than the baby-boom. The trappings of faded Empire are there as well as attitudes that are distinctly non-PC. For example calling many of the people they met "Charlie" as they couldn't remember their names seems bad now.I also bought the Eric Edis, 'The impossible takes a little longer' which details a later trip and a completely different way of doing things.

First read this when about 12 years old (1972) and well pleased to find I could get a copy now. A brilliant mixture of geography, politics and stubborness. How the world has changed since this was written. Classic British humour and down to earth analysis of cultures and people that make the world we live in. It backs up my own experience that though nations might fight individuals like to help each other.

I bought this book for a landrover enthusiast (to the extent that he has built his own!). I was a bit worried by another review which said it was mostly about the drinks parties they had on the way, but it was received very favourably by the recipient. It seems to be a good book for anyone with an interest in period landrovers - the trip was done in the 1950s - and who has enough knowledge to understand the difficulties of undertaking a project like this and is interested in the way the problems were overcome. It certainly got the thumbs-up from a landrover expert not given to excessive praise!

We were cheesed off, working in an engineering factory, got drunk and decided to do a "round the world" trip. Sobered up and wavered, then read the book and we were hooked.We bought a Landrover for £140 .and left UK in August 1966. we never got to Singapore but sold the landrover in Kathmandu and carried on overland to Laos, Cambodia etc, but that's another story. Was given the book again in Venezuela in 1970 and loaned it out in 2002 but never got it back and I've been searching boot sales etc, for another replacement'' but no joy till now , so I hope it can give somebody else a world of pleasure.thank you, Kindle