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Wheels within Wheels: Autobiography
In this beautifully written and searingly honest autobiography, the intrepid cyclist and traveler Dervla Murphy remembers her richly unconventional first thirty years. She describes her determined childhood self - strong-willed and beguiled by books from the first - her intermittent formal education and the intense relationship of an only child with her parents, particular
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Paperback
,
236 pages
Published
May 28th 1981
by Penguin Books
(first published 1979)
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It’s not long ago that I mentioned that it would be interesting to know more about Dervla Murphy. Well, I hope all my wishes come through so quicklly. I got plenty of exciting travel volumes for my birthday and finished Wheels Within Wheels already. This autobiography from my admired Miss Murphy claryfies most issues about her life and about her motives for escape. Her tough childhood and stubborn personality all come through marvellously readibly in her book and I found it hard to put down. Her
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Her unconventional growing-up in rural Ireland - 30's to 50's. Powerful. 50 mile by bike at age 11, set the plan for biking to India.
I really like this book! She is born the same year as my father, 1931, in Ireland. I've not read anything else by Dervla Murphy, and I can't remember how I heard about her. At the age of 31, Dervla set off by bicycle to India. It was 1962, definitely the pre-hippy, pre- vagabonding era. Her travel writing brought her renown, but her life prior to her extensive travels is highly interesting, especially given her immense ability to write. Wheels Within Wheels is her autobiography of her childhood
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Already a huge Dervla Murphy fan, I came across this book about her unconventional upbringing in a charity shop and read it that afternoon. Her writing style is so engaging and enjoyable to read that I immediately felt that I wished to be her friend! And that I wanted to re-read her other immensely enjoyable books.
Moving, well-written and unflinching self-examination. Read Full Tilt first and this explained much of her character and ability to live as she did.
I really enjoyed her honesty about her life. I have read two other of her travel stories. Both are quite incredible adventures. She travels alone and frequently on a bicycle. The travel was done in the 1960's. Although heading into her eighties she still travels extensively.
A great book, a must read for every Dervla fan, but! a bit too heavy on the IRA political stuff right from the beginning (i advise to skip/skim over this) and one major piece of information - one that I was so eager to find out about Dervla - was completely omitted. Bummer!
This was a terrificially honest book. Dervlas love of cycling, her fraught relationship with her bed ridden mother and the birth of her child stays with me still after 20 years. Clearly a strong minded and independant woman.
wonderful writer, read it over a long time period to savor. She was great in person at the Banff Mt book Festival a few years back. This is her memoirs and subtitled: the making of a traveller.
In spite of having read her other books, when I read this one I discovered both a kindred spirit and a mentor.
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Dervla Murphy is an Irish touring cyclist and author of adventure travel books for over 40 years. She is best known for her 1965 book Full Tilt: Ireland to India With a Bicycle, about an overland cycling trip through Europe, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Murphy normally travels alone and unaided, without luxuries and depending on the hospitality of local people. When not travelling, Murph ...more
More about Dervla Murphy...
Murphy normally travels alone and unaided, without luxuries and depending on the hospitality of local people. When not travelling, Murph ...more
