''Three-Wheeling Through Africa'' is an autobiographical book and a

best seller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

written by James Calmar Wilson in 1936 about the first

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

trip crossing the continent of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. James Wilson and Francis Flood were sailing around the coast of Africa as Flood was writing travel articles for his newspaper in the United States. On a lark, Wilson talked Flood into traversing the continent on 5 horse-power single-cylinder

Triumph motorcycle Triumph Motorcycles Ltd is the largest UK-owned motorcycle manufacturer, established in 1983 by John Bloor after the original company Triumph Engineering went into receivership. The new company, initially called Bonneville Coventry Ltd, contin ...

. They encounter many trials along the way, often resorting to pushing the bikes where the paths were not suitable as they doggedly pursue a route through jungle and desert from

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

, Nigeria to the Red Sea. Throughout the book Wilson refers to their adventure as the "Flood-Wilson Trans-African Motorcycle Expedition". Later

Lowell Thomas Lowell Jackson Thomas (April 6, 1892 – August 29, 1981) was an American writer, actor, broadcaster, and traveler, best remembered for publicising T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia). He was also involved in promoting the Cinerama widescreen ...

encouraged him to write a book. It includes many encounters with tribal people, poisonous snakes and officers and expatriates from England and France in African colonies and outposts. It was briefly reviewed in the

Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

in 1936. Only two years prior had any motor vehicle crossed the continent, that was by automobile. Flood and Wilson chose a route that took them above

Lake Chad Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme, ...

. Flood and Wilson are noted among

long-distance motorcycle riders Long distance or Long-distance may refer to: *Long-distance calling * Long-distance operator * Long-distance relationship * Long-distance train *Long-distance anchor pylon, see dead-end tower Footpaths * Long-distance trail *European long-d ...

List of cities, villages and forts listed in order by Wilson in the book

Bibliography

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite news , title=Documentary in the Making: Westwood Couple Work to Tell Story of Explorers , first=Cliff , last=Radel , work=

The Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, alth ...

, url=http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/01/17/loc_radel_documentary_in.html , date=January 17, 2001 {{cite news , work=

, date=October 31, 1936 , title='Literary Log' from the Book Room , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19361031&id=R38tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_pgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6092,3823469 {{cite book , editor-last=Jenkins , editor-first=Mark , first=James C. , last=Wilson , chapter=Three-wheeling Through Africa , title=Worlds to Explore: Classic Tales of Travel and Adventure from National Geographic , chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uZIKftpGnpAC&pg=PA49 , pages=49–54 , publisher=National Geographic Books , date=2007 , isbn=978-1-4262-0044-1 Motorcycle writing African travel books 1936 non-fiction books