The Last Overland by Alex Bescoby

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

Join us with Alex Bescoby and his new book The Last Overland and follow this extraordinary adventure. 13,000 miles, 23 countries and the mother of all road trips!

In 1955, a young TV producer named David Attenborough was approached by a team of six young graduates with the aim of embarking on ‘the unclimbed Everest of motoring’ – driving overland from London to Singapore. Although many had tried and failed before, Attenborough gave The Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition enough film reel to cover their attempt. Led by graduate filmmaker Tim Slessor, the team went on to successfully complete the 19,000 mile journey as documented in the popular Traveller’s Tales series, which captivated a nation emerging from post-war austerity. Tim Slessor’s bestselling book, The First Overland, was published shortly after and soon became the Bible of the overlanding religion.

The Last Overland: Singapore to London: The Return Journey of the Iconic Land Rover Expedition recounts documentary filmmaker Alex Bescoby’s extraordinary recreation of the journey originally made in the 1950s. Inspired by Attenborough’s comment nearly fifty years after the original expedition that it was a journey ‘I don’t think could be made again today’, Bescoby made contact with the then 87-year-old Tim Slessor, and together they planned an epic recreation of the original trip, this time with the aim of bringing the original ‘Oxford’ Land Rover home from Singapore to London.

Embarking on their heroic journey in 2019, this book recounts Bescoby’s defining trip of a lifetime, investigating how the world has changed since the First Overland, and exploring themes of family ties, post-colonialism and the Land Rover religion. Tying in with a major four-part documentary series airing on All 4 this autumn, this is a thrilling adventure filled with passion, high emotion, and fascinating insight into the world we live in today.

‘Set to become a classic of the genre. The Last Overland is an epic journey, epitomizing the spirit of the great modern adventure.’ LEVISON WOOD

‘This is a fabulous adventure – reckless, insanely ambitious and filled with sweat, tears and laughter … irresistible reading. An immense challenge and a thrilling true story.’ JOANNA LUMLEY

‘Alex Bescoby weaves travel, adventure, history and the contemporary together like no one else. His great gift is to take us on a journey through past and present. By its end we have learned more about the world and ourselves.’ DAN SNOW

‘The First Overland was an amazing journey, underlining the fact that adventure is always out there for anybody who seeks it. This epic recreation of that trip shows us that whether you’re the first or the thousandth, the view from the mountaintop is just as incredible.’ TONY WHEELER, CO-FOUNDER OF LONELY PLANET

About the author:

Alex Bescoby is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer and presenter with a love of history, travel and storytelling. A Cambridge University history and politics graduate, he has written for BBC News, The Telegraph, National Geographic and Lonely Planet. Co-founder of Grammar Productions, his long and short-form films have been shown by global broadcasters including the BBC, History Channel, Discovery and Canal+.

The event will start promptly at 6.30pm.

Tickets £5 

Includes a glass of wine/soft drink with £5.00 off the purchase price of The Last Overland for ticket holders on the evening.

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