End to End: ‘A really great read, fascinating, moving’ Adrian Chiles

‘A really great read, fascinating, moving’ Adrian Chiles

The End to End record is the longest place-to-place cycling record in Britain. It is a daunting 842 miles and for the men and women who attempt to break the record, there can be no second place, only the binary outcome of total success or failure. Paul Jones decided to ride from Land’s End to John O’ Groats to try to understand the relentless physical and mental challenges involved.

End to End is a captivating and beautifully written narrative. A lyrical account of the journey sits alongside meetings with amazing cyclists; people like Eileen Sheridan; who covered the distance in under three days in 1954, or current men’s record holder Michael Broadwith who did it in a scarcely believable 43 hours.

End to End is a portrayal of hope and ambition, of what happens when things go wrong and how hard it is to make them right. It is about courage, obsession and joy, but above all else, it is a compelling exploration of why journeys matter for all of us.

‘A brilliant book, a triple trip: one on the road, one in History and one into the author’s mind. Cycling is about all that’ Paul Fournel

‘Jones’s funny and affectionate book is a celebration of the fellowship of the road ’ Spectator

‘A truly excellent book … Paul Jones’s End To End is a wonderful, sometimes frenetic and deeply honest book by a man bursting with passion for cycling, its cultures and lore, and people who do extraordinary things’ BikeRadar