Among Insurgents ? Walking Through Burma

[dreamer]

Just read ?Among Insurgents ? Walking Through Burma? by Shelby Tucker, an American who walked through northern Burma in 1989/1990. Shelby is an American in his fifties who meets a young Swedish man on the train in China, Shelby persuades the Swede to walk through northern Burma and out into restricted areas of India for nothing more than ambition and a sense of adventure.

 

The first few chapters of this book were inspiring, detailing how the two characters dressed as locals, hitched lifts with the Chinese and befriended local people to pass through restricted areas of China and into Burma. Thereon they were escorted by Communist and Kachin rebels through Burma and into India - where they were arrested and released only after family contacts persuaded high-level diplomats to act on their behalf. (the book continues to describe in detail the hardship of the journey, the minority groups way of life and the issues facing them in Burma ? Tucker leads various campaigns on behalf of minority groups in Burma)

 

I?ve always enjoyed reading stories of adventure travel and often heard of intrepid backpackers sneaking into Burma or other places they are not allowed for the thrill of it, though I?ve never met anyone who claims to do have done so. This odd pair certainly took the spirit of adventure to an extreme. Anyone have their own or similar tales to tell?

[Guest]

Anyone have their own or similar tales to tell?

.............................................................

 

Yes, but usually only told under the influence of copious quantities of alcohol ........... well a few anyway. A few on this board got some of them earlier this year. :: Most of mine were in the early 70's in Afghanistan and environs.

 

And I know of at least 2 other members that have 'Tales of Travel' that outdo most of the written works, be they fiction or not.

 

You just need to catch us in LOS and provide an induced environment.

 

That book sounds like a good read though. I'll put it on my list. Thanks.

[Guest]

>>>That book sounds like a good read though. I'll put it on my list. Thanks<<<

 

 

personally, i did not really like it.

the bloke brought others into huge danger for no other reason than to fulfill his dreams of adventure. it's interesting, but it left me often with a very uncomfortable feeling about the why's and how's of going around this world.

he appears to me a very unlikable person.

it is definately worth reading, but you may come to a diffent conclusion that the author intended.

[Guest]

you know I couldn't give a rat's ass for what the author wanted me to conclude. Just hope he can write with enough literary panache not to bore me to tears in the first 2 chapters ........ or worse still to awaken my 'proofreader mode' by page 4. ::

[dreamer]

I do see your point of view (and I wondered if you would comment); the writer is conspicuous and irresponsible at times, even driven by an excessive ego. This is acknowledged and he seems to believe that he is paying back the people who assisted him through his diplomatic and political efforts today. Eerily the book is silent on whether the people suffered from assisting him and he appears to have made little contact with them since leaving.

 

I found the writing style academic and overly wordy for my preference but that probably says more about my reading preference than the quality of the writing!

 

(It?s written with attention to geographic and historic detail).

 

It was those first few chapters that flew by for me and the ?dreaming? of adventure.

[dreamer]

It would be good to hear some of those stories some day, alcohol included