On 15 February 2008, Mark Beaumont pedalled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 194 days and 17 hours previously, he had set off from Paris in an attempt to circumnavigate the world in record time. Mark smashed the Guinness World Record by an astonishing 81 days. He had travelled more than 18,000 miles on his own through some of the harshest conditions one man and his bicycle can endure, camping wild at night and suffering from constant ailments. The Man Who Cycled the World is the story not just of that amazing achievement, but of the events that turned Mark Beaumont into the man he is today. From the early years of his free-spirited childhood in the Scottish countryside, he had been determined to break records, cycling across Scotland and then from John O'Groats to Land's End by the age of fifteen, raising thousands of pounds for charity. After leaving university, he had been equally determined not to settle for an average existence, but to break free and see the world from a saddle, to follow his dreams. This is the tale not just of one of the last great circumnavigation world records, and of the incredible endurance it took to accomplish it, but an insight into many of the world's cultures from a unique perspective. From Paris to Istanbul, through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and south-east Asia to Singapore, then across Australia, New Zealand and the United States before the final legs in Europe, all at hundred miles a day, this is the story of a quite remarkable adventure, by a quite remarkable man. The remarkable true story of one man's quest to break the record for cycling around the world   On the 15th of February 2008, Mark Beaumont had pedaled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris—194 days and 17 hours after setting off in an attempt to circumnavigate the world. His journey had taken him, alone and unsupported, through 18,297 miles, 4 continents, and numerous countries. From broken wheels and unforeseen obstacles in Europe, to stifling Middle Eastern deserts and deadly Australian spiders, to the highways and backroads of America, he’d seen the best and worst that the world had to offer.   He had also smashed the Guinness World Record by an astonishing 81 days. This is the story of how he did it. Told with honesty, humor, and wisdom, The Man Who Cycled the World is at once an unforgettable adventure, an insightful travel narrative, and an impassioned paean to the joys of the open road. Photos from Mark Beaumont's Journey Around the World Wearing the official World Cycle strip. Mark enjoys the good and fast roads of Texas, having already covered over 14,000 miles of the world in less than six months. Taking a drink of scarce water as Mark leaves the deserts and wilderness of southern Pakistan. Seeing the world in all its detail--Mark passing a local cyclist and a donkey and cart in eastern Pakistan. Celebrating a new World Record. Mark Beaumont stands arms aloft at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France after covering 18,296 miles in 194 days and 17 hours by bicycle. A fascinating tale of determination and discovery, and a gripping, emotional ride through the peaks and valleys of the mountains and the human spirit.”  - Dean Karnazes, ultra endurance athlete and New York Times bestselling author of Ultramarathon Man “ 120 years ago, the idea that it was even possible to bicycle some 20,000 miles around the world captivated the public’s imagination. What would they think about Mark Beaumont and his modern mount, completing the journey not in two or three years time but in less than two hundred days? The Man Who Cycled the World delivers a fast-paced, lively account of this extraordinary achievement, infused with insights and humor.” – David Herlihy author of The Lost Cyclist and Bicycle: The History "Cycling enthusiasts and readers of such varied books as Joe Kurmaskie's Metal Cowboy (1999), Tim Moore's French Revolution (2002) and Robert Penn's It's All about the Bike (2011) will definitely want to check this one out."-- Booklist "Racing aficionados and armchair racers seeking freewheeling glimpses of the world via bicycle will cherish the trip."-- Kirkus Reviews Mark Beaumont grew up in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands. When he was 12, he cycled across Scotland, then a few years later completed the 1,000-mile solo ride across Britain from John O'Groats to Land's End. His next long-distance ride took him the length of Italy, a journey of 1,336 miles, helping to raise £50,000 for charity. After graduating from Glasgow University, he decided against a conventional career and devoted himself full-time to his endurance adventures. In 2008, Beaumont completed his Guinness World Record–breaking cycle around the world, having traveled 18,297 miles in just 194 days and 17 hours. He has self-filmed and presented three documentaries for the BBC, The Man Who Cycled the World, The Man Who Cycled the Americas , and most recently Rowing the Arctic , the story of the six-ma