A Northampton author’s book about a penniless cycle ride from one end of the UK to the other, has achieved more than 15,000 sales on Amazon.
George Mahood’s Free Country is currently number one in the cycling chart on Amazon, keeping a certain Sir Bradley Wiggins off the top spot.
It is proving particularly popular on the Amazon Kindle, with about 90 per cent of its sales being for the device.
The premise of the book is simple: George and friend, Ben Cocks, have to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats. But the catch is they had no bikes, no clothes, no food and no money and relied entirely on the generosity of the British public to provide them with everything they needed for the trip.
Mr Mahood, of Derby Road, Abington, Northampton, said: “It is more than I hoped for. There has been no mention of it in the national media so the sales have been from word of mouth. It has definitely surpassed my expectations.
“I’m enjoying it while it lasts. I’ve got young kids now so I won’t be able to do anything similar to this any time soon, but it has inspired me to try other things.
“The reviews have been brilliant. I’ve had more than 300, and 254 of those have been five stars.”
Free Country has proved to be a big success in much more far-flung places than Land’s End. One of the reviews Mr Mahood received was from a 94-year-old Texan, who used to cycle 10 to 15 miles a day when he was younger. He sent an email to say the book made him ‘feel young again’. The most recent review said: “When you finish it you will want to do the whole trip yourself.” The book is £1.99 on Kindle and £10.99 in paperback.
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