A Diary of Africa

Available March 2026 – pre-order now!

Youth, courage, curiosity: an epic African road trip before technology.

In 1971, a band of young English and colonial adventurers piled into an old Bedford truck called Monty and set out from London with little money, no plan, and a hunger for something bigger than home. Over four unforgettable months, they crossed deserts and borders, jungles and cities, travelling from Morocco to Durban and learning, sometimes the hard way, what it means to be far from everything familiar.

Told through Chris Watson’s vivid diary entries, A Diary of Africa captures the grit, wonder and humour of overland travel in a bygone era – before mobile phones, GPS or guidebooks.

It’s a story of friendship, mishap and sheer determination, tracing a journey across continents and into adulthood. For anyone who has dreamed of the open road, or wondered what it truly means to travel off the map, this is a raw and honest account of youth, courage and curiosity on the ultimate road trip.

ISBN 9781067087562

356 pages, 230 x 153 mm