To Dakar and Back : 21 Days Across North Africa by Motorcycle

In this adventure motorsports memoir, the first Canadian motorcycle racer to complete the infamous Paris-Dakar Rally recounts his incredible journey. The Paris-Dakar Rally is is without question the most arduous and notorious off-road motorsports event on the planet. Since its inception in 1979, it has attracted more than three thousand adventurers from all walks of life. The men and women who have taken up the “Dakar challenge” have at least one thing in common: a desire to measure themselves against the desolate sands of the Sahara. In 2001, Canadian adventure racer Lawrence Hacking entered what would be the last rally on the iconic route from Paris to Dakar. In To Dakar and Back, Hacking, in collaboration with motorsport journalist Wil De Clercq, recounts the three weeks of blood, sweat, and tears that took him on that ten thousand kilometer journey in the heat of competition from the glitzy streets of the French capital through the hinterland of North Western Africa and the triumph of self-realization. The Paris-Dakar Rally is without question the most arduous and notorious off-road motorsports event on the planet. Since its inception in 1979, it has attracted more than 3,000 adventurers from all walks of life. The men and women who have taken up the Dakar challenge have at least one thing in common: a desire to measure themselves against the desolate sands of the Sahara. The rally has drawn entries from the international community of motorsport luminaries, the lofty ranks of European nobility and celebrity, captains of industry, as well as common, everyday people. Paris-Dakar is considered to be one of the world's top five adventures, in the same league as climbing Mt. Everest. The human drama that unfolds each January is unparalleled. Tales of danger, blinding sandstorms, endless vistas of towering dunes, incredible hardship, perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity, triumph, and tragedy have greatly contributed to the aura and mystique of the rally. The Dakar is a metaphor for life a test of common sense, decision-making ability, and the ability to accept complete responsibility for both your actions and inaction. In To Dakar and Back, Hacking in collaboration with motorsport journalist Wil De Clercq recounts the three weeks of blood, sweat, and tears that took him on a 10,000 kilometre journey in the heat of competition from the glitzy streets of Paris, through the hinterland of North Western Africa, to the triumph of self-realization. "Recounting the three weeks of blood, sweat, and tears that make up a 7,000 mile journey from the glitzy streets of Paris to the hinterland of northwestern Africa, this incredible tale highlights the most arduous and notorious off-road motorsports event on the planet, the Paris-Dakar Rally. Since its inception in 1979, the rally has attracted more than 3,000 participants from all walks of life. Fully detailing what is considered by many to be one of the world's top five adventures, this book reveals amazing true tales of danger, from blinding sandstorms to endless vistas of towering dunes. Enduring these incredible hardships with perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity, and sometimes tragedy, the adventurers profiled here truly embody the triumphs of the human spirit."-- Provided by publisher

Recounting the three weeks of blood, sweat, and tears that make up a 7,000 mile journey from the glitzy streets of Paris to the hinterland of northwestern Africa, this incredible tale highlights the most arduous and notorious off-road motorsports event on the planet, the Paris-Dakar Rally. Since its inception in 1979, the rally has attracted more than 3,000 participants from all walks of life. Fully detailing what is considered by many to be one of the world's top five adventures, this book reveals amazing true tales of danger, from blinding sandstorms to endless vistas of towering dunes. Enduring these incredible hardships with perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity, and sometimes tragedy, the adventurers profiled here truly embody the triumphs of the human spirit.

Hacking is from Georgetown, Ontario and was the first Canadian motorcyclist to complete the famous Dakar endurance rally