This is the story of two English architecture students who set off from Hyde Park bound for the capital of Mongolia in a twenty year old Citroën Deux Chevaux along with four hundred other intrepid adventure seekers. The story has been published in a book titled Rising/Falling – Always Hoping, ‘a journey to a part of Asia’ .

On this page you will find:

• An overview of the story and the book
• How and where to order
• Book review by James Proctor

 Read the first three chapters of the book here. 

An overview of the story and the book

The 10,000 mile ‘Mongol Rally’ is not so much an automobile race, more an eccentric endurance escapade. 

Martyn Johnston from Bradford and Craig Chamberlain from Penrith, co-drivers of team ‘Eh Up Ghengis’ did make it to the finish line, or more accurately the celebratory party in Ulaanbaatar, but their battered and failing car, nicknamed Amélie, didn’t quite make it all the way – arriving on the back of a truck a few days later.
Rising/Falling – Always Hoping ‘a journey to a part of Asia’  is Craig Chamberlain’s entertaining, informative and sometimes barely believable account of their journey through Europe and the regions of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and the last, and most demanding leg across Mongolia.

Eighteen month later and the account has been made commercially available -published by the author’s own company, MLCstudio.

“The trip was only made possible by a series of chance encounters with exceptionally generous people who lent their skills, advice and even beds to the cause. It is these relationships and events that really made the journey and the story remarkable. From Matt, who rebuilt our car and initiated us into the bizarre world of the Citroën 2CV, to the Mongolian family who fed and sheltered us for the best part of a week, the story is a testament to the great kindnesses we encountered on the road,” said Craig.

The book contains numerous accounts of hardship, sleep deprivation and mechanical failures. Bouncing from Kazakh brothels, bandit chases to border controls, at times the pair are close to dispair but manage throughout to remain unflinchingly committed to their essentially irrational, even foolhardy, project.

The work also describes the customs, culture and history of the countries passed through en route. Hopefully, the reader will feel better informed about the diversity, complexity and adaptability of people facing conditions somewhat different from those in the UK.

How and where to order

Rising/Falling – Always Hoping ‘a journey to a part of Asia’  is available online at Amazon.co.uk and can be ordered in any good bookshop. The book costs £8.74 and is also available direct from the distributor by mail-order.

Cheques for a sum of £10.99 (£8.74+£2.25pp) can be made payable to Mr. C A Chamberlain and posted to Glovers Cottage, Lazonby, Penrith, CA10 1AJ in the United Kingdom.

Be sure to include your address and an email or phone number in case a query arises.

Book review by James Proctor

Can you imagine surveying the immeasurable emptiness of the Mongolian landscape with nothing on the horizon in any direction, your car which has already crossed continents splutters to a halt for not the first time that day. It’s the stuff boyhood dreams are made of.

This accomplished and neatly produced debut by Craig Chamberlain is a real page turner of a book and recounts the journey undertaken by our author and his travelling companion Martyn “Jonno” Johnson on the 2007 Mongol Rally. Possibly the most improbable and ludicrous rally in the world, from London to the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, approximately half way around the world. What makes this expedition seem even more ridiculously impossible is the choice of vehicle, a 20 year old Citroën 2CV coupled with the fact that there are no emergency rescue or support teams of any kind, would put most people off, in this case I suspect it was this fact that made it irresistible to Craig and "Jonno".

The book gives a warm and beautifully honest account of two young mens’ journey through a rarely travelled part of Asia. Some people have wild ideas, but they are exactly that: an “idea”, this is the story of one of the wildest ideas I have ever heard and its painstaking journey from dream to reality. A real life adventure through un-chartered territory with highs, lows, bandit chases, near death experiences and some of the most colourful characters you will ever read about. This book acts as an excellent guide to the regions of central Asia giving a good feel for the historical and political landscape of these little known countries. A sincere, affectionate and intelligently written book which made me laugh out loud more than once. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is attempting the Mongol rally, visiting any of the countries mentioned or simply enjoys a good story about people who just don’t give up. A tale of bravery, ingenuity, friendship, but above all the strength of human spirit.

Buy the book at Amazon.co.uk 

Other related articles

• Rising/Falling – Always Hoping, 'a journey to a part of Asia'