Three-Wheeling Through Africa

Three-Wheeling Through Africa is an autobiographical book and a best seller written by [[James Calmar <ref name=review /> Wilson]] in 1936 about the first motorcycle trip crossing the continent of Africa.^[1]

Wilson and Francis Flood were sailing around the coast of Africa as Flood was writing travel articles for his newspaper in the United States. On a lark Wilson talks Flood into traversing the continent on 5 horse-power single cylinder Triumph motorcycles. They encounter many trials along the way, often resorting to pushing the bikes where the paths were not suitable as they doggedly pursue a route through jungle and dessert from Lagos, Nigeria to the Red Sea. Throughout the book Wilson refers to their adventure as the Flood-Wilson Trans-African Motorcycle Expedition, later he was encouraged to write the book by Lowell Thomas. It includes many encounters with tribal people, poisonous snakes and officers and expatriates from England and France in African colonies and outposts.

Only two years prior had any motor vehicle crossed the continent, that was by auto-mobile. Flood and Wilson chose a route that took them above Lake Chad.

Copyright, 1936, The Bobbs-Merrill Company. Fifth printing February, 1938 by Blue Ribbon Books, New York. It was briefly reviewed in the Montreal Gazette, 1936.^[2]

List of cities, villages and forts listed in order by Wilson in the book

References