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 enlarge | Author: Tony Hawks
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy Used: $2.83
You Save: $11.12 (80%)
New (21) Used (31) from $2.83
Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 156996
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0312305184
Dewey Decimal Number: 914
EAN: 9780312305185
ASIN: 0312305184
Publication Date: November 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Item is in very good condition and at a great price! All Day Low Prices! Buy From Us, Sell To Us, We Do it All!!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Read the book in the country - a hilarious account! November 19, 2005
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having just traveled through Moldova on a cycling trip through Eastern Europe, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to read this whilst staying at the one and only hostel in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.
Tony's bet and ensuing journey make for laugh-out-loud, can't put it down reading. The funniest part it, having seen the country first hand, how remarkably accurate his circumstances and plights are - and similar to many situations I found myself in (though I didn't actually play any tennis whilst there).
The fact Tony takes the bet so seriously and ends up traveling to Israel to complete it speaks volumes for Tony's determination to stick to his guns. His writing, whilst entirely amusing, always is serious and reflective in parts, and balances the entire novel out. There is no question that Tony's travels to Moldova change him as he learns and experiences a part of the world so little know about.
This is a great read for anyone who plans to go or who has been to Moldova, to look back and laugh tongue-in-cheek at the wonderful way of life these people live - or to make you more excited to visit this country totally void of tourists. And if you get the chance to visit Transdnistria - do so - it is one of the single most amazing places in the world...
Tony - 5 stars mate - keep up the great writing; I look forward to your next novel: Across Antarctica with a Pogo Stick.
And if you are looking for that hostel, go to 'marisha dot net'.
 good preparation for a visit to Moldova November 13, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Without this book - I would surely have fallen down a manhole! As soon as I finished reading I added a head torch to my equipment list! I knew I was about to visit for 6 months and found the book fantastic preparation - whilst also being gut-wrenchingly funny. I have a massive collection of photographs of open manholes if anyone wants proof of the authenticity of this particular aspect of life in Moldova.
Tony - if you are about to revisit - I'm missing my tennis and you'll find me in Transdnistria - if you dare!
A BRILLIANT BOOK WHICH i HAVE NOW READ ABOUT 4 TIMES
Laugh out loud funny July 17, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Having met a Moldovan at work and realising I knew nothing of the place, I typed in Moldova into Amazon's search engine and found this book.
Very, very clever writing made for laugh out loud comical situations.
Now I'll have to order his first book!
travel writing doesn't get much funnier March 9, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
A hilarious romp through Moldova, Ireland and Israel as Hawks seeks to win a bet with his friend by beating the eleven members of the Moldovan National Football team at tennis. The loser must stand naked outside an English pub and sing the Moldovan National Anthem.
I was given this book by a Moldovan friend who was impressed with the accuracy that Hawks portrayed her native country. Having paid a short visit to this very untouristed country myself, it was enjoyable to see such an unknown place portrayed in the mainstream press. And Hawks does a wonderful job. A comic by professional, Hawks is a gifted writer that brings his travels and the people he meets along the way to life, providing plenty of laughs along the way. He is also a philosophical advocate for a positive attitude. While he recognizes that the source of his optimism stems from all the opportunities he was provided where he was born, the contrast with the dour Moldovans provides for lots of cross cultural tension. A truly enjoyable read whether you're planning to go to Moldova or not. Recommended.
The surprising depth of Tony Hawks' Moldovan quest October 1, 2004
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Like most people, I picked up Tony Hawks' "Moldovans" for the humor and the interesting story angle, but I stayed for what was a very well-written travelogue with surprising - and quite emotional - depth.
When Tony sets the scene for you, you think: ha-ha, that's a funny bet (hats off to Tony and friend Arthur for even constructing a bet that inventive...the comedic mind at work, I guess). But, as the bet unfolds, there's a lesson to be learned here: Tony set a goal for himself and - despite enduring significant hardship and many, many potential roadblocks - he inexorably works towards his goal.
The emotional core of the book is the relationship Tony forms with his Moldovan host family in the capital of Chisinau. Hawks tells of going to middle school with the family's daughter Elena as sort of a 'show and tell' object. He's a great sport and recounts tales like that with great elan.
The real treat though is his relationship with the family's teenage son Adrian, who starts off a bit standoffish and cool ('typical teenager' is how Hawks interprets it...no harm taken). But Hawks breaks through one night as the two attend an opera together - at intermission, he has Adrian literally convulsed with laughter, wiping tears from eyes. What a moment - Hawks recognizes it and conveys it beautifully to his readers.
That's why the book's epilogue - a touching letter from Adrian - is so pitch-perfect. Think this was some insipid quest that Hawks took on? The lessons that Adrian took away from Tony's journey will tell you otherwise. As Hawks himself concludes after reading the letter: "Now it all made a little more sense."
Exactly. Well done, Tony.
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