Tropic of Capricorn

In Tropic of Capricorn, Simon Reeve sets out on his greatest challenge yet - a unique journey to track the Tropic of Capricorn around the globe.

Travelling through Africa, Australia and South America, Simon discovers spectacular landscapes, exotic wildlife, strange rituals and desperate poverty. For the Tropic of Capricorn crosses some of the wildest and most extraordinary parts of our planet. Motivated by a desire to learn more about the often forgotten corners of the world, Simon explores the histories and present-day controversies that shape the identities of vastly disparate countries, all linked by one invisible, 22,835-mile line.

At the core of the book are Simon''s encounters with inspirational local people such as Johanna Kahatjipara, the 55-year-old Namibian woman who tells him about a shocking episode in Namibia''s past. Among the issues he investigates along Capricorn are the impact of Aids in Botswana, mining in Madagascar, the suffering of Australia''s Aboriginals, bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, and Islamic extremists in South America.

Accompanying the BBC television series, “Tropic of Capricorn” weaves a travelogue together with politics, social commentary, history and natural history. In this latter-day voyage of discovery, Simon reveals parts of our world little understood or even known about in the West until now.