Long Way Back

On February 16 2016, motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman suffered a major road traffic accident in Portugal. Having spent the better part of his life on some form of motorbike, his world came crashing down after he was knocked off a Triumph Tiger Explorer, smashing his right ankle and causing severe damage to his left fibia and tibia. It was unclear if he would ever walk properly again, let alone ride a motorbike. Moving between past and present, Charley recounts the ambulance ride, the numerous operations in a Portugese hospital, the medivac aircraft flight back to London, and his entire journey of recovery. In alternating chapters, as his inability to walk for several months provokes introspection, Boorman recounts his childhood, where his passion for motorbikes began, and the formative influences in his life--from his father, a famed director, to his long-time friend Ewan McGregor, and Sean Connery's son Jason, who first introduced him to bikes. As Charley struggles to cope with this potentially life-changing situation, it is these touchstones who will give him strength on the long way back to health.