Year Without Underwear

Having been promoted to a top management position in the space R&D field, Colonel Ralph Monfort finds himself too far from the action and decides to give himself a fiftieth birthday gift-his own retirement from the U.S. Air Force. It didn''t take him long to find his dream vacation-a yearlong, forty-one country, fully supported bicycle odyssey.

After a short description on how one prepares for such a trip, Monfort plunges into this unique travel experience with energy, wit, and the excitement of discovery. Written as a series of e-mailed reports from the field, you will soon find yourself vicariously sharing adventures in Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia as if with an old friend.

Whether it''s the pizza in France, the ruins of Rome, birding in South Africa, or the toilets of China, the gamut is covered and nothing is sacred in this global romp.

Sprinkled with historical tidbits, odd anecdotes, and wry observation, A Year Without Underwear gives us an American "everyman" abroad.