Backpacking Centurion Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back in Bangor – FINALLY Released 25th June 2020

“Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine, I’m leaving my life in your hands” – Backstreet Boys.

The 25th June 1982 was a day to remember for the Northern Ireland football team. By no mere coincidence, and five years later than billed, on the 25th June 2020, I finally release the first volume of my long-awaited and forever delayed “Backpacking Centurion” series. It’s only the first volume, the rest is yet to come (but of course the next 3 volumes are also, already written). Last week, I wrote about my first five book appearances and while I loved all of those, this new release is the bigger one and the more special one. The Backpacking Centurion series is where it’s all at for my journeys. This begs for a few questions as I prepare for the book’s release and so here, are the answers.

What is Backpacking Centurion?

Backpacking Centurion is Jonny Blair’s first printed collection of solo books. It is a series of honest and real stories from his travels through the first 100 countries of his journey. The series begins in 1980 in Northern Ireland and takes us on a journey right through until 2015, in Spain (just after Jonny’s 100th or 114th country depending on your classifications). The book was written between 1991 – 2015 on Jonny’s journeys to 100 countries. From 2015 – 2020 it was edited on many ocassions and as a result needed to be split into different volumes, as the book was too huge.

How Many Volumes are in Backpacking Centurion?

The answer to this is still unclear. At the start, in 2015, it was meant to be just ONE book – all 147 chapters were written and then 47 of them were cut to make one book. However that book was too huge and needed to be split into three main volumes. Those three volumes are currently being edited into separate books and will be released as follows –

Summer 2020 – Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back In Bangor. (available worldwide September 12th 2020)
Autumn 2020 – Volume 2 – Lands Down Under.
Winter 2021 – Volume 3 – Untitled as yet.
Potentially Spring 2021 – Volume 4 / The Chapters that missed the cut – Untitled as yet.

All four volumes are finished.

What is Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back in Bangor?

Don’t Look Back In Bangor is the first volume from Jonny Blair’s “Backpacking Centurion” series. This book focuses on Jonny’s early days growing up in Northern Ireland, watching football and dreaming of one day travelling to far flung places like Yugoslavia, East Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Jonny kicks things off in Northern Ireland, with stories of childhood hobbies, teenage angst and global aspirations. Expect honesty and lies intertwined with regret, remorse, desire and passion. This is a journey of ups and downs. By the end of volume one, Jonny will have taken you from Bangor to Bobruisk, from Belfast to Bournemouth and from Newtownards to Osterweddingen. The book includes diaries from Jonny’s first trips abroad, his discovery of unknown places and the loves of his life. It is a thriling and emotional journey with boundless energy, flawless flair and unstoppable aplomb.

Why has Volume 1 taken so long to release?

This is the burning question. The book was basically completed FIVE years ago. In May 2020 the final edits were made and a few chapter changes were needed and the volumes were altered. The main reason for the delay is because Jonny had no idea which way to release this book. He didn’t want an e-Book, he didn’t want to publish it himself, he didn’t want it limited to one country. He wanted a printed book on his terms, available right now to be posted to anywhere in the world. As Jonny admitted, the writing was EASY, the editing was slightly gruelling but overall EASY. The putting it into a format to sell was the most difficult thing I ever imagined.

But the writing of course was easy. Easy easy easy.

I basically thought, you just write a book, send it to a publisher, pay them and then they print it and sell it. If only it was that easy. I contacted every publisher in Northern Ireland. None of them were suitable. I contacted publishers in Poland. None of them were suitable. Bookbaby agreed that for a fee they could sell it via 15 or more different sites around the world, including Amazon, and so I have used them for the FIRST three Volumes. Here is my Author Profile page on Book Baby – https://store.bookbaby.com/profile/JonnyBlair

How much does Volume 1 – DLBIB – cost to buy?

$19.82 US (plus P and P)

This is the sad part. I wanted to sell it for $19.82 or £19.82. That is the exact year that Northern Ireland beat Spain 1-0 in the World Cup and for me, I wanted my book to be this price. While officially on the website, the book is listed at $19.82, this doesn’t include shipping, or postage and packaging.

DO NOT buy my book now!! Wait Until 12th September 2020!!

So to buy the book for the price of $19.82, you need to meet me physically and pay me in cash for it. I live in Poland so anyone living in Poland will get first copies of the book face to face. For sure I will lose money on this book, but that is not the point, the point is that Book Baby, Amazon and DHL (or whatever delivery service it is) will basically take most of the profits. Especially DHL. When I first checked the price on the Book Baby site, I couldn’t believe it – the book costs $19.82 but the shipping for ONE book costs $25 US and up. I was astounded and shocked by this. That means, that if you want the book posted to you now, it will cost you over $45 US dollars. Not exactly ideal and will basically reduce the sales by well over 70% of my expectations. But wait until September 12th 2020 and it should be much cheaper shipping wise!! It’s just one of those things!

Of course, I could make the book free of charge and then you just pay the postage, but then I have to pay for the printing myself and would be bankrupt before you know it. That means DHL make a load of money on MY book and I go into debt…not ideal and not my dream.

All this bureaucracy doesn’t put me off writing, but it does continue my anti-capitalist ideal. If I could just print this book in my bedroom and post them all personally to you (using Poczta Polska) I would do it and it would be cheaper. But I use Book Baby as the middle man to manage it and they are professional about it. So I know that this book is not released in an ideal way, after all these years but for me, I’d rather lose money and have it released with the option for everyone to buy it, than keep it private forever.

Full Details of the book

• Genre: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY
• SubGenre: Adventurers & Explorers
• Language: English
• Author: Jonny Blair
• Release Date (Poland): 25th June 2020
• Release Date (Global): 12th September 2020
• Book series: Backpacking Centurion
• Book sub-title: A Northern Irishman’s Journey Through 100 Countries
• Series title: Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back In Bangor
• Series Number: 1
• Pages: 300
• Format: Paperback
• Paperback ISBN:9781098315061

What do you mean Backpacking Centurion ends in 2015? What about the stories from 2015 – 2020?

The final Chapter of Backpacking Centurion (Volume 3) relates to April 2015. That is when that story ends and the closing of the book. The book was finished in August 2015. As for my travels after April 2015, those will be for a totally different project and a different book. They are NOT part of the unique “first 100 country series”, which is why Backpacking Centurion ended in April 2015.

Here is the full chapter listing for Volume One.

#ulsterczyk #dontstopliving #backpackingcenturion

Chapterski

Chapter 1 – Fool Circle (April 2015)
Chapter 2 – My Childhood Sweetheart (The 1980s)
Chapter 3 – Arconada…Armstrong! (25^th June 1982)
Chapter 4 – My First Backpacking Adventure (1991)

Chapters 5, 6 and 7 Prelude to the Bangor Grammar School Trilogy

Chapter 5 – The Great Exam Heist (May 1994)
Chapter 6 – Where Were You While We Were Getting High? (1994 – 1996)
Chapter 7 – The OXI One (25^th June 1997)

Chapter 8 – The Good Friday Disagreement (1997 – 1998)
Chapter 9 – My Favourite Mistake (2001 – 2002)
Chapter 10 – Don’t Stop Living (2001 onwards)
Chapter 11 – The Lock In (2003 onwards)
Chapter 12 – The Night I Sacked My Flatmate (2004)
Chapter 13 – For Your Arms Only (30^th March 2004)
Chapter 14 – Lauren (2004 – 2005)
Chapter 15 – The Seventy Quid Taxi (March 2005)
Chapter 16 – Barfgate (March 2005)
Chapter 17 – The Original Monopoly Pub Crawl (April 2005)
Chapter 18 – Travel Blogging Chilled The Radio Star (1997 – 2008)
Chapter 19 – The Best Rock’n’Roll Band You Never Heard Of (2005 – 2006)
Chapter 20 – The Isle of Wight Green (2006)
Chapter 21 – Biting the Apple (2006 – 2007)
Chapter 22 – What’s A Travel Blog? (2007)
Chapter 23 – How Till Get Drunk for Ten Dollars in New York City (July 2007)
Chapter 24 – Dust From a Distant Sun (July 2007)
Chapter 25 – A Fast Flight to China (July 2007)
Chapter 26 – Multiple B (August 2007)
Chapter 27 – Present (August 2007)
Chapter 28 – He Wears An Ulster Hat (September 2007)
Chapter 29 – Right Backs on the Left (September 2007)
Chapter 30 – SOENISC, The Glory Years (2005 – 2009)
Chapter 31 – Ulster Cherry (2003 – 2005)
Chapter 32 – The Day We Got Relegated (May 2008)
Chapter 33 – Walletless in Trieste (October 2008)
Chapter 34 – Wegoslavia (October 2008)
Chapter 35 – Cod and a Good Romance (2008 – 2009)

Where has Volume 1 been released?

25th June 2020 – Released in Poland only for $19.82 or 100 zlotych (face to face purchase only).

Backpacking Centurion Facebook Page – sign up / like the Facebook Page to stay up to date for book updates.

I signed up to Book Baby in 2014, I finished the book completely (yes, really) in 2015. My profile on Book Baby – https://store.bookbaby.com/profile/JonnyBlair. Here is the exact link to buy the book from Book Baby (but unless you want to pay high postage charges, don’t buy it there – wait until September 2020 or meet me in Poland before that and buy it face to face) –

Backpacking Centurion Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back in Bangor on Book Baby

12th September 2020 – Released Globally!!

From 12th September 2020 EVERYONE will be able to buy my book online from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other such online Bookstores.

Here is the exact link to buy the book from Barnes and Noble –

Backpacking Centurion Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back in Bangor on Barnes and Noble

Here is the exact link to buy the book from Amazon –

Backpacking Centurion Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back in Bangor on Amazon

The book will also be available on Kobo, Vearsa and Scribd (amongst others). So unless you want to wait until September 2020, the best way to buy the book for the bargain price, is actually to MEET ME face to face! Not only, will the book be cheaper, but you cut out the middle man. As author, I then get all the profits, you get a signed copy and I also have the pleasure of meeting someone who buys my book. This does mean that I will probably do some small book launches or events in times to come. If not after Volume 1 alone, then perhaps after Volumes 2 or 3.

Alas, as of 25th June 2020, Volume 1 is released…

Recommendations

Although “Backpacking Centurion” has yet to be read by anyone, ahead of its launch, here are some public recommendations about the author, Jonny Blair.

“There may be better bloggers, there may be better travellers but at both Jonny Blair is flawless and combined he is unstoppable.” – A Life Less Ordinary.

“A travel writer and backpacker, he has been travelling full-time for seven of the past 13 years and has visited around 120 countries – many of them currently struggling under the weight of years of warfare.” – Irish Times.

“You’re the best traveller, Jonny. I can’t wait to buy your book.” – A.M.

“Jonny has unending energy and zest for… well, just about everything. No question too complex, no trip too mundane with Jonny. He travels, explores, pokes, prods and enjoys every second – Travel in his footprints or via your arm chair but Don’t Stop Living!” – Maria Falvey.

“Don’t Stop Living!” – High School Graffiti Artist in Toronto, Canada.