Nick Adams has narrated 8 audiobooks on Listento.it by 3 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.9★ across 11 ratings. The most-rated is Beyond the Coffee Shop.
Beyond the Coffee Shop
Summary
Canada is blessed with thousands of kilometers of empty roads which seem to wind on forever through forested hills and between still blue lakes. What better way to explore them than by riding 40-year-old Italian motorbikes, famous for their dodgy electrics and sparse dealer network? Forty-year-old bikes, aged rider, thousands of kilometers of virtually unserviced empty roads in the middle of bear-, wolf-, and blackfly-infested wilderness - what could possibly go wrong?
©2015 Nicholas Adams (P)2019 Nicholas Adams
Eldorado to the Klondike: Riding Inappropriate Motorcycles to Out-of-the-Way Places
Summary
Old or unsuitable motorbikes, distant places, poor weather, and gravel roads, these are the common threads in Nick’s motorcycle travels. He’d been hoping to ride out west a couple of years ago until a little heart trouble intervened. Two years later, a short "shake-down" trip morphed into a 9000 mile journey across the continent. Trouble free? Not exactly. Riding a 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, a Suzuki Burgman Scooter, and a 1976 Moto Guzzi Convert (automatic), and ever optimistic, Nick heads for the Canada’s distant horizons, encountering friendly, generous people, wildlife, bike troubles, and inclement weather along the way.
©2019 Nicholas R. Adams (P)2020 Nicholas R. Adams
Archaeology - Life in the Trenches
Summary
Archaeology is a beguiling occupation. Who wouldn't be attracted to finding cool, old stuff buried in the ground? It appeals to the child in us all. But archaeology isn’t all gold masks, crystal skulls and temples. Often it’s chert flakes on a lake shore, burials in the forgotten corner of a field, or pioneer dwellings in the woods. Sometimes, it just isn’t all that glamorous. The reality is that for every well-known archaeologist - the kind you might see doing exciting things on TV - there are legions of less high-profile characters working in the background. Their work may not be quite as sexy or result in paradigm-changing discoveries, but it is important and valuable. The following chapters are snapshots of archaeology from more than 40 years of work in both Britain and Canada. Rather than spending too much time on the scientific and technical, Nick has focused on stories that convey the life of a working archaeologist...well, his working life anyway. The stories include: His early life in archaeology in the UK on projects ranging from Anglo-Saxon burials to Romano-British settlements Working as a government archaeologist for the province of Ontario, in the northern wilderness Life as a contract archaeologist Nick's stories are full of humor, a reverence for the natural world, and a respect for the lives of those who have gone before. There are no golden masks or crystal skulls here, but there is plenty of value.
©2016 Nicholas Robert Adams (P)2020 Nicholas Robert Adams
Beyond the Bypass
Summary
When you’re standing on the edge of the abyss, health failing, the idea of being sliced open down the middle for heart surgery may not seem terribly appealing, but most people agree that it’s probably preferable to the alternative. Despite a lifetime of healthy outdoor activity and a diet no worse (or better, for that matter) than the next man’s, in 2017, at the age of 66, Nick found himself under the knife for triple bypass surgery. Would this be the end to hiking adventures and long motorcycle trips to remote parts? Not a chance! Recovery from open heart surgery is a long, slow process. But with plenty of help, some dedication, lots of careful walking, and heaps of good luck, it is possible to return to a fully active life. Although the first part of this book describes Nick’s experiences with CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) and his eventual return to doing those things he loves, it is also a motorcycle and hiking travel book. The later chapters describe some of his explorations in Canada and the UK and adventures in motorcycling since his recovery. If you are having, or have just had CABG, hold on to the belief that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And when you are able to return to the activities you enjoy, they will seem more worthwhile and precious than before.
©2018 Nicholas Robert Adams (P)2020 Nicholas Robert Adams
The Road to Missanabie
Summary
The Road to Missanabie is Nick Adams' second collection of motorcycling road tales. Join Nick as he heads for the horizon in northern Quebec and northern Ontario on his old Moto Guzzi bikes, enjoying the vastness of the northern forests, the quiet of northern lakes, and the generous and friendly company of the people he meets. Things don't always go according to plan, but unexpected hiccups and delays along the way just add to the adventure. If you enjoy hearing about motorcycle travel, old motorbikes, and the wilderness you're sure to enjoy this. Chapters include: The Road to Missanabie, The North Road, Quebec, Local Rides, Italian Electrics, Return to the North Road, 1863 BC, The Compass Challenge, The Full Quota, The Little White River, and Why Moto Guzzi?
©2017 Nicholas R Adams (P)2020 Nicholas R Adams
Wacousta
Summary
Wacousta, by Major John Richardson, is set at Fort Detroit and the surrounding country during Pontiac's rebellion of 1763. The mysterious warrior Wacousta has aligned himself with the First Nations forces who are besieging Detroit and Fort Michilimackinac on the extreme western edge of the British North American frontier. Pontiac is determined to stop expansion into the region, by any means. Wacousta is a great friend of Pontiac but has his own agenda - revenge against the British Commander at Detroit, Colonel De Haldimar. The story begins with Wacousta stealing in to the secure fort and whispering something in to De Haldimar's ear. Only later to we discover the nature of his message. Meanwhile, Pontiac designs a clever scheme to break the siege at the well-defended fort - a scheme so cunningly designed as to have every chance of success. This book was written in 1832 and incorporates all the attitudes and perspectives of class, race, and culture prevalent at the time. Some of the terminology is now considered offensive but was common in the 19th century. I have only removed a single word, which I will not say, but have left all other intact. The style of writing is extremely convoluted and complex. Sentences often run on for a page or more and extracting the meaning and flow from the text is a challenge; I hope hearing it helps.
Public Domain (P)2020 Nick Adams
Alexander Henry's Travels and Adventures in the years 1760-1776
Summary
Alexander Henry is one of the giants of the 18th century fur trade in the Great Lakes region, and his journal has been reprinted many times since it was first published in 1809. With the defeat of the French in Canada in 1760, the interior of the continent was suddenly accessible to English traders. Henry set out for the west with goods for the Indian trade, into a land where the First Nations were deeply hostile to the English. These two volumes, Adventures in Michigan 1760-1764 and Lake Superior and the Canadian Northwest 1765-1776 were compiled by Henry towards the end of his life and together have become an adventure classic. The Great Lakes region was in turmoil in the 1760's when Henry embarked upon his trading mission. The great First Nations leader Pontiac had engineered an uprising against the British Forts and Posts in the region with the intention of driving the British out. It was a time of violence and danger - and Alexander Henry was caught right in the middle of it, frequently experiencing hardship, hunger and abuse - while managing to retain his optimism and courage. The accounts of his experiences are at times harrowing, while at the same time providing an almost unparalleled description of First Nations life in the lands surrounding the Great Lakes and in the Canadian Northwest.
Public Domain (P)2020 Author's Republic
Riding in the Time of the Plague
Summary
During the spring of 2020, the whole world was hiding from the Covid-19 virus. In Ontario, we did not experience the complete lockdowns which were enacted in parts of Europe, where people were required to stay in their homes with quarantines rigorously enforced by the police, so it was still possible to get out riding, as long as one was sensible and took appropriate precautions. Long distance, multi-day adventures to distant places were out of the question. Provincial and international borders were closed, so riding had to be focused on places closer to home. Riding familiar roads and revisiting familiar places can be inspiring. Sometimes, it's a good thing to look a little deeper into the places we normally race by. Riding his usual crop of Moto Guzzi motorbikes and new steed from the far east, Nick heads out into the back country of eastern Ontario, finding new roads to travel and a new perspective on the places not far from his own back door.
©2020 Nicholas R. Adams (P)2020 Nicholas R. Adams