In 1981, aged 21, Chris Scott's first desert trip ground to a halt somewhere around 21° N, 6° E with a split fuel tank - a pretty normal Saharan introduction it seems. During the eighties, working as a courier in London, Chris returned to the desert every other year and in 1989 organised his first 'Sahara Motorcycle Tour' which only one bike completed in full. Desert Travels tells that story and the best-selling Street Riding Years fills out the London years in between. Recognising these recurring difficulties in the desert, he prepared a report for the Royal Geographical Society which grew to become the current Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, now in its seventh edition after over 25 years in print. In 1991 Rough Guides asked Chris to co-author their Australia guide and he's been writing since then. In 1998 he decided to focus on the Sahara, which has always been his passion, and began work on Sahara Overland. The second edition was published in 2005. As well as writing for various travel, 4WD and motorcycle magazines and newspapers over the years (including modelling for Esquire as an 'explorer'), Chris is a regular guest speaker at events including the Adventure Travel Show.

He's advised scores of desert-bound travellers as well as professionals from novelists and photographers, to the BBC and ITV. He produced adventure travel dvds to accompany his books which have featured on National Geographic Channel, Sky TV and Channel 4 and occasionally leads tours in the Sahara. The Overlanders' Handbook was published in 2011 - a worldwide route and planning guide for cars, 4x4s and trucks. It's the definitive manual for planning and undertaking a vehicle-dependent overlanding adventure across the wilds of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The second edition is due in 2017. The second edition of Morocco Overland - from the Atlas to the Sahara was published in 2013, and Chris has also updated several books in Trailblazer's British Walking Guides series. Visit the websites for Chris's Trailblazer guides: Adventure Motorcycling Handbook Morocco Overland Sahara Overland.