The Masked Rider

The Masked Rider, Neil Peart’s travel memoir, captures his thoughts, observations, and experiences as he cycles through West Africa. This journey reveals the subtle yet powerful writing style that has cemented his place as one of rock’s greatest lyricists. As Peart describes his extraordinary adventure, from the pains of dysentery to a confrontation with an armed soldier, and the challenge of navigating dirt roads off the beaten path, he also unveils his own emotional landscape and the various “masks” he discovers he wears.

Cycling is a good way to travel anywhere, but especially in Africa. You are independent and mobile, and yet travel at people speed — fast enough to travel on to another town in the cooler morning hours, but slow enough to meet people: the old farmer at the roadside who raises his hand and says, ‘You are welcome,’ the tireless women who offer a smile to a passing cyclist, the children whose laughter transcends the humblest home.