The Lonely Planet Story

Founders of the phenomenally successful publishing company Lonely Planet, Tony and Maureen Wheeler have produced travel guides to just about every country across the globe.

Lonely Planet Publications was born in 1973 when the Wheelers self-published a quirky travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. This was quickly followed by what soon became the backpackers bible, South-East Asia on a Shoestring. Going boldly where no other travel publisher had ventured, they catered for a new generation of independent, budget conscious travellers long before the advent of mass tourism.

The Lonely Planet Story is a unique mix of autobiography, corporate history and travel book. It traces Tony and Maureen Wheelers personal story as well as the often bumpy evolution of their business into the worlds largest independent travel publishing company. Above all, their memoir reveals the spirit of adventure that has made them, according to the New York Daily News, the specialists in guiding weird folks to weird places.

This is how it all happened, the adventures, the fun and the passion condensed into an enthralling read Daily Telegraph