Travels With Maurice: An Outrageous Adventure in Europe, 1968

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Updated Subtitle: Travels With Maurice: An Outrageous European Adventure in 1968EVERY WOMEN WANTED TO BE WITH HIM. EVERY MEN WANTED TO BE HIM!"‘Travels With Maurice’ is a gem of a book that just sneaks up on you with its greatness... The lifelong friendship, the lessons learned, and the change of attitude towards Gary’s life itself make this book an incredible read. While Maurice, as the son of a rich man, could have easily skated through Europe and his life on his family’s money, he was incredibly aware of the people around him, their hopes, their dreams and tried to make their interaction with him, however brief, meaningful and memorable... The richness of this personal story will find you savoring every page, from the toast that opens it to the story of these two men’s lives long after their time together in Europe..." - Michael BermanAn unbelievable story, yet it's true because nobody could make this story up- NOBODY.The 19,985 miles, 12 country adventure in 1968, Gary and Maurice, formed a formidable friendship, while perusing the London music scene, which included The Who, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and even the Beatles. Maurice, son of the richest Iranian man, shares his life and culture with Gary, as they dined with Kings and Queens, gambled with Shah of Iran and his wife-Her Royal Highness Empress Farah, while also learning the ins and outs of The Iranian government, its corruption, and the reasons the Shah was doomed to fail.See them come of age while rubbing elbows with other famous persons, asked to dance by Brigitte Bardot, was even rescued out of handcuffs by Shirley Temple Black during the Russian Invasion of Czechoslovakia during the summer of 1968.A simple "thank you" led to the trip of a lifetime!Other Praise for Travels with Maurice"Gary Orleck made a more enduring tribute to a dead friend. Travels with Maurice is inspired by Orleck’s friend, Maurice, who passed away suddenly of a massive heart attack aged 52.Part One and Part Two recount their meeting at college and subsequent travels around Europe a few years after graduating. It’s 1968 and they rack up almost 20,000 miles in a cherry-red Mustang belonging to Maurice’s sister, Fiona. Their trip includes London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, Split, Venice, Geneva, Cannes, and Majorca…but the places are almost irrelevant. You see, Maurice is the son of a fabulously wealthy Iranian and although he agreed to stick to Gary’s budget of $3,000 each, his family’s connections mean the trip morphs into one ... of a wild ride. For a boy from Rhode Island, what I saw was unimaginable. This includes seeing the Iranian Ambassador at Fiona’s London boutique, sharing a hotel restaurant with the King and Queen of Belgium, staying in the Queens Suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Paris as guests of the Shah of Iran’s new wife, the Empress Farah, and partying in La Siesta ... where the rich and famous of the South of France spent their time and money. All good things come to an end: holidays, friendships, dynasties, life. In Part Three, real life takes over–work, marriage–and Gary gradually sees Maurice less and less. In Part Four Maurice is briefly catapulted back into Gary’s life when he calls with news that his father had passed away under extreme circumstances. There are a lot of people and places in this book but its charm lies squarely in the myth of Maurice. So what better way to end this review than with something he told Gary: Always shoot for the stars. That way even if you land on the moon, you’ll be way ahead of everyone else. Rest in Peace Maurice (Moise) Elghanayan. Gary Orleck reached out to me and asked me to review his book – so no rating this time. The book is available on Amazon."