Book Review: Cold Beer and a Hot Dart

Reviewed by J.B. Leddington

Brandon Wolfe’s compelling journey to a truly adventurous life, replete with the many shenanigans along the way

A riveting travel memoir/self-help book mashup, Brandon Wolfe’s Cold Beer and a Hot Dart is by turns amusing and dismaying, shocking and inspiring. 

The narrative tracks his epic journeys around the world in search of… well, something more purposeful than a standard 9-to-5 life. It all sounds simple enough in summary—“At nineteen years old I jumped on a plane to travel the world for a few years- wandering around Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Borneo (Malaysia), and the Solomon Islands.”—but the reality of his travels is far more profound, impactful, and enlightening than one might assume.

This first trip sees nineteen-year-old Wolfe travel to Australia for six months with a missionary organization, a polarizing approach for some to international travel and interaction with local cultures. Wolfe demonstrates a clear view when writing Cold Beer and a Hot Dart and doesn’t shy away from the foibles of his youth, something that holds true throughout the book. 

The trip changes him. When he returns, he finds it near impossible to settle back into regular life in the United States and so does another stint with the organization, seeing more of Australia and traveling to Borneo and the Solomon Islands. 

Still infected by the travel bug, Wolfe is then inspired by the film Blood Diamond to plan an epic trip up Africa, traveling from south to north. While Wolfe feels like a seasoned traveler by the age of twenty-three, that’s not to say that he is always a well-prepared and well-equipped traveler. 

For instance, despite the months of planning he and his friend Brady put into the trip, they miss their flight to New York. And they are smelling strongly of booze. What’s more, when they actually land in South Africa, they are almost denied entry due to having failed to purpose a return ticket: “‘Oh, you will leave Africa,’ she replied in her thick accent, ‘in body bags.’ She stamped my passport and then she stamped Brady’s- ‘Good luck, gentlemen.’”

Their time in South Africa sets the scene for the rest of the trip. A close encounter with a charging elephant further elucidates the contrast between beauty and might that they observe as they travel. 

From the culture shock of driving on the other side of the road to the geographical shock of just how massive the distances journeyed in Africa are, Wolfe makes clear all of the big and small things that highlight differences and similarities when traveling. He indirectly offers various tips for when embarking on an epic journey, with perhaps the most important being to expect the unexpected.

Traveling from South Africa to Mozambique and onwards up Africa, they encounter backpackers and locals alike. In particular, Wolfe waxes lyrical about fellow backpackers, even when looking back from the vantage point of the present. It’s abundantly clear just how much travel and travelers mean to him. 

“Sojourners, wanderers, and backpackers are a certain breed of traveler, and let me tell you why they are the most authentic and interesting group of people roaming around our world.”

As Wolfe recounts his and Brady’s trip through Africa in Cold Beer and a Hot Dart, he weaves in some interesting information about the wildlife of the various countries they visit and about the recent history. The book remains very much a personal account of their trip, but these snippets of info help to set the scene and enhance the humorous, sometimes troubling recollections. They also highlight just how much can be learned and gained through traveling.

Wolfe’s tone is friendly and conversational, giving his recollections a sense of immediacy. This is particularly impactful during fraught moments such as when he gets lost while descending a mountain solo or when he and Brady unthinkingly decide to split up for a while. Even when such events are occurring, he maintains a positive and upbeat outlook. Wolfe has lived an impressive and adventuresome life. After reading this, maybe you can too.

“If there’s one thing I do know is that becoming complacent in life can become the first stage of physical and mental deterioration.”

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