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The aim of the book was to bring the highs and lows of travelling alone to you, so that you can travel vicariously around the world.
There are 3 ways to pay for your own copy of the book. (All online payments are safe and secure through PayPal.)
1. Pay online £12.99 + £2p&p = £14.99 (book delivered to UK).
2. Pay online £12.99 + £7p&p = £19.99 (book delivered overseas).
3. Pay online £4.99 (eBook PDF will be emailed to you).
“Pages fly by as Will writes confidently with breathtaking honesty and a style of humour that render this book truly captivating from the outset. Short tales of compassion, mentorship and self discovery warm the heart and encourage you to probe at your own core values. Surprisingly, unlike many books that repeatedly ask such deep questions, due to the high pace, this never really gets boring.” Freddy Mead, 21, Edinburgh
Glossy photographs show the handbags of the strangers I met around the world.
“I ordered ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags’ last Sunday and have been waiting exitedly for it to arrive! As soon as I unwrapped it, I started reading it! I’m at Day 8 so far and really enjoying reading it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m having problems putting it down.” Emma Weightman, 29, Lanzarote
To contact the author:
Telephone: 07815 056 026
Email: will (at) willbaxter.com
Two years on from publishing the book 22.10.11
So it’s been two years since I published my book and I thought I’d let you know what’s happened and where I am now.
Well, I moved to London and have been really focused on my branding business. Using the skills I learnt listening to people talk about their possessions, writing the book and promoting it. In my day to day work re-branding other peoples businesses I receive a lot of joy seeing their ideas develop.
Yes, from time to time I still use my ice-breaker in social situations! Asking people what’s in their handbags - which most people enjoy. Then when I tell them I wrote a book about it, they look at me with interest but also in a way that I must be a little weird. I guess they may be right, but hey, aren’t we all just a little bit odd in our own way? 
Wessex Business Women’s Network - Bishopstrow House 23.09.10
I was asked to speak about my entrepreneurial business history and to summerise my findings from my book. Thirty-five members of the Wessex Business Women’s Network attended and asked to look inside their own handbags to pull out their favourite items.
“From the numerous comments made to me afterwards, the ladies were very impressed with your presentation and found it to be very enjoyable and informative.”
Nynke Hunter, Wessex Business Womens Network - Secretary
Within them was a Swiss army knife, plenty of lip gloss and numerous business cards. After my talk, the guests were all treated to a delicious chicken main followed by a chocolate tart which crackled in your mouth as soon as it hit your tongue. If you enjoy sumptuous dining, impeccable service and a choice of indoor or outdoor pools you should take a look at my favourite restaurant in the UK, Bishopstrow House.
27th July 2010. Tony Robbins New TV show
I don’t normally do this, in fact, it’s the first time I have ever done this, but I recommend you watch this new show. Tony Robbins is an inspiration, yes he might be a cheesy American self-help guru, which is exactly what I thought when I first heard of him (partially still do). However, I like people who call a spade a spade and this man certainly cuts out all the gibberish from life and gets to the point, the core, the essence of people lives. Tony Robbins is now 50 and he’s served over 50 million people worldwide.
I’m not going to lie to you, he’s made hundreds of millions of dollars selling books, programmes and live shows along the way (and invested a large proportion of this into his own charities) but for the first time, he’s got his own TV show. So you can view this and make up your own mind about whether those people who spend $4,000 for a weekend away get value for money (no, I’ve not done one, but I did buy a £15 book of his and use his ideas on NLP to chat up a girl (Day:67 Tiffany) on my trip around the world in 80 handbags).
His new TV show is all about taking people who have faced massive challenges in their lives and making them realise what’s important. Yes, these cases are extreme and yes, even he admits it’s a bit dramatic, but that’s what TV producers like in show! Here’s the link to the site: Tony Robbins BREAKTHROUGH
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30th May 2010. Knox Design - New Office Launch.
Knox design is an award winning branding and graphic design agency. I spoke at the event to celebrate the opening of their new offices. The celebration has been mysterious billed as, “Entertainments and Happenings throughout the day.” This included an object artist, a magician and numeorus musicians.
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7th May 2010. East Norfolk Sixth Form College
At the East Norfolk Sixth Form College I spoke to two classes of pupils studying for their AS Language Course who had done Travel Writing as part of their coursework. The talks included teaching the pupils what the contents of their handbags said about them and an impromptu acting out of part of the book with an energetic pupil called ‘Harry.’ He very much brought to life Babu (a homeless shoe shine boy) one of the characters in the book, much to the delight of the others in the class.
“My students had done their own travel writing as part of their coursework. However I wanted them to see how this activity could move beyond assessment objectives and requirements to something that could be deeply moving and life changing. Will’s engaging and interactive presentation inspired both students and faculty and helped them understand more about their own values and those of others.” Nichole Wilson, English teacher on a Fullbright Teaching Exchange (Sponsored by the British Council in the UK and by the Academy for Educational Development in the USA).
Above: Teacher, Nichole Wilson, on her own travelling adventures.
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6th May 2010. Thirsty Thursday (TT), Nottingham Trent Uni
“Will B’s presentation was huge…probably the best one I have ever seen…if Carlsberg did presentations.”
Simeon Hartwig, TT compere and founder of Bantum clothing.
It was with great pleasure that I returned to Nottingham to talk to a fifty strong crowd of student entrepreneurs who are based at the Hive, a business incubabtion centre where I was based betwen 2005-2008 in Nottingham. I presented a new presentation: “Cars & Girls: A Business Overview” which picks up on the aspects of my life that have conditioned what I have doen with my life. This interactive three part talk included: 1) Talking about the things I have done (including the book). 2) Giving a business lesson. 3) Leaving the audience with a quote to ponder.
After talk networking at TT.
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13th March 2010. Sherborne School, Dorset
Keynote presentation: Around the World in 80 Handbags. I delivered this speech to 600 pupils aged 13-18 who go to this exclusive private school. My aim was to inspire these public school pupils to step outside their comfort zone when the opportunity arises. To learn from the people in the world as well as from books, to take responsibility and to reflect back on their own experiences. To tailor this presentation to the 13-18 years olds I incorporated more audience participation than ever before by involving the children in spreading my key message, “Life is not about what I own, life is about what I do.”
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25th February 2010. Bath FSB Breakfast Club
“Will delivered his psychological presentation with a huge sense of humour. I’m glad he didn’t look in my handbag though!”
Angela Ladd, Chairman of the FSB, Bath Branch.
Keynote presentation: Around the World in 80 Handbags. I delivered my speech to 50 members of the Bath region of the Federation of Small Businesses. The event was held at Homewood Park, an exclusive 4 star hotel on the outskirts of Bath. My talk focused on my alternative perceptions of travelling around the world and aimed to inspire the Bath based entrepreneurs to consider creative ways to promote and market their businesses.
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1st Jan 2010 - Maren Mende Book Review
When I was given this book by a friend I had no idea what to expect. Much like the author judges Lohrey’s ‘The Philosopher’s Doll’ by its title and cover, I was doing the same. I saw a girly travel journal, written by a man I had never heard of. I set out scrutinising every word, questioning the necessity of every paragraph, not caring what the author might think of my overly-critical review and correct-grammar-OCD.
However, as I read my way through the heart-warmingly honest descriptions of each day of Will Baxter’s journey, I began to feel like I knew him. I subconsciously found myself analysing his personality, making comparisons and finding similarities and differences between myself and the people described in this book. I found myself laughing at the first, naïve and fearful shower taken by Baxter in which he tries to avoid what he perceives to be certain death through the contact of a drop of water with his mouth, marvelling at his relationships (or obsession with the lack thereof), and becoming melancholic at the descriptions of the reality of poverty in India.
Yes there is a handbag on the cover. No it is not a book aimed at women. It’s not only the contents of handbags, which facilitate Baxter’s creation of new friendships and journey of self-discovery, but of shoeshine boxes, rucksacks and pockets.
This is not a book written solely for travel tips (although fear not- it is packed with practical advice you’d be pushed to find in many travel-specific publications) and it’s not a “What’s-my-personality” self-help book. What this is, is an honest description of a normal man’s journey around the world, insightful for anyone travelling and hoping to find out a little bit more about themselves (with or without the hippy clichés, male or female, gap-year student or career-breaker). Of course this book has flaws, but those are what make it just as real and sincere as every experience, person and discovery featured within its pages.
Maren Mende, 22, Student, University of Edinburgh
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(L-R Dad, Lord Lansdowne, Mrs Nicklin, me and my handbag. Photo by Lis McDermott)
20th November 2009 - Wiltshire Business Awards
During the months of October and November I had a series of gruelling interviews to win the “New Business Awards” in Wiltshire. My business, to promote my talks and sell my books won me the 2009 New Business Award for Mere, Wiltshire. The award came as a delightful shock when I was awarded my £1,000 prize money at the Athenaeum in Warminster. Following this I went on to a glamorous awards evening at Bowood House, Chippenham. Here, 16 regional entrepreneurs met up and saw the fledgling company, Monkey Puzzle, win the grand award and a further £2,000.
Lord Lansdowne, who was guest of honour for the awards, told all 16 finalists from towns across the county that entrepreneurs were what make British business successful.
“It is you we rely on to create the wealth and drip that wealth down into the welfare system.” he said.
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22nd October 2009 - Mere Book Launch
On a blustery autumn evening, many friends of mine met up in the Old Ship Hotel, Mere, to attend the official ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags’ book launch. The evening started off with my brief introduction (during which I handed back my eighty-eight-year-old grandmother’s handbag - that she’d already lost on the evening!)
Soon the eclectic audience settled down to a four minute movie highlighting the findings of ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags.’
“What a very special evening last night was. I thought you pitched it perfectly!” Pip Scaramanga
The evenings formal entertainment finalised as I read a couple of pages from the book (Day 19 in Chennai).
After the talk, the singing and the reading, my friends queued up the length of the room to receive their signed copies of the book.
“Thanks for a great evening – it was fantastic and I loved it. I loved the movie especially since it was to one of my favourite pieces (Lakme) and the ending was perfectly timed, as the slides came to a close. Great speech and story telling. It was so entertaining all round.” David Plimmer
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18th October 2009 - Mere Literary Festival
Every year, the idyllic town of Mere (where I live and work) hosts an International Literary Festival. Now in it’s 13th year, the focus for 2009 was poetry. The open competition received over three-hundred entrants from across the globe as far as New Zealand. Although l didn’t enter the competition (not a poet just yet) they kindly provided me with a space to host my stand in the break out room just off the main stage.
I also had the great pleasure in meeting the head poetry adjudicator, author of ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ and himself an internationally acclaimed poet, Louis de Bernieres. Quite a funny story actually, after handing over a copy of ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags’ I had this photograph taken with him. Then Louis went back to the judging. An hour later as I was packing away my stand, Louie came up to me, telling me that he had lost his book and wondered if he could have another one. This time I had a little more time and managed to sign it for him.
I can tell you, iIt’s quite an experience writing ‘Louis de Bernieres’ on the first page of your own book!
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7th October 2009 - Book Review by Freddy Mead
I have to admit, when Will asked me to review Around the World in 80 Handbags, I was sceptical. Sceptical not only because to say I’m not entirely convinced by the whole ‘hippy’ ideal and the cliché of travel to ‘find oneself’ would be an understatement of biblical proportions, but because I simply couldn’t see the interest in the contents of a handbag or wallet belonging to anybody but myself.
It soon becomes clear that Will isn’t really that interested in the handbags either, but deeply in the people attached to them. Now, THAT is intoxicating. You, the reader, breathe a huge sigh of relief and start to allow yourself to become sucked into the whirlwind of the book.
Pages fly by as Will writes confidently with breathtaking honesty and a style of humour that render this book truly captivating from the outset. Short tales of compassion, mentorship and self discovery warm the heart and encourage you to probe at your own core values. Surprisingly, unlike many books that repeatedly ask such deep questions, due to the high pace, this never really gets boring.
That said, I cannot agree entirely. Various expressed opinions relating to capitalism and its effects are, in my opinion, flawed and others naive. However, I understand entirely why Will has done what he has done. On sharing with us his quest to discover the fundamental answers and how fate and a good mental attitude positively affect not only such a physical journey, but the journey of life itself, he has reminded us that, as Einstein said and is mentioned in the book, “the important thing is never to stop questioning, curiosity has its own reason for existing”.
For that alone, I am grateful.
Freddy Mead, 21, Student
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4th October 2009 - St Catherine’s Artisan Market Frome
My first ever outing of the book in public. Here I sold and signed copies for members of the public. The book was most popular with foreigners who were travelling in England and people who had previous done a lot of travelling, however there was one delightful lady who bought a signed copy for her friend who had a handbag fetish!
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29th September 2009
First editions piled up to be shipped out to the people who pre-ordered this unknown new author’s first book.
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10th September 2009
Single proof edition of the book is delivered. l experienced a moment of absolute joy when I first saw it in print. I highly recommend that everyone writes their own book! For me, it wasn’t just compilation of two years work, it was the realisation of a dream.
306 Pages of print.
Take a look inside, ten pages of glossy photographs. Look close and you can see five of the handbags: Mate from New Zealand, Will in New Zealand, Tekina in New Zealand, Greg from LA and Chris in Hollywood.
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August 2009 = Final draft signed off and sent to pre-press print with the CPI Group (Eastbourne) and the first editions will be delivered to people who have pre-ordered the book on 1st October 2009. The book is 306 pages long, has 93,000 words and 10 full colour pages of photographs of people and their handbags from all over the world.
July 2009 = Proof reading of book completed. Steve, Allen, Anna, Sue and Will’s Dad all pre-order the book to take advantage of receiving one of the first signed copies.
June 2009 = Completed 3rd draft. Now down to 95,000 words.
May 2009 = Completed 2nd Draft. Filtered down to 100,000 words.
April 2009 = Completed 1st Draft. 130,000 words.
February 2009 = Pre-orders start being taken for upcoming book.
December 2008 = School Talk: Ferndown School, Bournemouth.
November 2008 = Philosophical Travel Talk: St. Osmunds Church, Derby, UK.
April 2008 = I appeared on BBC Breakfast with Susanna Reid and Charlie Stayt. I dived into Susanna’s handbags to discover that she went to the Horniman museum yesterday and that she has kids. Charlie was surprised to hear that I didn’t only ask women and that half the peoples handbags that I looked in to were in fact owned by men!
April 2008 = I appeared on BBC World with George Alagiah. Apparently 20 million viewers watched me all over the globe (not broadcast in England though). In September 2009 I met a guy who recognised me because he’d watched it on his Honeymoon in Cuba!
April 2008 = Travel Talk: Headlining the TNT Magazine Travel Show, London.
July 2007 = Book writing starts. Various ideas tossed around, would it be a picture book? A book of quotes? Would I carry on photographing the contents of people’s handbags? My great friend, Dan Chilcott, helped me with the final decision to keep it simple and tell the authentic story of my 80 days of travelling in the form of a travel diary. “Just write the truth, people can make their own conclusions.” he told me. Thanks Dan.
1st January 2007 - 22nd March 2009 = Trip around the world in 80 days.
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India : Days 1 - 31
Day 1: The poster that inspired me to wonder about the world
Day 2: A novel way for three men to travel
Day 3: The shoe shine from Babu that opened my eyes to the slums of Mumbai and ultimately led to changing his entire future.
Day 4: The view from the Sea Shore Hotel
Day 5 : Mumbai taxi driver reminds me of my brother back home.
Day 5 : A moment to savour forever, picking up the shoe-shine box with Babu.
Day 6: Moving on, picking up some American and Dutch travelling buddies.
Day 7: First impressions of Calangute were a little touristy
Day 8: Tensions between Dan and his friends rise
Day 8: Finally, the gang of 6 split into 4
Day 8: One of the cleanest rooms I stayed in
Day 9: Meeting a more stable couple…8 years!
Day 9 : Riding Miss Enfield to Goa in search of a girlfriend.
Day 10: Immediately finding one: Andrea and ‘that’ bikini
Day 11: Soon enough I find I have a wife and dog
Day 12: Andrea is soon making Miss Enfield jealous
So I return Miss Enfield and swap her for…
a chauffer driven bus, which to be honest, is much more relaxing!
Day 13: Two brothers, find out which is the entrepreneur by owning the book. £14.99 within UK and £19.99 internationally.
Day 14: After 5 days it’s the end for Andrea and I.
Day 15: Resorting to spirituality at the brow of the hill
Spending too much on trinkets and making a boy happy.
Chipping my tooth
Day 16: On the hill with my friend Jakob
Day 16: Traditional photo of paddy fields in Hampi.
However, a chance meeting/photoshoot with Israeli girl is better…
but it seems that one man is not enough for her.
Day 17: 24 hour train ride from Hampi to Chennai
Day 18: Depressed waiting in Chennai
Day 19: High jinks with the security guards
Day 20: Off to the sea side.
Day 21: Visiting the ITWWS charity where they make herbal medicines.
Day 21: Traditional farmers outside the ITWWS compound
Day 21 : Kids line up in the water that destroyed their homes in the Tsunami.
Day 21: Young girl at the ITWWS centre in Tamil Nadu.
Day 22: Dr Blubber starts to seduce me with a massage
Day 23: Chennai commuters
Day 24: Mousemat business day
Day 25: Day in bed in Chennai
Day 26: Ancient monument
Day 27: Go-karting in Chennai gives me a pounding headache
Day 28: Naeem, not what you expect God to look like
Day 29: Giving my airline hostess her first driving lesson…
soon after we are mobbed by a collection of kids admiring us.
Day 30: Last day with Revika. Find out what was in her handbag by having a look in the book. £14.99 within UK and £19.99 internationally.
Day 31: Last day in India.
Singapore : Days 32 - 37
Singapore : Days 32 - 37
Day 32: This is a not a hotel, this is a Singapore underground car park.
Day 33: Wondering if it’s worth living another day.
Day 34: Yellow fever strikes again.
Day 35: Understanding the ex-pat lifestyle
Day 36: Whenever I’m feeling lonely I do go-karting to finding my peace
Day 36: Waiting outside the offices
Day 37: This is the view of that the man who refused to show me his wallet had of me as I bought £200 worth of camera equipment off him.
Then I wandered outside to the four pillars of peace and found this guy.
And finally, Alexander, with his wallet and $5,000 mobile phones!
Sydney, Australia : Days 38 - 52
Sydney, Australia : Days 38 - 52
Day 38: Was a long way to come from Singapore!
Day 39: Washing clothes and having a big shave.
Day 41: Out for Steve’s stag do.
Day 42: I hate bus stops when its raining, got soaked and down.
Day 43: Natalie, the lady with had chewing gum on her flip-flop when we met.
Day 44: Same gorgeous girl, but today, she stands on a sea urchin!
Day 45: PowerHouse museum global population count.
Day 45: Valentines Night, a photo of a couple, then…
these five girls demanded I take their photo for free.
Day 46: So I did and started seeing Julia.
Day 47: Who introduced me to a Brad Pitt lookalike.
Day 48: The real reason for my entire trip, the wedding.
Day 49: Ex-pats with their speed boat.
Day 50: Patryc and JM. Guaranteed smiles.
Day 51: Dramatic last date with Julia…all gory details in the book of what I did just before she stormed out on me in the restaurant at the Sydney Opera House .
Day 52: Flying away with John Travolta and Qantas.
New Zealand : Days 53 - 59
New Zealand : Days 53 - 59
When you read my book you’ll learn that I feel New Zealand is desolate. However, these pictures lie and depict another different side, they show the beauty of the environment, but I don’t want you to think it’s a lovely place to be. New Zealand isn’t really more beautiful that other places, it’s just that there is nothing else to do aside from look at the countryside. And because you stare at it for so long, with nothing else to do, you convince yourself that it is beautiful. Mothers do the same thing with their babies, my mother especially.
Day 53: Arrival at Base Camp, sorry, Base youth hostel, Christchurch
Then I go off on a bicycle ride and find this sand artist. Peter Donnelly
Day 54: Beautiful scene, if that’s what you want to think
Day 55: Guy and I, using the phone to call Nasa
Day 56: Dirt from the rubber of a Suzuki RM250 covers my mouth
Evening 56: Mouth looking for lady with GSOH
Day 57: Off out again, this time on 50cc
Artistic photography, a pile of wood.
Almost forgot, I kissed another in Queenstown.
Day 58: Night life in Christchurch is so bad I spent the eve taking photographs, like this one of a tree and a wall.
Day 59: Mate and his Mum are the Salt of the Earth
Moving on to Tekina and her gang of Maori friends.
Los Angeles : Days 60 - 73
Los Angeles : Days 60 - 73
Day 60: The Yoga experience flying out of Auckland
Day 62: Meeting Greg, a dictionary of charm
Day 65: Caught up in trouble with catwoman outside the Chinese theatre where all the Oscars are done, Hollywood.
Day 66: Grand Canyon, Anderson shows off his wallet. In the book I write the story that Anderson’s grandmother passed on to him about how we can all find our own peace of mind.
Day 66: Rob, making another joke
This is what all the local are making a fuss about, the new glass bottom horse shoe bridge that has taken 19 years to come to fruition.
Peeping out of an igloo, sorry, a umm…umm….a tepee!
Rob picks up the attention of a rather hot babe, actually, take a second look, that’s just a cardboard cut out - not Rob, the babe.
Our babe, blowing my boat.
I haven’t a clue what we were doing here, maybe diving down the canyon?
Andersons environmentally friendly (and cheap to run) tour bus
Solar panels, taught canvas…this place has got it going on!
They haven’t yet put guide rails up on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Day 67: Meeting Tiffany through use of NLP
Day 67: Meeting Tiffany’s delectable friends
Day 68: Coming back the next day and having a drawing competition with this fifteen year old model
Day 68: Chris, the one with the implant
Day 69: Roller wheels that were so much fun
Day 69: After yoga I ran up the Canyon bare foot and found this
Day 70: I may look happy, may look like the American dream, but actually, this Sunday was one of the emotional lows for the entire trip, just felt so lonely.
Day 71: Kim, always smiling.
Day 73: Last moments before a sad departure I reflect.
New York : Days 74 - 80
New York : Days 74 - 80
Day 74: Read the story of how I got a personal tour of New York’s Saatchi & Saatchi offices.
And then up on the Saatchi & Saatchi 1980’s yuppie race track.
Day 76: Art Gallery, this is what I used to like.
But I change my mind, I like this thought uplifting art now.
And I quite enjoy the simplicity of this one too.
Day 76: Irish independence day, St Patrick’s or Guiness Day, not sure which. This is the man who I exchanged a hot dog for a photo - if only all transactions in life were so simple.
Rachel, the female equivilent of me.
Irish day… cute ginger.
Rachel, moi and the plastic surgeon.
Rachel, plastic surgeon and the two teenage boys who we had to protect from gaydar predators one night in a special club.
Day 77: Taku, the Japanese man I took to Hooters. Find out in the book how I taught him to chat up women for the first time in his life.
Day 78: SEX AND THE CITY: Miranda tour guide.
Day 79: Date with Louisa, note the nail varnish.
Day 79: Travelling home on that terribly irregular and draughty NY Metro system.
Day 79: Erin (left) is an example why you go to Hooters.
Day 79: But don’t go to Hooters to find a husband.
Day 80: New York Freedom of speech.
Day 80: When travelling, there is only one thing that you can’t get away from…yourself!
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