Author Bill Lumley, who originates from Bath, has just released his new book, in which the world gets its own back on him.

Lumley, who famously described Sheffield as a "retirement town for under 30s", Brighton as a "town on the dole", and Braintree women as "sea monsters", has a new book called

The Reluctant Traveller

. The book follows Lumley as he tries everything he can to escape climbing a dangerous mountain in Ethiopia.

"I spent the night coughing. I had a slight fever and was also sweating like a pig. God, did I have malaria? Had I missed a tablet? Would having malaria get me out of climbing that mountain?" This is just one of the hilarious excuses that crosses his mind.

For the man who had to insure his genitalia after his first book,

Home Truths

, his new endeavour finds Bill working hard to protect those same body parts from wolves, snakes, the odd feral dog, and "what looked like a cross between a wasp and a bumble bee the size of a small bird".

The Reluctant Traveller

gives a rare insight into Ethiopian culture and customs, as seen through the eyes of a grumpy Englishman who would rather be at his local. With his long-suffering friend and photographer Gar, plus a cast of eager mountaineers and many perplexed Ethiopians, Lumley leaves his mark on a nation already full of tension.

Speaking of his experience, Lumley said: "Of course, I was petrified the entire time. With

Home Truths

, the mission was to stay alive after the book was published.

"With

The Reluctant Traveller

, I barey made it back to write the thing. Why anyone would want to go to the wilds of Africa is beyond me."

The next book in the series is due out next year.

The Reluctant Traveller is published by Prospera at £9.99.

Emma Dagger