After seizing power in a violent coup, President Augusto Pinochet ordered the construction of the Carretera Austral, a highway across Chile’s southern wilderness. In an absorbing account, Justin Walker explores this territory from one end to the other, a thousand kilometres and more, moving from village to village by any available means. Combining independent travel with local history, social conscience with environmental awareness, and contemplative reflections with light-hearted humour, The Dictator’s Highway is a unique book and a compelling read.