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I've just finished book called "That Near-Death Thing" written by Rick Broadbent, who is a sports writer for The Times.

It covers the 2011 TT with good pen portraits of the main protagonists: John Mc Guinness, Michael and William Dunlop, Conor Cummins and of course Guy Martin. It also covers some of the less well known riders. It's a well balanced book and I came away knowing more about what drives them all to go road racing on the Island.
I came across it in the local library but it's available on Amazon, in Waterstones etc.

Highly recommended.

Cheers

Ian

Sounds good. I'll look out for it. Cheers.

Have to agree, it's an excellent read. Another excellent read that I've just finished is 'Stealing Speed' by Mat Oxley, which is absolutely fascinating to any petrol head. It's the true story of how a Nazi rocket scientist, Walter Kaaden developed the 2 stroke motor and made Ernst Degner World champion. Degner then defected to the West and sold the technology to Suzuki. The Eastern Bloc never forgave Degner, and he was found dead, in very mysterious circumstances, some years later. The book is like a cross between a James Bond novel, The Near Death Thing, Tuning For Speed (Phil Irvings Bible on engines) and a 16th Century Morality Play. I'd always thought of Mat Oxley as just another Motorcycling Journo, be his writing content and style reveals a very educated man. You really couldn't make this story up, and even James May in the Telegraph reviews it as 'A pretty rollicking read'. Once started, I couldn't put it down.

ianc53 wrote:I've just finished book called "That Near-Death Thing" written by Rick Broadbent, who is a sports writer for The Times.

It covers the 2011 TT with good pen portraits of the main protagonists: John Mc Guinness, Michael and William Dunlop, Conor Cummins and of course Guy Martin. It also covers some of the less well known riders. It's a well balanced book and I came away knowing more about what drives them all to go road racing on the Island.
I came across it in the local library but it's available on Amazon, in Waterstones etc.

Highly recommended.

Cheers

Ian

I loved the bit where 3 Australians were being interviewe d on a bench, one minute I was falling off my chair laughing, the next minute, I felt a tear running down my cheek. Journalism as it should be

Thanks Adam, I'll look out for 'Stealing Speed', I know the broad facts about Degner defecting, but it sounds really good.

Cheers

Ian

I'd always assumed that his defection was after jumping off a bike and get whisked away in a waiting car, as the urban legend has it. According to Tommy Robb who was at the race, and others who were interviewed for the book, this version isn't the case at all. The truth is far stranger