Author:Guy Martin
'The maddest 12 months of my life. The journey starts with an oddball race up an American mountain and ends with me checking myself out of hospital with a broken back. Again …'
As Guy’s Latvian grandfather frequently reminded him, ‘When you dead, you dead’. So before it’s all over, Guy Martin is making the most of the time he’s got.
In this past year alone, Guy has raced the Isle of Man TT and finished on the podium; bike trekked through India; competed in solo 24-hour bicycles races; flown a stunt plane; broken a go-kart speed record down a French mountain and attempted to break the motorcycle land-speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats. And he’s done all this around his day job as a truck mechanic.
But let Guy tell you about it himself: ‘This book starts in a Transit, ends in a Transit, and in between I’ve raced a few pushbikes, raced a few motorbikes and got a fair few stories to tell you.’ Spot on.
For anyone interested in following their dream to the end of the line
—— Tony ParsonsRemarkable
—— Irish TimesKavanagh is open and honest about his upbringing ... The journey hasn't been easy, but Kavanagh's inbuilt determination has carried him all the way
—— Irish ExaminerIt kept me up well past my bedtime
—— Sean O'Rourke , Today with Sean O'Rourke, RTE Radio OneTold in such a fresh way it’s a joy to read … It’s nostalgic, entertaining, informative, relevant and refreshing
—— Eastbourne EchoThe Football Ramble serves as a rough almanac of football knowledge … a zeitgeist of the sport … there’s something for every type of football fan in this one
—— Daily ExpressA true icon of Irish rugby.
—— Mail on SundayCharts an epochal time in the game when it moved from amateur to professional and typically doesn’t pull his punches.
—— RTE GuideGripping... an uplifting story of a truly decent man, his athletic prowess and his unwavering faith. Read it.
—— Oldham Evening ChronicleHamilton sets out to reveal the man behind the movie (and that indelible song) and he certainly succeeds.
—— Washington PostHamilton shows Liddell as more than a star who used the spotlight to call attention to his beliefs: he was a truly selfless human being who gave everything he had to others... his writing feels effortless in this inspiring story.
—— Publishers' WeeklyVivid and heartfelt... Hamilton's passion for his subject shows through on every page.
—— BookpageThey both love football. So the letters are about football but also lots of other things. It reminds you that watching football is about lots of other things too… I really enjoyed this.
—— William Leith , Evening StandardThis is the definitive written history and celebration of one of sport’s most socially influential and thrilling episodes
—— Nick Pitt , Sunday TimesEvokes times when West Indian cricketers were…dominant
—— Huw Richards , GuardianExcellent
—— Andy Bull , ObserverOne of the areas in which Lister really does a fantastic job is balance of opinion. The author has his own views, some more common sense than others, but he gives column inches to all sides of a story and allows everyone a chance to state their case… here's an excellent balance between sport and life. It gives great insight into some fascinating individuals and doesn't shirk the big issues. It's comprehensive, an easy read and never overstays its welcome… This book is a must read for the cricket fan out there, full of interesting stories, tales from the tour and a really close look at one of the best sporting outfits of all-time.
—— Wexford PeopleBrilliant, bruising
—— Donal Ryan , Sunday IndependentThis is so much more than the story of their journey – it’s a superbly written, endlessly fascinating book encompassing history, geology, landscape, family memories, wars experienced and lives well lived.
—— Choice MagazineOne of the most unexpected and enjoyable reads of 2016… The book fizzes erudition and is delightfully leavened by the companionship of his aged and doughty father.
—— Guardian, Readers' Book of the YearA very funny book - not jovial in the post-Wodehouse Boris mode but something more taught and Caledonian... The politician in Stewart never had a chance against the writer, a reliable adversary of consensus and cant.
—— Minoo Dinshaw , OldieBeautiful, evocative, and wise.
—— Malcolm Forbes , Star TribuneThe Marches is a transporting work from a powerful and original writer.
—— Harvard PressThis beautifully written account is a moving memoir of tales from along the route but also reflections on life and relationships – father and son on this their last journey together.
—— ProspectRory Stewart is one of the most talented men of our era. The Marches takes us from Rory’s constituency to his family house is an attempt to understand the bloody history of the Scottish borders… The quest is fascinating even if the answers are elusive.
—— Bruce Anderson , SpectatorAs the book unfurls, the march along the marches turns into a eulogy to his father, part memoir, part biography, always a love story. It also contains one of the most unflinching, moving descriptions of death I have read.
—— Melanie Reid , The TimesThis beautifully written book is a haunting reflection of identity and our relationships with the people and places we love.
—— Jane Shilling , Daily MailStewart provides much food for thought about how we value our past history
—— Susannah Law , Scottish Field