Ragged Edge
The brutal true story of the Isle of Man TT - the world's most dangerous race
Published on 9. May 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-78946-701-7 (ISBN)
Description
One week in June. One small island. Raw speed. High risk of fatalities. The Isle of Man TT motorcycle road race.
Five minutes to go. The claxon sounds, harsh as an air raid siren. Television crews attempt last-minute interviews with riders. The thousand-yard stares give it away: they're really not listening now.
Three minutes to go. For the first man on the road, hidden dangers exist. And he is the hare that the greyhounds will be chasing. Some racers tell their mechanics, 'I'll see you later for a pint' - just to reinforce the belief that they will.
One minutes to go. By the end of the first lap, riders will be howling past at 160pmh. And that's not even the fastest stretch. F1 drivers can crash spectacularly and walk away. Everyone knows that's not the case here.
Five seconds. No more time for nerves, for doubts. The TT has begun. How it will end, no-one knows.
Ragged Edge is the definitive story of this unique event, from the tarmac up. The history, the atmosphere, the heroes and tragedies. This is the raw truth behind the world's most dangerous sporting event - in the words of those who ride it.
Five minutes to go. The claxon sounds, harsh as an air raid siren. Television crews attempt last-minute interviews with riders. The thousand-yard stares give it away: they're really not listening now.
Three minutes to go. For the first man on the road, hidden dangers exist. And he is the hare that the greyhounds will be chasing. Some racers tell their mechanics, 'I'll see you later for a pint' - just to reinforce the belief that they will.
One minutes to go. By the end of the first lap, riders will be howling past at 160pmh. And that's not even the fastest stretch. F1 drivers can crash spectacularly and walk away. Everyone knows that's not the case here.
Five seconds. No more time for nerves, for doubts. The TT has begun. How it will end, no-one knows.
Ragged Edge is the definitive story of this unique event, from the tarmac up. The history, the atmosphere, the heroes and tragedies. This is the raw truth behind the world's most dangerous sporting event - in the words of those who ride it.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
248 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78946-701-7 (9781789467017)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Stuart Barker, born in Galloway, Scotland, began working as a motorcycle journalist for Motor Cycle News. Freelance since 2001, he has written for most of the major motorcycling titles and was editor of the Isle of Man TT programme for eight years. He has written eight books including a bestselling biography of Barry Sheene and a biography of Evel Knievel which is set to be made into a major Hollywood movie. Other works include biographies of Valentino Rossi, Joey Dunlop and others. He lives in Kettering, Northamptonshire.