
Win, Lose or Die
Inside the Lethal Sport of Motorcycle Road Racing and the Isle of Man TT: The Perfect Gift for Father's Day
Stuart Barker(Author)
BLINK Publishing
Published on 7. May 2026
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-78512-896-7 (ISBN)
Description
*THE MUST-HAVE BOOK THIS FATHER'S DAY*
*From the acclaimed author of Ragged Edge*
Road racers don't race for money; they race for the sheer rush of it. Skimming stone walls at speeds of over 200mph on bumpy, treacherous public roads with no room for errors offers a buzz like nothing else on earth. This is sport at its rawest, fastest, and most lethal.
The Isle of Man TT and motorcycle road racing events like the North West 200, the Ulster Grand Prix, the Macau Grand Prix, and the Cookstown 100 are known for their uncompromising brutality and provide some of the greatest highs and the most tragic of lows seen in any sporting field. There are only three possible outcomes for riders: win, lose, or die. It's that basic; it's that savage.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing have tackled 'pure roads' events, including Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Joey Dunlop, Carl Fogarty, and even the great Barry Sheene. Their modern counterparts, like John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop, continue to push speeds higher and higher, the risks increasing with every mph gained, year on year. Faster, faster, faster.
Through a host of exclusive interviews with riders, mechanics, team bosses, and race organisers, Win, Lose or Die takes readers behind the scenes of one of the world's most dangerous sports, revealing the triumphs and tragedies, the blood, the guts, the sweat, and the tears that are involved in winning a road race. This is extreme sport at its most extreme and the definitive look at the biggest, most lethal, motorcycle road races from around the world.
*From the acclaimed author of Ragged Edge*
Road racers don't race for money; they race for the sheer rush of it. Skimming stone walls at speeds of over 200mph on bumpy, treacherous public roads with no room for errors offers a buzz like nothing else on earth. This is sport at its rawest, fastest, and most lethal.
The Isle of Man TT and motorcycle road racing events like the North West 200, the Ulster Grand Prix, the Macau Grand Prix, and the Cookstown 100 are known for their uncompromising brutality and provide some of the greatest highs and the most tragic of lows seen in any sporting field. There are only three possible outcomes for riders: win, lose, or die. It's that basic; it's that savage.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing have tackled 'pure roads' events, including Geoff Duke, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Joey Dunlop, Carl Fogarty, and even the great Barry Sheene. Their modern counterparts, like John McGuinness and Michael Dunlop, continue to push speeds higher and higher, the risks increasing with every mph gained, year on year. Faster, faster, faster.
Through a host of exclusive interviews with riders, mechanics, team bosses, and race organisers, Win, Lose or Die takes readers behind the scenes of one of the world's most dangerous sports, revealing the triumphs and tragedies, the blood, the guts, the sweat, and the tears that are involved in winning a road race. This is extreme sport at its most extreme and the definitive look at the biggest, most lethal, motorcycle road races from around the world.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chichester
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 162 mm
Width: 242 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
520 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78512-896-7 (9781785128967)
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, graduated from Strathclyde University in 1996 and 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 nine 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 Joey Dunlop, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Ragged Edge - a history of the Isle of Man TT. He lives in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
He has written nine 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 Joey Dunlop, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Ragged Edge - a history of the Isle of Man TT. He lives in Kettering, Northamptonshire.