Built for Speed: Bikers, Beers and Balls of Steel

‘Then I was there: the smells, the noise and the speed were all there for me to take in. It was like a massive injection in my head. I knew I was going to be a TT rider. I didn’t know how or what I was going to have to do to achieve this, and I knew my dad wasn’t going to be keen. Everyone around me knew the dangers, but I knew I had to do it.'

John McGuinness is one of the all-time giants of road racing. With 23 TT titles under his belt, he is a hero in the sport, but has also been billed as the most versatile rider in the world.

His autobiography tells the whole story, from his humble beginnings in Morecambe and getting his first bike at the age of 3, to working as a bricklayer and cockle fisherman before deciding to follow his dream, and finally to his many victories in the most dangerous sporting event on the planet. He tells of what it takes to be a champion in such an exacting sport, and to keep winning even though all logic tells you to stop – and when so many of your fellow racers are paying the ultimate price for doing it. This thrilling autobiography gets into the head of the man who stares death in the face, and doesn't even flinch.