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Review
A short life but a fantastic one, and his mates Steve Parrish - no mean biker himself - and Nick Harris have put the legend's life together in a book that runs the gamut of emotions and makes you wonder if you're putting enough into your own life (DAILY Sport )
Book Description
The definitive biography of motor cycling legend Barry Sheene
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book should have been entitled" Barry and Me.".........by Steve Parrish.
It's disjointed and lacks the journalistic quality I would have expected from someone of Nick Harris'undoubted ability. It contains a lot of first-hand anecdotes and narrative but half the time you don't know who's relating them.
Too much about Steve Parrish and not enough about Barry Sheene who is portrayed as an insecure spoiled brat.
I had the pleasure of meeting Barry,albeit briefly,on two occaisions and both times was struck by his warmth and easy manner with the total strangers who besieged him everywhere he went.
It's disjointed and lacks the journalistic quality I would have expected from someone of Nick Harris'undoubted ability. It contains a lot of first-hand anecdotes and narrative but half the time you don't know who's relating them.
Too much about Steve Parrish and not enough about Barry Sheene who is portrayed as an insecure spoiled brat.
I had the pleasure of meeting Barry,albeit briefly,on two occaisions and both times was struck by his warmth and easy manner with the total strangers who besieged him everywhere he went.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Ah yes, British motorsport in the 70's was by most accounts a great time and place to be, we had heroic Formula One and Motorbike Grand Prix champions James Hunt and Barry Sheene in the same year, The Isle Of Man TT races were in their heyday, Silverstone was still a full on flat out venue before tighter chicanes and the Brooklands complex slowed the racing down and the British public couldn't get enough of it. Close your eyes and you can almost smell the Castrol R on a warm summers day. However behind the rose tinted glamour are stories of all too frequent and avoidable close brushes with death, below par venues, badly engineered machinery and organisational chaos, and this book certainly gives an honest insight into that world.
I must confess before I read this book I wasn't fully aware just how close friends Steve (Stavros) Parrish and Barry Sheene were, and some of their non season time partying 'activities' are the stuff of legends, some of which you will read about here. Your mother may not approve!
Overall I found the book enjoyable to read but apart from a some insights into Barry's (and his friends) antics within the confines of their close knit 'squadron' (both on and off the track) there wasn't a large amount of new material especially in respect of his famous horrific crashes at Daytona and Silverstone. What also surprised me was Barry portrayed by the contributors as an obsessional, insecure spoilt brat, traits which can be traced back to his childhood and the lenient upbringing by his parents, who bent over backwards to give Barry what he wanted. There is no question that Barry was used to having his own way in life, and this book does not hold back in this regard. (Remember this is the book, not my personal opinion) Also this portrayal of Barry poses the question that if this is the view that his wife and closest friend(s) have of him, then what did other people think? (I think his wife Stephanie deserves an award for putting up with so much). This may not be what some fans want to read, so if you want to stick with the image of a smiling cheeky Barry being the loveable heroic 40 a day rouge then this book may not be for you.
It is easy to fall into the trap of giving the maximum 5 stars to something, simply by association with something or someone who is popular or well regarded, but this book whilst interesting and at times revealing, is in the humble opinion of this reviewer not particularly well written. The narrative is clumsy and I regularly found myself having to re-trace back a couple of paragraphs to establish just who's story or opinion of Barry I was reading, as this was not always clear.
Whilst it was interesting to read the tales and stories told (amongst others) by Steve Parrish, Barry's wife Stephanie, Nick Harris, the doctor who repaired his legs, and occasional comment by Kenny Roberts Snr, the tragic fact is that apart from his auto biography originally penned in the late 70's, we the fans will never have a full and complete autobiography written by Barry himself, and no amount of tribute books or stories told by his family, friends and peers from over the years will ever replace that. I personally think we have gone as a far as we need to with Barry Sheene 'tribute' publications, and although it could be considered less `revealing', the Stuart Barker biography is a better read.
I must confess before I read this book I wasn't fully aware just how close friends Steve (Stavros) Parrish and Barry Sheene were, and some of their non season time partying 'activities' are the stuff of legends, some of which you will read about here. Your mother may not approve!
Overall I found the book enjoyable to read but apart from a some insights into Barry's (and his friends) antics within the confines of their close knit 'squadron' (both on and off the track) there wasn't a large amount of new material especially in respect of his famous horrific crashes at Daytona and Silverstone. What also surprised me was Barry portrayed by the contributors as an obsessional, insecure spoilt brat, traits which can be traced back to his childhood and the lenient upbringing by his parents, who bent over backwards to give Barry what he wanted. There is no question that Barry was used to having his own way in life, and this book does not hold back in this regard. (Remember this is the book, not my personal opinion) Also this portrayal of Barry poses the question that if this is the view that his wife and closest friend(s) have of him, then what did other people think? (I think his wife Stephanie deserves an award for putting up with so much). This may not be what some fans want to read, so if you want to stick with the image of a smiling cheeky Barry being the loveable heroic 40 a day rouge then this book may not be for you.
It is easy to fall into the trap of giving the maximum 5 stars to something, simply by association with something or someone who is popular or well regarded, but this book whilst interesting and at times revealing, is in the humble opinion of this reviewer not particularly well written. The narrative is clumsy and I regularly found myself having to re-trace back a couple of paragraphs to establish just who's story or opinion of Barry I was reading, as this was not always clear.
Whilst it was interesting to read the tales and stories told (amongst others) by Steve Parrish, Barry's wife Stephanie, Nick Harris, the doctor who repaired his legs, and occasional comment by Kenny Roberts Snr, the tragic fact is that apart from his auto biography originally penned in the late 70's, we the fans will never have a full and complete autobiography written by Barry himself, and no amount of tribute books or stories told by his family, friends and peers from over the years will ever replace that. I personally think we have gone as a far as we need to with Barry Sheene 'tribute' publications, and although it could be considered less `revealing', the Stuart Barker biography is a better read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A light weight but fun book.
Not a definitive biography. More a story of the friendship between Sheene & Parrish, should probably be called `Barry & Me'. Lots of interesting stories and anecdotes. However not much detail on the many epic races and comebacks from injuries, that Britain's greatest motorcycle racer incurred.
Enjoy the book, but don't expect a definitive biography.
Not a definitive biography. More a story of the friendship between Sheene & Parrish, should probably be called `Barry & Me'. Lots of interesting stories and anecdotes. However not much detail on the many epic races and comebacks from injuries, that Britain's greatest motorcycle racer incurred.
Enjoy the book, but don't expect a definitive biography.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Barry Sheene A True Legend
The story of motorcycling legend Barry Sheene, a must read for anyone with an interest in motorcycle racing, especially during the 70's, you will gain an excellent insight, not... Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2009 by S. Owen
Barry Sheene
Barry: The Story of Motorcycling Legend, Barry SheeneA very well written book by the man who probably knows more about the wild side of this the most charismatic of motorcycle... Read more
Published on 3 July 2009 by Be Bop
The only poolside holiday book you will ever need
I am a motorcyclist of a certain age who remembers the highs of watching someone the British sport watching public seem not to like, a winner. Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2009 by A. Elsworth
Should Have Been Better
As a teenager in the seventies, Barry Sheene was one of my heroes. Charismatic and brave in a glamorous sport, he was the epitome of cool. Read more
Published on 26 April 2008 by Richard Allen
Disappointing read...
Had this for Christmas and was looking forward to reading it. Sad to say I was disappointed. Poorly written - narrative is repetitive and has a tendency to jump about all over the... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2008 by R. Dobbins
The Best Book Yet On The Great Man
What a stunning book, I couldn't put it down once I started it. A particularly heartwarming and honest account of british motorcycling most famous son, the real Barry Sheene... Read more
Published on 23 Oct 2007 by Mr. D. Neal
Barry Sheene Motorcycle Legend
An amazing look into the life of Barry, I've actually read it twice, as soon as I finshed the last page I started again! Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2007 by Gamma 500
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