Product Description

Valentino Rossi is the greatest living motorcyclist. His legions of fans adore him (over 4,000 turned up to see him in Leicester Square last March). He has fought through the 125 and 250 class groups to win the World Championships five times and has been ranked in the top three places at the World Championships for the last nine years. He is currently the MotoGP World Champion, and has won on a Honda bike - considered the best, and most recently on a Yamaha - considered the worst. He is arguably the greatest racer ever - and certainly the most entertaining - his post race antics, and cheeky personality have won him as many fans as his on-track prowess. He is the kind of star who only comes along once in a while - a Muhammad Ali or Pele - hugely talented, massively driven, yet also scorching charismatic, unnervingly rebellious and totally endearing - a twentieth-century version of the hell-raisers of old. All who know Rossi say he is a consummate professional, that he works harder than anyone could ever realise, but that most of all, he still loves what he does. He just seems to win, more because he's still enjoying himself so much. He is infamous for his on the edge riding, pushing himself and his bike to the very limits of what they can do, and screaming around racecourses in record times. But he is also well known for his good looks, his techni-coloured hair and cheeky humour - and for his sheer youthful exuberance in victory - his post-match victory laps have become a thing of legend. Previously he has driven victory laps in full beach gear, including flip-flops, with a man sized chicken riding pillion (and also, in a jibe to Max Biaggi who had an unceremonious break-up with the model Naomi Campbell, with a life size doll of Claudia Schiffer strapped on behind him.) His warmth of character coupled with his amazing career statistics to date - his first GP win aged 17, his first world title at 18, his first 500 class win at 21 and his first MotoGP win at 22 - mean that this young man has the motorcycle racing world at his feet. His raw talent coupled with his firm belief in the 'entertainment' aspect of his sport and the importance of his fans, means that he really is the David Beckham of bikes - he has done the near impossible and transcended his own territory. His appeal - being at the top of his game without being a purist, still being seen to be young and excited by the game, and being a perfectionist on and off the track when it comes to his driving - means that he really is one of the superstars of the sporting world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47495 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-29
• Released on: 2005-08-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From the Publisher
The life story of the world's greatest motorcycle rider

From the Inside Flap
First GP win aged 17.

First world title at 18.

First 500 class win at 21.

First MotoGP win at 22.

Current MotoGP World Champion.

Living legend.

Valentino Rossi is the greatest living motorcyclist. His legions of fans adore him. He has fought through the 125 and 250 class groups to win the World Championships five times and has been ranked in the top three places at the World Championships for the last nine years. He has won on a Honda bike on a Yamaha. He is arguably the greatest racer ever – and certainly the most entertaining.

Hugely talented, massively driven, yet also scorchingly charismatic, unnervingly rebellious and totally endearing, he is infamous for his on-the-edge riding, pushing himself and his bike to the very limits of what they can do.

Valentino Rossi is a sportsman at the top of his game, put he’s no purist. His youthful charm and excitement hide a steely inner resolve and a burning desire for perfection both on and off the track. Rossi is the superstar sensation of racing and he’s here to stay.

From the Back Cover
[NUMBER 46 ON BACK ALONG WITH PICTURE OF ROSSI RIDING BIKE IN BLURRY STYLE]

Customer Reviews

Shame his writing talent doesn't match his riding...
I speak as a huge fan of Valentino Rossi when i say that this book is overall a disappointing read.

The problem with the book is that Vale hasn't lived enough of his life yet, and by his own admission failed to complete a full school education, and it shows with the construction and content of the book. The whole book has the feel of a long homework essay written by a teenager, although perhaps the translation into english might be to blame for this. Again due to his young age, Vale has little to fill the book with apart from drawn out repetitive anecdotes about his childhood and trackside pranks, and his limited outlook on life. His ability on a motorcycle and to surround himself with the best pit garage talent throughout his career, is beyond question, however his ranting about Honda for the 1st three chapters became a bore. I had the feeling throughout the book that Vale either isn't as interesting as we would like him to be, or isn't able to express his feelings articulately enough to make this book an interesting read.

It is easy to fall into the trap of saying that a product about something or someone is great simply by association with an individual or event that people hold in high regard, but in my view Valentino for the time being should have let his motorsport do the talking, and perhaps waited until he had completed his career in motorsport a decade or so from now, before writing a autobiography about his life.

If you want to read a better motorcycle racers auto\biography, try the Barry Sheene or Steve Hislop books both of which are a far more interesting and engrossing read.

Vale - brilliant
This is one of the best books i've read this year. Gives a great insight into Rossi himself and into the world of MotoGP. A must read for any Rossi fan! Very funny in parts!

Mixed Feelings
I have to start my review with "What a shame" I was so looking forward to this book but it hasn't really lived up to my expectations. In a nutshell the problem in my opinion has come from the translation to English. It is quite clear that it wasn't Valentino's words as quite early on he states he didn't do well at school but then throughout the book he uses extreemly "flowery" turn of phrase which I feel are just not him. The discription of the racing also uses incorrect terms such as when he means "Lent over in the corner" he uses "Bent over in the corner" which frankly I found annoying. With that said the insight it gives is interesting and exciting and a must read for die hard fans but could have been so much better.