Product Description

James Toseland is one of the hottest properties in motorsport. Two times World Superbike Champion, James is ready to take on the best riders in the world in his first season in MotoGP. As the only British rider in the 2008 competition, the country's hopes rest firmly on James' shoulders. James gives a unique insight into what it's like to compete at the very top level. What are his hopes and fears as he enters his first season? What does he think about the competition, including current champion Casey Stoner and the legendary Valentino Rossi? And what's it really like being part of the MotoGP circus, with sponsorship commitments and international travel, not to mention the 'bikes and birds' lifestyle? Packed with stunning photographs from every race of the season, as well as events off the track, James' account gives an honest picture of the highs, lows and inevitable crashes of a season in MotoGP.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104977 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Review
'James possesses the natural talent, the patience and the dedication to become the very best'
--Suzi Perry, BBC's MotoGP presenter

From the Inside Flap
Under the floodlights of the Losail Circuit in Qatar, James Toseland makes his MotoGP debut in impressive style.

But can the two-times World Superbike champion make the leap to MotoGP successfully where so many others have failed? How will James fare against champions like Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner? What are his thoughts, fears and strategy as he prepares to take on the fastest riders in the world?

Race by race, James recounts the action from the track, giving fans a unique insight into this dramatic and dangerous sport. Illustrated with amazing photos from every race of the season, A Year in MotoGP is an electrifying account of one rider’s mission to succeed.

From the Back Cover
Britain’s brightest motorbike-racing talent takes on the best riders in the world in MotoGP.

James Toseland is two-times World Superbike champion. But his medals and trophies mean nothing now, as he steps up to compete against the fastest riders on earth.

A Year in MotoGP is James’ personal, adrenalin-fuelled account of a season in the toughest competition in motorcycle racing.

Customer Reviews

Nice book, great pictures, but lacks depth...
As an avid fan of both James Toseland and MotoGP I was really looking forward to this book. After a season full of drama and his elevation to a new level of fame, I wanted to know a bit more about what it was really like to be James Toseland taking his first steps into the top level of motorcycle racing.

If you're looking for an in-depth idea of life as a MotoGP racer, however, this probably isn't the book for you. It's a matter-of-fact run, race by race, through the season. While it's entertaining to read the rider's eye view descriptions of the races themselves, it lacks a bit of behind-the-scenes spark. Too often the descriptions of major characters in Toseland's season err on the side of bland platitudes - we learn that Herve Poncheral and Colin Edwards are 'great guys', but there's little to add colour to the picture. It all ends up sounding a little like a press release at times.

It would have been great to have spiced things up a bit with a few more tales from the paddock and got more of a sense of the human stories. Likewise, events away from the track altogether, such as Toseland performing live with Jools Holland, are given just a sentence or two, which seems a shame. It all just lacks a little colour, which, given that Toseland himself is such a colourful character, seems a missed opportunity.

That said, this book is still a very worthwhile purchase for fans - it's full of lavish photography and there are interesting insights into Toseland's initial entry into MotoGP, as well as his relationship with his manager. Buy it for the photos and a quick run through the season and you won't be disappointed. Let's hope JT has more to talk about in 2009.

Some superb pictures..
I gave this book two stars simply for the photographs. If you want to look at some great pictures of both James and motorbikes, then buy this book.
Text wise, this book was dull. I found the descriptions lacked any real depth and at times you didn't know if James was commenting on testing, qualifying or the race.
How many times can James say 'I know I'm better'. I'm sure he is better then some of the results he got in 2008, and bike/tyres were to blame for alot of his problems. But I felt he came across as arrogant at times.
I wanted a book with more paddock/behind the scenes/travelling stories. Something which really took the fan into moto gp.