Nice book, great pictures, but lacks depth...
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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.
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