Sons of Thunder: Writing from the Fast Lane: A Motorcycling Anthology

by Neil Bradford (Compiler)

An anthology of the best motorcycle literature from top authors including Hunter S. Thompson, Thomas McGuane, Robert Pirsig, Roald Dahl, Alberto Granado, and T. E. Lawrence Sons of Thunder is a high-octane anthology that brings together the best in motorcycle writing. This unique collection includes seminal pieces from Hunter S. Thompson and Robert Pirsig. Melissa Holbrook Pierson and Thomas McGuane offer probing reflections on the relationship between rider and machine. Roald Dahl waxes poetic on the second-hand Ariel 500cc he bought as a sixteen-year-old. There are classic dispatches from the road including T. E. Lawrence's travels on his Brough Superior, Alberto Granado's storied rides with Che Guevara, and Theresa Wallach's overland journey with Florence Blenkiron from London to Cape Town. This anthology also offers hidden gems, such as Mike Carter's midlife meditation "Uneasy Rider" and Jim Perrin's "Travels with a Harley." Facing more than just the elements of the road, these riders simultaneously take physical and emotional journeys, surrendering to the mental release a bike brings. Danger lurks around every bend, but above all is the rider's desire for speed, the constant craving to go faster and further than one has ever gone before. At times literary and lyrical, at others tactile and thrilling, Sons of Thunder takes to the road with an all-star roster of writers who delve into the pleasures and perils of motorcycles and celebrate the emotional bond between rider and machine.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Adventure, Essays

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Ashish · Rating 5 out of 5]

After an exhausting Leh-Ladakh trip in 2008 on a rented motorcycle (RoyalEnfield TB 350) , the motorcycle obsession took root in me. I resisted it long (4+ years) but finally gave up a month ago and got a brand new RE Classic 500. For a novice , an anthology is always the best to get a hang of whole new world of motorcycling(anything) through reading.This was the only thing I could find in the book store which is a collection of stories related to motor cycles.Turned out to be a very engrossing and interesting collection of biker stories.With stories/poems from/on Lawrence of Arabia , Che/Granado , Ted Hughes to Valentino Rossi and many more bike riders; this book works really well as an anthology.The best thing is that I started loving my bike rides even more after reading this.In short , a brilliant collection and a very good read even for non bikers.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational. Intelligent and inspired choice of writers. Time to get on the bike and just ride.

[John Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ride - if you know the peculiar alchemy of poetry and physics that happens on two wheels, then you will relish this book. If you've never sat astride a motorcycle and felt the relentless pull of the far horizon, then this will likely be little more than a collection of foolish, romantic notions. All in all, this is a very enjoyable and easy read. My only criticism is that the selections don't always mesh well with each other. Such is the nature of anthologies. Some selections could be a bit longer or need a little more context.

[G · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fine read but can't fairly rate it more than 2 stars as a compilation album.

I think the best part of this book is that I've added more books to my to read list. The excerpts from Travelling With Che Guevara, Lois on the Loose, and Me and My Bike and Why all seem like great reads.

But all the excerpts have something which captures the romance and realities of owning and riding the right bike. The freedom of the open road the versatility when faced with rough terrain, the smiles and open arms that greet you as a touring rider...


Sounds great, but I drive a dacia

[Liam Wakefield · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 - 5* So I awarded it 3 out of good faith.
It is not by any means a bad book! Some of the stories are great, and some are very boring. It wasn't for me and after committing through 200 pages I seriously struggled to finish it. Even the Hunter S Thompson extract, which I was most looking forward to, was a serious disappointment.
This might be the ideal book for someone...just not me.

[Aditya As · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book suits all kinds of Motorcycle riders, there is something for everyone. There are multiple writers/poets extracts woven together, and reading from first to last does not register a difference. We are with the riders when they on the bike be it the place or era. I suggest this book for anyone who is intending to buy a motorcycle or own one, or intend to sell one.

[Peter Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting with T. E Lawrence, Bradford collects a couple of dozen short stories and excerpts from writers (some well-known, some less known) on motorcycling. If the idea of speed on the open road appeals to you, you will find plenty of selections to dip into.

[Ian Hallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of extracts from other motorcycling writings and is a good taster to see if you want to buy the books the extracts come from.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book of short stories and adventures!!

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down, so many great adventures. If you ride then this book is for you

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of motorcycle anecdotes from both fiction and non-fiction. Highly recommended for motorcycle enthusiasts.

[Douglas Lord · Rating 2 out of 5]

These entries, selected by motorcyling enthusiast Bradford, are a real mixed bag. The title features several touted writers, but not their best work: T.E. Lawrence published “The Road” under the pseudonym “352087 Ross” and Roald Dahl’s “My Year” is a chummy exercise in sentimentality. Ted Hughes’s single entry is the poem “A Motorbike.” Other writers’ intentions are obscure. Novelist Tom McGuane, for example, couldn’t even ride when he bought his bike, and L.J.K. Setright’s descriptions of componential specifications, “tyres” and rhapsodies about “…pressed-steel chassis, formed as a monocoque backbone of generous proportions and admirable stiffness” are a little too exacting. Most entries, like Jonathan Gregson’s evocative “Bullet Up the Grand Trunk Road” and Jonny Bealby’s “Running with the Moon” are extracted from larger works and function as travelogues that happen to take place on motorcycles. And Hunter S. Thompson does what he does best: display how big a jerk he was. In “Song of the Sausage Creature” he writes, “Some of us are decent people who want to stay out of the emergency room but still blast through neo-gridlock traffic in residential districts whenever we feel like it…” Ending the collection on Robert Hughes’s potent “Myth of the Motorcycle Hog” helps, as it emphasizes bikes as fun transportation. It even pulls in a relevant quote about going solo from Leonardo da Vinci: “If you are alone, you are your own man.” VERDICT For diehards only.

Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.

[Mihai Alexe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you never rode a motocycle in your life, the first 3 pages of this book will make you get out there and find one for yourself.
Although not an original piece, but a collection of passages from seasoned travellers, overlanders or famous figures of the motorcycling world, the book is still interesting, and it opens up a whole new wave of authors to discover and read. Personally, i started tracking down the various books from which the excepts came from. Mr. Ted Simon is acclaimed here, and, of course, TE Lawrence, with a vivid and blood-pumping take on riding his Brough Superior.
The one excerpt that really captures the true essence of riding a motorcycle comes from Melissa Holbook Pierson, from 'The Perfect Vehicle'.

[Ismaelgc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed it a lot. Even with extracts so short that there is no time for gripping the soul of each story, it's still a good anthology, and it has discovered for me a good amount of books to read about travels and motorbikes.

[Vinodh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Caught it first gear.

Expected a hi-octane book on bikes, rides & travel but was disappointed after reading it. The extracts from other writings were too very short & discontinuous that it fails to accelerate. Felt like hitting a speed bump at every mile.

[Subhash · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed reading it. reminded me of my long rides on a bullet 350. must get a bike again.

[Sheila Read]

this book reminds me of a movie I have watched.

[Jenine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and kept my attention.

[Varun Saikumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A motorcycle anthology with some of the best names in the genre - but still doesn't live up to the expectations. The chapters selected were mediocre.

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting on most occasions & brings out the romance that the motorcycle inspires in those who seek adventure. A good introduction to all the great works that have laced the genre over the years.