"AWARD FOR JOURNALISTIC EXCELLENCE" given to Stephen Wright’s book, American Racer, 1900-1940.

Stephen Wright’s prodigious accomplishment is his rescue from oblivion of so much indispensable information and so many rare photos. He has assembled them all in a book handsome enough to rest on anyone’s coffee table. Wright, whose occupation when American Racer was originally published in 1979 was restoring and purchasing early American bikes for Steve McQueen’s collection, published the book at his own expense. It’s worth owning.

The detailed text provides more than enough information to tie the photos together and taken all-in-all, the package is priceless. Board tracks, dirt tracks, the smiling faces of past heroes… they are all here…. and as added spice, a few of the old races are recounted by people who actually rode in them. I jumped on it like a duck on a June bug.

This history of the American racing motorcycle in its heyday, not only in the country of its origin, but in the other main English-speaking countries – England, Australia, and New Zealand – is a truly monumental work of its kind, and to the best of my recollection hasn’t been attempted before. Yes, the little country of New Zealand has made some wonderful contributions to the sport over the years, and I’d like to thank Stephen Wright for giving me the opportunity to write about them in his fine book. Thanks, Steve!

American Racer, 1900-1940 celebrates motorcycle machinery born in the United States. The amazing photographs and detailed text make each page of Wright’s book practically a self-contained history lesson. The book lends itself equally to browsing and cover-to-cover reading, but the temptation is to take a peek at every photograph in your first sitting!

American Racer, 1900-1940 captures the heart and soul of an evolving sport; the courage of its first heroes; the tremendous dangers those heroes faced, and the interesting development of the machines they rode. It is a delight to savor, whether it be for a quick flip through to examine the photos, or a more careful reading of the many vignettes and rider profiles offered…..a "must" for any serious racing fan.

This remarkable large-format book of photographs documents the early racing bikes of the twentieth century. In addition, it reveals the faces and places from racing of that period. It’s the combination that makes American Racer, 1900-1940 the most compelling essay on the nature of motorcycle racing ever published. It belongs in every rider’s library because it documents the bikes that were the last word in motorcycle technology at the time and more importantly the unconscious art of these snapshots and publicity photos captures the essence of what it means to ride a motorcycle – no matter what era you live in.