Motorcycling legend Hugh Anderson’s Autobiography ‘Being There’, was not only written in his own words but designed, printed under his personal guidance, published and sold by him. Very much an Autobiography in every way. A Dream Realised
Hugh was introduced to the Isle of Man by an emotive report in The Motorcycle magazine of the 1946 Manx Grand Prix. He read it twice, reflected on it and decided that he would like to go there one day. A strong unsettling buzz rushed up his spine and he burst out in goose bumps. He had visited his future when just ten years old.
The world championship series was introduced in 1949. Englishmen Les Graham won the 500cc class and became his idol. Being an avid reader of all things Motorcycling, Hugh, in the following years searched for a book that informed the reader, in detail, of what it was like, behind the handle bars or steering wheel of a Grand Prix vehicle. To share the very personal aspects of this exciting, dangerous, rewarding sport. He so badly wanted to travel the same roads, breath the air, and via the printed word be part of it. Hugh never found that book but feels ‘Being There’ provides the reader with the knowledge, adventure and understanding that he so keenly sought.
From humble origins to the heights of world domination Hugh explains the motivation, strategies, psychology of winning, the heart aches and triumphs on the Grand Prix circuits through the golden age when Japanese and European factories battled for supremacy on the worlds most dangerous tracks.
Hugh’s career continued for decades with motocross and then International classic racing affording him a show case for the skills that made him New Zealand’s most successful all round rider. The book demystifies the Grand Prix scene that seems so sanitised on television. It takes the reader inside the mind of one of the most resourceful, brave and analytical riders in the history of Grand Prix racing.
Hugh was introduced to the Isle of Man by an emotive report in The Motorcycle magazine of the 1946 Manx Grand Prix. He read it twice, reflected on it and decided that he would like to go there one day. A strong unsettling buzz rushed up his spine and he burst out in goose bumps. He had visited his future when just ten years old.
The world championship series was introduced in 1949. Englishmen Les Graham won the 500cc class and became his idol. Being an avid reader of all things Motorcycling, Hugh, in the following years searched for a book that informed the reader, in detail, of what it was like, behind the handle bars or steering wheel of a Grand Prix vehicle. To share the very personal aspects of this exciting, dangerous, rewarding sport. He so badly wanted to travel the same roads, breath the air, and via the printed word be part of it. Hugh never found that book but feels ‘Being There’ provides the reader with the knowledge, adventure and understanding that he so keenly sought.
From humble origins to the heights of world domination Hugh explains the motivation, strategies, psychology of winning, the heart aches and triumphs on the Grand Prix circuits through the golden age when Japanese and European factories battled for supremacy on the worlds most dangerous tracks.
Hugh’s career continued for decades with motocross and then International classic racing affording him a show case for the skills that made him New Zealand’s most successful all round rider. The book demystifies the Grand Prix scene that seems so sanitised on television. It takes the reader inside the mind of one of the most resourceful, brave and analytical riders in the history of Grand Prix racing.
