Motorcycles at War by Gavin Birch

Published in August 2006 by Pen & Sword Books.

ISBN 1 84415 408 4

This book provides a fabulous history of the use of motorcycles through the first and second world wars.  For anyone with a passion for old bikes and the context in which they were ridden and developed, this is a great book. 

With over 250 images, it provides a super history of both the bikes and their riders with all of the major marques covered including Triumph, Norton, Matchless, BSA, Velocette, James, Rudge, Indian, Harley Davidson, NSU, Zundapp and BMW. 

It is a book that can be picked up and browsed and never seems to fail to provide something that hasn't been spotted before.  Naturally, there are some pictures that do remind of the realities of war, but these only add to the historical context that this book addresses.

One overwhelming aspect of the book was just how many bikes were actually produced for the war.  The lines of bikes just seem to go on forever.  The scale of production is quite remarkable.

Chapters in the book include:

1. Horseman to Horsepower
2. Interwar Experimentation
3. The British Bikes
4. The American Bikes
5. The German Bikes
6. Specials, Races, Motorcycle Displays
7. The wartime Motorcyclist's Uniform

The author, employee of the Photograhic Archive IWM, has unearthed a fabulous selction of pictures taken by official war photographers, including some taken by General Rommel himself!

This is the only commercially available book of military motorcycles, and is a must for anyone with even a passing interest in classic bikes.  Motorcycle At War is one of the most fascinating books I have read recently and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to all of you.

£14.99

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