DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Crashed and Byrned

The Greatest Racing Driver You Never Saw

Mark Hughes author Tommy Byrne author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Corinthian

Published:6th May '10

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

Crashed and Byrned cover

This autobiography chronicles the extraordinary life of Tommy Byrne, a racing driver whose rise and fall captivated the motorsport world. Crashed and Byrned reveals it all.

In Crashed and Byrned, Tommy Byrne shares his remarkable journey from a poverty-stricken childhood in Dundalk to becoming a formidable force in the world of Formula 1 racing. This autobiography captures the essence of his meteoric rise, where he garnered the attention and respect of legends, including the great Ayrton Senna, who famously regarded him as a serious competitor. Byrne's narrative is filled with raw honesty, detailing both his triumphs and the darker aspects of his life, including the struggles he faced as he navigated through the high-octane world of motorsport.

The book paints a vivid picture of Byrne's life, showcasing his unique blend of talent, charisma, and chaos. From his humble beginnings, he defied the odds to become a racing sensation, only to find himself spiraling into a series of personal and professional pitfalls. His experiences are peppered with dark humor and an array of colorful characters, making the narrative as entertaining as it is enlightening. Readers will find themselves immersed in the surreal and often tumultuous world that Byrne inhabited.

Crashed and Byrned is not just an autobiography; it's a rollercoaster of emotions and events that reflects the highs and lows of a life lived on the edge. With a candid and unfiltered perspective, Byrne invites readers to join him on this wild ride, revealing the truth behind the glamour and grit of a racing career that was as spectacular as it was tragic.

Forget Senna and Schuey. Tommy Byrne was the best of them all. -- Eddie Jordan
One of the most extraordinary sporting autobiographies you are likely to come across. -- Andrew Baker, Daily Telegraph
It's told in a breathless, raw style, and had me astonished and appalled in equal measure. -- Bookseller
The most exciting petrol-head release of this year. A high octane guilty pleasure. -- Bookseller
Motor racing is a great sport for 'what ifs' and 'if onlys,' and Byrne must have had many a rueful glance back. But this rip-roaring autobiography rarely indulges in self-pity. There isn't time. In between the racing there are girls, guns, billionaires, fights, parties and orgies. It would be a tremendous book with the sport left out - and there aren't many sporting books of which you can say that. -- Andrew Baker, Daily Telegraph
For all the rollicking yarns, this is a tale of talent wasted, but in spite (or perhaps because) of that, it is far more honest - and funny - than the anodyne autobiographies of many more successful drivers. -- Simon Redfern, Independent on Sunday
A riveting read. -- Financial Times
I'd be amazed if you didn't enjoy this book. -- F1 Fanatic
It's a remarkable, colourful, at times scarcely believable tale which unravels at a breakneck pace. -- F1 Fanatic
...I challenge you to put it down. It might just be the greatest book you've never read. -- Simon Arron, Daily Telegraph
Quite simply the best motor racing book I've ever read. -- 2009 Irish Motorsport Annual
You won't be able to put it down. -- Times
One of the best racing books you'll read this decade. -- AUTOSPORT
An essential read ... brilliantly told. -- Observer
Witty and shocking ... a must for anyone who has the constitution to handle it. -- Motor Sport Magazine
Incredibly entertaining. -- Ireland AM
A real pleasure and provides massive insight into what makes racers do what they do. -- International Herald Tribune
Absolutely brilliant. -- RTÉ

  • Winner of William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year 2008

ISBN: 9781906850180

Dimensions: 197mm x 129mm x 17mm

Weight: 211g

256 pages