The Wall of Death in its various forms has thrilled and entertained audiences since the 1920s. Across the generations crowds have flocked to witness the seemingly impossible as riders tackle the vertical face of the Wall and compete with each other to perform ever more outrageous stunts. The Wall's story includes danger, eccentrics, foreign adventure, murder, bears, lions and dynasties. It also acts as a microcosm of the history of popular entertainment through the 20th century to the present day.
This will be the first comprehensive history of the Wall of Death. It starts with its origins around the turn of the 19th century and chronicles the Glory Days before and after the war, its subsequent decline and more recent revival.
Along the way the book will tell of the men (and women) and the machines, including the great Indian Scout motorbikes, how the Wall entered entertainment folklore and the innovations used to stand out from the crowd, ranging from the spherical Globe of Death to the use of cars and go-karts.
For this book Nick has collaborated with Wall rider Allan Ford, who revived the tradition of travelling Walls in the 1980s and still rides today.
"An excellent book on this neglected subject. This is a well-researched and readable history of a fascinating area of British subculture." - Richard Thompson
"Excellent" - The Daily Mail
"A fascinating and unique insight into a part of entertainment folklore" -World's Fair
"A fascinating insight into what was once a hugely popular form of entertainment." - Classic Motorcycle
"Terrific ... 160 pages of sheer nostalgia ... smattered with superb mono and colour images" - Old Bike Mart
"Full of narrative, anecdotes and historic images the book is a must for the fairground enthusiast and lovers of the Wall" - Old Glory
"Worth its cover price for its Wall of Fame alone! A must for every motorcycle enthusiast ... a super book" - Four Shires
"Fascinating ..." Best of British Magazine
