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Mike S. Martin

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AT 61 DEGREES Kindle Edition

by Mike S Martin (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

112 ratings

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Year after year the MOTOGP World Championship proves itself as one of the most exciting sports in the world. This Fantastic book gives us an Intriguing & Breathtaking insight into what it feels like to pull out of the pits to race against Valentino Rossi & Co. Aaron Rose, a rider like you and me is plucked from obscurity and gets to race in the greatest sport on earth with the greatest racers. Follow his journey in this thrilling book where the dream becomes reality and betrayal is your only friend as the book leads you to a twist you will never see coming.
Authors note. I've been asked many times by various people what inspired me to write this book. The answer is the same now as it was when I first put pen to paper. It's in recognition of the motorcycle riders and racers out there who are probably fast enough and talented enough to be up there with the best riders in the world, whether that be Superbikes or MotoGP, but will never get the chance.
This book is also dedicated to a friend who one sunny morning climbed onto his bike and never came back.
A Stunning & Moving story that will have you gripped from beginning to end as you follow one mans Breathtaking & Emotional journey into the world of Motorcycle Riding and the MotoGP World Championship. An "on the edge of your seat" read that will have you discovering all of your emotions. Experience the jubilation, humour, frustration and desperation that comes with being a motorcyle rider, racing elbow to elbow with the best riders in the world against the likes of Valentino Rossi,Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner. When life doesn’t give us what we hope for, we are forced to dream. But what happens when the dream becomes a nightmare and betrayal is your only friend?

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005KMBS1S
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Michael Martin
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 31 Aug. 2011
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 808 KB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 585 pages
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: 443,510 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 181 in Motor Sports (Kindle Store)
- 672 in Motor Rallying & Rally Driving
- 1,073 in Sports Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer reviews:
112 ratings

About the author

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Mike S. Martin

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So after establishing myself as a serious Climber and Mountaineer in the 90's while holding down what seemed to me an ordinary job, I threw the shackles of normality off and changed career. I dubiously entered the hinterland that is Industrial Rope Access, abseiling and climbing on the most iconic buildings and structures in Britain. A very fast motorcycle became my new hobby and replaced the weekend climbing harness where numerous race circuits were conquered (AT 61 DEGREES). It was as I was acclimatising to my new career on the Ropes I found the urge to start writing. This slowly consumed me but I managed to share this new found love for the love of my wife and my two gorgeous sons. Close friends in the right places then gave me unique and intimate access with the British special forces and the Government's secret service's creating the opportunity for me to write the thrilling BEYOND THE SPRING. I have currently written 3 fiction novels that are available as ebooks and a non-fiction book about my time as a Rope Access Technician. A job a career advisor will never tell you to pursue and one I am still presently working in. It was an emotional liberation writing KNICKERS, BISCUITS & THE DARK ARTS OF ROPE ACCESS and I hope you enjoy reading this book, as well as my others as much as I enjoyed writing them. Nobody knows what the future holds but more books from me is a certainty. I am currently writing my second Non-fiction book called RUNNING THROUGH YOUR MIND. How my experience and passion for running improved my Mental & Physical Health and how I want to share this passion to make positive changes to peoples lives & health. Thank you and best wishes. Mike.PS. Never be afraid to let your heart show you the way.

Customer reviews

112 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story engaging, with one mentioning the twist at the end makes it a must-read. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some finding it well-written while others note poor grammar and spelling. The pacing is positive, with one customer describing it as a rollercoaster of emotions, and customers appreciate the author's knowledge and research.

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Story quality Pacing Knowledge Writing quality Twist

25 customers mention ‘Story quality’25 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story of the book, getting engrossed in its narrative, with one customer noting that the twist at the end makes it a must-read.

"...In summary I'd have to say that it's the best book I've read in many a year, and I recommend that you buy it and give yourself a treat." Read more

"...the detailed descriptions of the riding scenes were so accurate and believable...." Read more

"...I finished the book yesterday and found it to be a very good story indeed, I wish the fella good luck with any future writing. C.G" Read more

"A great book that just kept me hanging of my seat with my knee down elbow scraping the tarmac and wanting more...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Pacing’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with one noting how it draws readers in and conveys the excitement and detail of racing, while another mentions it brings back great memories.

"...riders, sport, tracks and commentators, and how to convey the excitement and detail of racing...." Read more

"...Very well written and it totally draws you in but became totally shell shocked at the big twist...." Read more

"...who had me actually laughing out loud in parts and a rollercoaster of emotions during others...." Read more

"...if you have ridden & Raced bikes as I have, this book will bring back some great memories." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Knowledge’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's knowledge, with one customer noting the author's expertise in bikes and another mentioning the good amount of facts presented.

"...The author really knows his bikes, riders, sport, tracks and commentators, and how to convey the excitement and detail of racing...." Read more

"...The details within the book are very accurate and reflects on the authors knowledge or research...." Read more

"...it has a good amount of facts and was just good to read" Read more

13 customers mention ‘Writing quality’7 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it very well written and easy to read, while others point out poor grammar and spelling issues.

"...twist in the storyline towards the end of the book turned an easy going read into something much more thought provoking...." Read more

"I found this abit boring and slow to move on from chapter to chapter , it was hard work reading it" Read more

"...Very well written and it totally draws you in but became totally shell shocked at the big twist...." Read more

"The book starts off great, written with an annoying disregard to grammar and spelling however if you can overlook that the gist of the topic is..." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Twist’0 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the plot twists in the book, with some appreciating them while others find the story poor.

"Superb twists and turns. Good grasp of the racing world. Unexpected double ending which leaves the reader looking for a little more" Read more

"...written and it totally draws you in but became totally shell shocked at the big twist. I had fallen back in love with the book at the end...." Read more

"Badly written. Poor storyline. Clichéd to death 70's anecdotes. Stopped reading not far into the book when the main character had bifocular vision." Read more

"poor grammar/spelling usually breaks the spell (inadvertent pun)..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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William J
A stunning book: you must buy it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2012
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have a long standing interest in motorbikes and MotoGP, and I found `At 61 degrees' through a general Kindle search for the word `Motorcycle'. I would strongly advise anyone with similar interests to buy this book without hesitation, as it really is a page turning and gripping piece of work. The author really knows his bikes, riders, sport, tracks and commentators, and how to convey the excitement and detail of racing. You'll read other reviews on Amazon slamming it, but those reviewers have totally missed the point. If you suspend belief and read the first 80% as hugely entertaining material, you might look at the clock and be surprised to find that you're still reading it at 2am. To say any more would give away the inventive plot, which veers off in a totally unexpected direction when the progress bar shows that there's 20% of the book left. I would have preferred it to continue along the expected lines, but that doesn't diminish its impact in any way. It's a captivating and strong read, and is just begging to be made into a film. I also write motorcycle related books, available on Kindle under the name William Jonell, so I know how easy it is for the odd typo to slip through. I was agitated with the frequency of spelling and grammatical errors in `At 61 degrees', but they didn't detract too much from it being a damn good story. In summary I'd have to say that it's the best book I've read in many a year, and I recommend that you buy it and give yourself a treat.

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Colin R.
Amazingly Detailed and Initially Believable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 December 2020
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I was initially convinced this was a true story as the detailed descriptions of the riding scenes were so accurate and believable. Even after I realised it wasn't, as an avid motorcycle sports fan and biker, I still was transfixed to the story due to the level of detail.
And there lies the challenge really. For me, the twists that happens, breaks the connection I had and produces an anticlimax that I knew would never allow me to regain that connection with the story again.
I'm glad I found this book and either way, glad I finished it. I would recommend it, but now, not to a motorcycle sport fan. More likely to someone who wasn't and was just into thrilling fiction, and a flavour of what motorcycle sport can be.

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Mrs Lisa S Greenwood
A very good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 June 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I recently met the author of this book while on holiday, I was talking to another fella about bikes like you do, it turned out he had the same model as me, the author was on another table who joined in the conversation, also being a biker we got chatting, asking him what he did for a living etc, he causally mentioned he had taken some time out to write a book!
the wife made a note of the title and on my return I downloaded the book.
I finished the book yesterday and found it to be a very good story indeed, I wish the fella good luck with any future writing.

C.G

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A.J.REID
61 degrees
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I found this abit boring and slow to move on from chapter to chapter , it was hard work reading it

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Bob
Outbraked at the hairpin
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 May 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
The book starts off great, written with an annoying disregard to grammar and spelling however if you can overlook that the gist of the topic is enjoyable.
Just as the story gets interesting a 180 degree hairpin appears out of nowhere and unfortunately the story ends up in the gravel.
Not satisfied with one massive fall, a second occurs for no apparent reason and without explanation leaving the reader wondering whether the author just got fed up and fancied popping down the boozer, leaving the book to finish itself off......

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shanaky35
How fast can you turn the page At 61 Degrees
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 October 2011
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
A great book that just kept me hanging of my seat with my knee down elbow scraping the tarmac and wanting more. Once I started turning the pages it was hard to stop. And then from out of nowhere a fast chicane that throws the plot in a completely different direction, and just when you think you know what is going on there is one more hair pin to get around.

Great book I look forward to reading more from this as of yet unknown writer.

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3 people found this helpful

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Joe Crow
poor grammar/spelling usually breaks the spell (inadvertent pun)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
i bought a kindle a couple of years ago as i have always been an avid reader who looks forward to the book - and now the kindle - disappearing as i become increasingly absorbed in whatever i am reading. unfortunately, poor grammar/spelling usually breaks the spell (inadvertent pun), and it takes me a while to get back into the zone...often i persevere, but not always.

as a motorcyclist i also enjoy reading in that genre, so i took a punt on this book and was prepared to give it a chance...even after reading the negative reviews about the twist towards the end.

sadly, during the first 1% of the text, i had become so frustrated by the sloppy writing that i abandoned it...mea culpa, perhaps, for expecting too much.

joe
p.s. and yes, i fully expect to draw criticism for the style of this review, all in lower case...

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Parker
An interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I normally read auto biographies, but reading some of the other reviews and being a bike fan, thought I would give this a go. Well it's taken me 3 days to read, which is bloody good to keep my attention in a book. The details within the book are very accurate and reflects on the authors knowledge or research. I would recommend this to all that want an in-site into being a moto gp rider. But get your hankies at the ready.

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Top reviews from other countries

Martin Cropp
A great read
Reviewed in the United States on 23 April 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

As a motorcyclist and ex racer I found it a very good read. It is a thoroughly believable account of both motor cycline racing and the ultimate conclusion. I recommend this to all, motorcyclist or not. M Cropp

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Hilesh Gohil
I like 75% of this book
Reviewed in the United States on 20 February 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I liked this read, it is filled with vivid descriptions of race details and follows the rise of a young Motorcycle rider through the ranks of the moto gp world. The writing style is great, filled with color, and melded into an interesting story that holds your attention. You will have to excuse the bad grammer, and spelling. it is filled with English phrases that add to the storys color. I liked 75% of the book and wished the author had remained true to just that part of the story. As it is the remaining 25% is a complete twist on the story, one i did not particularly like and i found myself flicking thru the pages just to get to the end. Overall a good read

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James L. Clement
amazing book. if you are a moto gp fan
Reviewed in the United States on 2 October 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
amazing book. if you are a moto gp fan, or have ever raced, or even been a track day junkie you will love this book

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Chaz Turbino
What a rush, not just about motorcycles or racing, pick up the clues
Reviewed in the United States on 15 May 2012
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
At 61 Degrees

I was interested in reading this book because I thought it was about motorcycles and racing, but it was a mix. There were essentially 3-4 short stories combined into one major story, and it seemed like there were multiple authors with one for each story. It started off like an everyman's dream, where the main character is just an enthusiast that gets started with track days and eventually gets picked up by a Grand Prix team for MotoGP. Finding the correct year for this story was difficult, because there are lots of different racers mentioned. If you follow MotoGP, it becomes easy to piece together the period where the story takes place. When Aaron is doing track days and eventually racing (trying to get picked up for British Superbike), it is around 2008-2009. When Aaron starts MotoGP, it is 2010. There are subtle clues to this, like the first year for Moto2, Rossi won another Yamaha championship, Melandri is still in MotoGP, Michael Schumacher was in IDM/German superbike racing (I had totally forgot about that), and Stoner was still racing for Ducati. It eventually flows into a post-war scenario (Britain's involvement in Afghanistan as well as IEDs and insurgents). There are lots of hints and clues indicating there is more to the story below the surface.

However, there were instances where I thought the story didn't make sense in the first half. Louise was mentioned as Aaron's girlfriend, but Jon introduced Louise to other people as Aaron's wife. I recall Jon telling Lucy (the umbrella girl) that Aaron was married. I thought this was a typo or something, because the editing/formatting was HORRIBLE. There are multiple spelling errors, lack of proper punctuation, improper spacing, and lots of empty spaces in-between chapters. Randy Mamola's last name became Marmola for instance. But Aaron and Louise's relationship becomes more important towards the end of the book.

Another oddity is that in the book, Rossi wins Mugello in the 2010 season. At first I thought maybe it was 2009, but Moto2 is specifically mentioned in the story, so it has to be the 2010 season. It can't be 2011, because Stoner was racing for Honda. As we all know, Rossi was injured quite badly at Mugello in 2010. So again, I thought it was just creative license, a typo, or the book was written well before the actual Mugello race and that the author is a fan of Rossi. There was a lot of worshipping of Rossi throughout the book. The author would mention a professional racer in a bad light without naming him, and this racer got into an incident with the main character involving punching on the track while riding (location 5044). Jon eventually identifies the previously unnamed professional racer as Casey Stoner. This was another example of typical British bias against the Australian Casey Stoner, but Stoner does actually punch DePuniet in 2011 when RdP got in his way during a fast lap. Although, I do have to agree with Stoner that a lot of these slower riders/bikes just get in the way and create a dangerous race environment.

As I was finishing the story, I had observed several plot twists although these twists seemed more like a fusion of 3-4 different stories welded together. The first 75% of the book was the story about Aaron Rose and his rise in MotoGP. The "secret" hinted in the Amazon description is the catalyst for the remaining 25% of the book, where there are essentially 3 different stories (with the same main character more or less, and Louise) flowing together, leading to a rather confusing and anti-climatic conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 75% of the book, because it involved road racing, and MotoGP. I'd say that the reader has to be knowledgeable about motorcycles and racing to enjoy that portion, otherwise the jargon and topics would fly over one's head (using a hydration pouch in Qatar, chatter, carbon brakes, high siding, low siding, gravel pits, etc...)

The excessive use of British phrases became annoying, but I suppose could have double meaning. "Taking the piss" and Aaron constantly having to use the bathroom seemed innocuous at first, but once I finished the story I suppose it had a double meaning.

Overall: 3/5 stars. The Kindle sample looked great on my Android smartphone, but the actual Kindle book looked horrible on my Kindle Touch. There are multiple grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes that detracted from the story. I do admit the plot twist made the story rather interesting and even heart-felt, but the ending could have been better as it seemed a bit metaphorical. If the formatting was fixed and someone actually proof-read the book, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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Cheddar
Its a rippa mate
Reviewed in the United States on 24 August 2012
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
At 61 Degrees read like I was in the pub listening to a friend tell a good story. It gets you fired up on racing bikes with dreams and reality checks then throws in some good twists to keep you thinking. I really enjoyed the story and the thought provoking ending.

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AT 61 DEGREES Kindle Edition

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About the author

Mike S. Martin