Retro Speedway: ALAN CARTER BOOK REVIEWS

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ALAN CARTER BOOK REVIEWS

ALAN CARTER BOOK REVIEWS
What they say about Light in the Darkness...

IF you've read Thomas Hardy's relentlessly bleak Jude the Obscure you'll be familiar with the 'surely it can't get any grimmer' sensation as you flip the pages, only to find out it certainly can! Well, there's a dread sense of dÃ©jÃ vu when it comes to devouring this remarkable book.

Alan Carter will be best known to speedway fans as the younger brother of the late Kenny, of course. But he made quite a name for himself in road-racing circles, too.

Some of the darker recesses of the family Carter were explored by Retro Speedway in their commendable Tragedy book on the life of Kenny.But nothing will prepare you for what Alan bravely lays bare.

Warts and all doesn't do this book justice.

If blues legend Robert Johnson was convinced of a hellhound on his trail, let me tell you, Alan appears to have had a whole pack of the blighters sniffing around him.The death of their youngest brother in the car crash that left their mother paralysed, their father's almost instant desertion, their mother's suicide . . . all this and, of course, speedway fans are more than well versed on how Kenny and wife Pam's lives so tragically ended.

It's as if, should you believe in such omens, a curse settled upon this unlucky family long before Kenny and Alan were born.

Through it all, Alan tried to make sense of being more or less abandoned by his father and frequently bullied by his brother.

Yet, incredibly, he still finds it within himself to somehow forgive them and mourn their passing.

Dad, Mal, who died in 2009, sounded like the sort of man you wouldn't fancy passing in a brightly-lit supermarket aisle, let alone a dark alley.

Some of the stunts Alan says his father pulled on his own kith and kin will leave you staggered. Wouldn't do that to a stray dog springs to mind.

Hang on, I'm a speedway fan, not a road-racing follower, you say.

But Alan has a lot of fascinating things to impart about brother Kenny's career. The very early days when Kenny would even get Alan to drive his van to Halifax meetings despite the small problem of Al only being 15-years-old.

Wait until you read his take on that infamous Bruce Penhall v Kenny Los Angeles showdown.

Or, indeed, his views on the famous Collins family, one of whom, 1976 World Champion Peter, could hardly be described as a bosom buddy of Kenny in his final years.

And, above all else, he gives a unique insight into the drive that dragged Kenny and himself forward in their chosen careers.

And colours in some of the more grey areas of Kenny's life, including those last tragic days. It's fair to say Alan himself still asks the question 'why' concerning Kenny's final actions, so that remains unfathomable, but, such has been Alan's lot, it's simply one of a dozen or so dark clouds in his life.

Alan's own racing career is the ultimate 'one step forward, two back' affair. My knowledge of road-racing is largely confined to the machinations of a PlayStation, but Alan undoubtedly has a fascinating tale to tell of his own exploits, and does so well.

It's littered with typical pit lane language that may offend some, but also adds to the authenticity.

And the riches to rags roller-coaster that was his life in the paddock proves a real page-turner.

Overall, though, this is heartbreakingly honest, and Alan has taken us on a dark journey into fame and fortune's flip side.

Its harrowing nature sometimes reads like an exorcism, and it's to be hoped the very act of baring his soul in such a sincere way has helped Alan to deal with some of his many demons.

The depth of sincerity can be measured by the contradictions so apparent in Alan's own feelings.

That's what being human does to you.

A remarkable autobiography, certainly one that makes a mockery of those appalling cheap cash-ins so beloved of football, usually based upon some dimwitted millionaire who has little to tell beyond how he kicks a ball for a generous living.

Alan's lived it, endured it, been kicked when he's down by it, and, against more than a few odds, survived it.

Richard Clark, Editor, Speedway Star magazine (w/e June 25, 2011)

Compelling Carter story has everything
I HAVE read every word of every chapter of Alan Carter's new book and it's a great, great story. So good, in fact, that it could easily be transferred to the silver screen, or make a very good television drama. It has everything.

Apart from the many and interesting stories about Alan and his brother Kenny's racing careers, there are all the many and tragic human strands to it, too. I can see someone like Zac Efron playing the role of Alan!

You never knew how good you had it as a kid until you've read what the Carter family was all about. Dysfunctional isn't the word.

I was absolutely astonished to read how badly the brothers' mother was treated by their father, the notorious Mal Carter, who clearly played a big role in what happened to both Alan and Kenny and the way their lives unravelled.

Reading it, you can't help but like Alan and sympathise with him for all that he has gone through. I always knew he was good kid on the occasions I saw him at speedway with Kenny and I knew of his career as one of the world's top 250cc GP racers.

And I have only respect for him for the way he went about writing his story and the honesty he has shown throughout the process. Tony Mac at Retro Speedway sent each chapter to me via email because he wanted me to read it and then offer up a quote to be used on the back cover, which I was happy to do. As 53 chapters landed in my inbox, I kept thinking to myself that sooner or later I'd become a bit bored by it, but I never did.

Even the chapters that cover Alan's racing activities, including the three years he spent living and racing here in the States, were very interesting. Like Alan as a kid, I was a fan of Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts myself.

Alan was chosen by the great Kenny Roberts to ride for his newly-formed Marlboro-Yamaha team in 1984, alongside another legend, Wayne Rainey, so that tells you how good he was. I worked with Kenny Roberts in the film On Any Sunday and he's a tough guy to work for. The struggles Alan had trying to crack it in America reminded me of the challenge all of us Californian riders faced when we went to England to try and make it in big-time speedway racing.

Alan and Kenny were clearly very different as people. Alan was more of a partyer who socialised with others, whereas Kenny never was. But Alan was also prepared to stand by his principles and, just like his father, would have a punch-up if it came to it.

What may surprise some readers is how honest and critical Alan has been of Kenny at times in the book. But everyone knows what Kenny was like and what he did to his wife, so good for Alan for telling it how it was without sugar-coating it.

On the other hand, Alan says how much he loved his brother and still looked up to him, and how he still respected both Kenny and their father despite how much he had been abused by Mal over the years. I found that unbelievable and a shame, but I guess it proves that blood is always thicker than water.

Many of you will be interested to read Alan's view from a distance of the 1982 World Final in Los Angeles and I thought it was a pretty good assessment of how things went that night.

Bruce Penhall (the double World Champion writing in Backtrack magazine, issue 44, May-June, 2011)

COMMENTS LEFT ON FACEBOOK

Eileen Lyddon
Got home a couple of hours ago and thought I would have a look at Alan's book. Big mistake . . . can't put it down.

Melanie Jane Barnshaw-Byrne
Received my Alan Carter book yesterday and once I started reading it I had to finish it, and I did in one night. What a story . . . tears and laughter, so to all on here, get ordering this fantastic life story!

Annie Richmond
Truly Inspirational, you will not want to put this book of Alan's down whether you're a fan of motorsport or not. It's a truly heart-breaking and fascinating story into Alan Carter's life, both past and present.
How Alan managed to sit down and remember all that has happened in the past, I've no idea. It must have been one of the most painful things he has ever done. He must have had many sleepless nights but what has come from all the hours he has spent writing the book is a credit to him and the people involved in Alan's life.
Alan's book is addictive - you will not want to put it down until you have finished each chapter. Be warned: have plenty of tissues ready for the tears and the ups and downs in Alan's life.
A perfect present/gift, it's a very enjoyable read and I definitely would recommend it. I won't give the story away - you should read it for yourselves.

Tony Little
Congrats on what is by far the best book I've read. Alan Carter's Light in the Darkness is so good you just can't put it down.

Gareth Ratcliffe
I'm 3/4 of the way through this book and it is a must read - not only for racing fans or Kenny fans (like me), but for anyone. Such an interesting life to read about, with so many highs and lows, amusing anecdotes, laugh out loud parts and bits that will bring a tear to your eye. Thanks, Alan, for telling your amazing story. Everyone should buy this book immediately!

Terry Gilmour
My book arrived yesterday. Many thanks, Alan, can't put it down:)

Steve Grose
Alan Carter and Retro-Speedway - big thumbs up from me for customer service! Can't wait to get into Al's highly acclaimed book!

Eddie Oliver's Photos
It's an amazing story. Buy now and laugh and cry in equal measure.

Derek Haywood
Having read Alan's book twice, YOU WONT REGRET IT. Better rollercoaster ride than Blackpool.

Hugh Wilson
Brilliant read. Don't think Alan would mind me saying it's one of the most moving books I have ever read.

Martin Rouse
Be warned, you cannot put this book down even if you don't like bikes. It is an extraordinary story. Should be made into a film. I laughed and cried in equal measure.

Colin Jones
Received mine this morning and read most of it at work. A very moving book.

Halifax Dukes
Finished it last night. Bloody hell, what a story. It must have been hard for Alan to write.

Ivan Blacka
That's got to be the book of the year. No other comes close.

Castleford Kings
Top read.

COMMENTS POSTED ON AMAZON

Janet C
Alan Carter had been brutally honest. I have laughed and I have cried and whilst it's a terrible clichÃ© I truly could not put the book down.
The insight into his father Mal and brother Kenny is absolutely fascinating. They broke the mould with the Carter family. Alan's life story would also make a superb movie. His own racing career I knew little about, but to be singled out by Kenny Roberts so early in his career is testament to his ability.
Even if I wasn't interested in speedway or motorcycle racing I would recommend the book: a real page-turner and Alan's ability to tell it like it is makes it easily the best book I have read in many years. BRILLIANT!

RacerGirl
Brilliant read, couldn't put it down. What a sense of humour Alan has. You would not believe the bad luck and tragedy this man and his notorious family have endured and yet he has survived to tell the tale exactly as it should be told. SUPERB, A REAL PAGE-TURNER. His sense of humour and Yorkshire wit made me laugh out loud - this is a warning if you read on public transport! Best book I have read in ages, cannot recommend highly enough. Well done, Alan.

Speedway Fan
I saw this book in the local bookshop at Brighouse, near Halifax, and looked it up on Amazon to get it at a bargain price. Was it worth it! Being a sports fan with particular interest in motor bike racing and a very enthusiastic speedway fan from the late 80s, it was immediately a must read, particularly since the source of the book was from and about the local area. It was very interesting, as places and people were familiar, and I just couldn't put it down. It was fascinating to discover links between people and places that I actually know. I knew basic bits about Kenny Carter but nothing about Alan, and the book was so easy to read. It was an absolute pleasure. Short chapters with brief information, blunt and to the point, written by a true Yorkshireman.

Snail
What a life this man has had. Excellent read. I was around through his and his brother's careers (I even raced with him) but didn't realise all the family had gone through. I would recommend any motor-sport fan read this book.

MORE COMMENTS FROM READERS

Hi Alan, just finished your book. Started reading it this morning and could not put it down. It must have been very hard for you writing it all down, well done mate you should be very proud.
Martin (Halifax Dukes)

Hi Alan, finished the book! Started at 9pm last night and by the time I finished it was 5.00am - didn't realise it was light outside! Hope you have nothing but good luck in your life now - you deserve it.
Susan xx

Just a quick one to say I got my copy yesterday and it is a fantastic read. Well done and good luck with it all.
Kev

Hi Alan, I have just finished your book and to be honest the only reason it took so long was because I had to do other things that have been waiting, my BSB photos for a start. An excellent book and very easy to pick it up after a couple of days and still carry on from where you left off - a sign of a good book. You've had a real rollercoaster of a ride and in some ways I am glad that my racing never took me in the same direction, as I was always able to just treat it as fun. An eye-opener to Big Mal who I always got on well enough with when he was racing at Cadwell with the Rickmans.The last moments with your Gran brought back memories of my mother, as her end was identical and the nurses couldn't understand why she would not want a tube inserted. Of course, once that was done they legally couldn't withhold treatment and the patient could go on for several years like that. I could never have realised just what a rough ride you have had over the years, but you have come a long way from that young kid I first met at Cadwell driving Eric Sunderland mad. They were great days for most of us, I think.You can be proud of your book. It is truly a great read and it will now go beside all the other great books on my bookshelf - in your case, next to Jamie Witham's. I wish you and Cath the very best for the future and hope that all your demons are now behind you. All the best, mate.
Barry

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