On the Edge – My Story

I have to ask myself whether I would be willing to risk my life, my family and my future for an unforgettable experience like driving a record breaking jet car. I might make the decision to go ahead with it, but would I actually manage to push the pedal? I don’t know about me, but in September 2006, TV presenter Richard Hammond did take on the challenge. He nearly lost his life in the process and spent five weeks in hospital followed by three more weeks escaping from the press in Scotland.
 
At just 36, Hammond had a long life ahead of him and an exciting one behind him. He had been presenting Top Gear for four years and had enjoyed his time as a radio presenter. Whilst submitting ideas for a new series, Hammond claimed that he wanted to know what it would be like to go ‘really fast’. He didn’t want to break any records or win any medals; he just wanted to experience true speed. His producers found what he was looking for, a Vampire jet car powered by a Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus turbojet engine capable of speeds of up to 370mph. Hammond agreed and his speed run was scheduled for Wednesday 20th September at RAF Elvington airfield, not far from York. Tests runs were successful and at the end of the day, with just enough time for a final run, Richard had one more go. A near-fatal one.
 
The book "On the Edge" is an account of Richard’s early life, his time on Top Gear and his near-death experience. In order to write this story from beginning to end, including times when he was in hospital, Richard enlisted the help of his wife, Mindy. Therefore, the book is written from two viewpoints – being the victim of a life-threatening crash, and being the relative of a crash victim. I found the two dimensions in this book really brought the story to life and kept me gripped for hours upon end. The emotion expressed in the book is incredible, especially since it is all doubled. Reading two accounts, filled with mixed feelings, is almost overwhelming, but it still entices you to read more.
 
What separated this autobiography from others was the sheer detail in which each incident was written. Everything is recounted as if it happened yesterday, right down to what people where wearing. It doesn’t surprise me that such an event is an unforgettable one but it still shocked me to see how precise everything was, how such a clear picture was painted in my head.
 
I have recently found myself believing that this book wasn't essentially written for people to feel sympathy for a famous man on a car show, or even to inform us about every detail of the crash; if he wanted sympathy, he would have asked for cards and flowers and if we wanted to know the trivia about the crash we’d find a full report. So, what do I think is the ‘deeper’ reason for writing this book? To show us the true difficulty on both sides of the story, to show us the emotion that is involved when such a devastating thing happens, to prove to us that everyone is affected by what goes on. An excellent book and a gripping read, recommendations to all!

- Review by Zeus