fearless: Lords of the Murderdrome Paperback – January 26, 2014

Anyone interested in early motorcycle racing should give this book a read. Lots of speed and danger. The racers of that time with crude tracks to race on were a brave bunch.

Some good info from the drivers perspective about this best of all motorcycle racing, (anything else is just boring) , I just think for such a short book there was a little to much talk about a personal life, and not enough on the sport itself, which is what people are looking for in this little known short lived sport. (1908- early 1930s) One historical point I disagree with is the statement that when this racer died in 1912, the Motordrome racing was on it's way out, that is not true at all, the sport did not really have national participation in interest until 1911, was put on hold in 1917,18 for WWI and did not peak until 1919, and then started to fade noticeably by the end of 1924. it was not the deaths that closed down the sport, some tried to reduce the speeds and protest the sport but with little effect. It drew larger crowds than any other racing events from 1911-1924. it was the expense of the wooden tracks, that needed total rebuilds every 3 to 5 years, the Depression was the final nail in the coffin on this and may other expense laden events and products. Bring it back! it's real racing, not the snooze fest motorcycle racing since.

This is clearly a work of love, not of scholarship. Written as a dedication to, and based upon, family records, this very slim book reads more like a series of family stories than a purposeful narrative. Interesting as a first-hand account, but expect observations rather than facts; quotations which the writers attempted to include as dialogue but read more like colorful inserts; and little, if any, documentation or reference other than the original family scrapbook. What sparse historical information is included is incomplete and largely undated or referenced. I purchased this for research, but without supporting material it is best for fans, not reference. It would have been valuable for the authors to look more deeply into the subject(s), include information on why (cultural context) and how (historical context) motorcycle racing became so popular; what it lead to (or why it ultimately evolved); and not rely on a single source for material. Oddly, in describing the construction of a racing complex the writers state it is 'Disneyesque' in size and number of amusements; although the period described is more than 40 before the development of Disneyland! Basically, the book lacks context. Although marketed as a work on board track, this is only a small part of the book; road, flat track, and thrill racing make up the bulk of the chapters. Would have rated 2.5 if possible.

Motordrome and (board) speedway tracks seem to be all the rage recently. They deserve all the interest they're getting to! It was a short, raucous, insane sport/period that came very near being lost. Every bit of reliable data that is preserved is exponentially valuable. This book is not the whole story but it is a neat personal peek at a little known time in history.

I personally loved this book. As a fan of all the early motorsports and the brave souls it took to compete back then, I would recommend this book to anyone even slightly interested in this era of motorcycle racing. It's more storybook than technical but that's part of its charm. Easy to read and while it's a little rough around the edges grammar wise it's still good. I could have been happier with more on where some of the stories came from or more on the scrapbook and how the current family came about having this book done. Didn't see a publisher on the book so I assume with the way it's done that it's a home done deal. Either way it's a great read for the price.

Very few Board Track racers have their story told properly; it was the most dangerous kind of motorsport, and 'muderdromes' were as much bloodsport as racing contest, and were eventually shut down after a series of spectacular fatal accidents involving spectators. 'Fearless' Charles Balke is lucky to have his tale spun, with an interesting set of circumstances leading to the discovery of his story. I would have loved to see better-quality photos, as most of these are low-quality screen grabs from the 'net - even the front cover.

A fascinating insight into a long-ago form of racing. I had no idea of the popularity of board-track, nor was I aware of the large number of fatalities. Today Health & Safety would have it shut down. All too brief a narrative, but the only I've seen for sale. Glad I added it to my small library of motorcycle books.

As a person who has spent the majority of his 56 years on a motorcycle, you would think I would have known of this part of motorcycle history, but I had no idea. The courage these men had to posses to hurl themselves around a banked wooden track at speeds of up to 100 MPH with no brakes on what was essentially a bicycle with a motor in it is like something out of the wild west.No wonder it was known as the Murderdrome! This book is a good story and a facinating read and would make a really good movie. I highly recommend it.DG Ryan

the book is a story of one of bike racings first heroes, a scrap book found in a loft containing rare accounts of the 1920s board racing circus it tells the story of one of its heroes of the day, think vale or marquez of the 20s,and his acheivements with cuttings taken from newspapers from across the USA, all saved by his then wife and put in the scrap book,its not the biggest book but i bet if you read it youll be moved ,astounded ,horrified and amazed enough to want to know more of this eraCharles Balke the king kenny of his day

Having seen the TV three part series 'Harley and the Davidsons' I could easily see this story sitting alongside it, I hope this happens. Easy to read simple story of a different era and answers questions as to why modern riders have to adhere to so much safety red tape. Above all an awesome story of a fearless boardtrack racer surrounded with the romantic image of a vintage era. Just could have done with a little more, it was that good.

Bought for my Dan who is a motorbike fanatic. He approved! Can recommend

A bit lightweight in content, but all the essential research is there.

An amazing little book. A great story.