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  • A Biker's Life

  • Misadventures on (and off) Two Wheels
  • By: Henry Cole
  • Narrated by: Henry Cole
  • Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (465 ratings)
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A Biker's Life

By: Henry Cole
Narrated by: Henry Cole
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Summary

I can't think of anywhere I'd less like to be than in a car. When you're driving a car, you're not taking part, you're a spectator. You're in a can; if it's cold you turn up the heating, if you're hungry you have a wine gum. You might be looking at what's going on, but you're definitely not a part of it.  

A Biker's Life is the dramatic, humorous and candid memoir of one of the most recognisable names in motorcycling.   

Henry Cole's passion for motorbikes began when, at the age of eight, he was first introduced to a 'man cave'. His great-uncle Redbeard's corrugated iron shed was 'stuffed to the gills with old motorbikes' which Henry helped rebuild and ride. Since then, Henry's life can be charted through the bikes and journeys he has been on - from a stifling public-school education, via many years battling addiction, to the big-sky iconic routes Henry has ridden for over 20 series as presenter of numerous TV shows.   

This audiobook reminds millions of motorcyclists why their bike gives them the freedom to be exactly who they want to be: to say 'I'm doing my thing'. When you ride a motorbike you become part of a worldwide community of kindred spirits - those of us who will not be pacified by driving a car but instead live for adventure, escape and the sheer thrill of the throttle.

©2019 Henry Cole (P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited

What listeners say about A Biker's Life

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Henry Cole is a top dude.

Loved Henry on shed and buried and now I’ve heard his full story I got nothing but respect and admiration for him.
Very honest frank tales of his life
Not dissimilar to my own.
Please make more shed and burieds!!........

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Tremendous, just tremendous.

This book and its Audible story by Henry is just excellent.
A real warts and all view of his life so far and future, whatever that might be, some of which I can sympathise with! Well quite a lot actually.
Further, thanks Henry, you managed to change my life with WGM rides etc.
I got a bike and got out there with a vengeance after spending a lot of wasted time-life driving a bloody car!
New Zealand next.

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Entertaining, sincere and biker brilliant!

Couldn't stop listening to this book, found Henry's narration fun and easy to listen to. So glad he narrated it himself. It's a true, open and honest account of one man's journey to find himself, becoming a unique and interesting individual through may ups and downs. And of course, full of cool biking stuff!

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Just bloody perfect 👌

I have only ever read one book in my life and that was tarka the otter!!!! I was crap at reading 🤪I have just discovered audio book and as I’m a biker and I have always liked Henry,his rawness and honesty is infectious. I’m having my first holiday in the sun(turkey) and its to fecking hot to do any exploring so got a bit of time on my hands wile the wife bakes in the sun 🤷‍♂️ I’ve listened to Henry waffing along talking SHIT and I can only say bloody fantastic.
Henry if you ever in West Dorset and fancy a coffee and a ride out just give me a call 07854122543.
After the beer sun and shagging the wife more times in one week than I normally get in a fucking year !!!!!!
You’ve made my holiday 👌😂 hope some decent lad or lass forwards this to you ! Oh and the book is shit hot 👌 one last thing Henry do the bloody film 🎥

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Great book

as a lifelong lover of bikes this book spoke to my soul, highly recommend

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Excellent!

I have never owned or ridden a motorbike, but I found this fascinating. I have learned a lot from his very candid account of his life and insights into the world of heroin addiction. It was excellent - thank you Henry.

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Getting to know Henry

I’m used to seeing Henry on TV and thought I knew who he was. This story is an eye opening revelation and I’ve a new respect for him. Brilliant, captivating story that I couldn’t stop listening to 👍👍

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Great fun

Although as all over the place as a first lap of the TT , that is part of the appeal of this fast paced, engaging narrative. Henry's not looking to be liked here, doesn't hold back and swears his way through many forthright views and amusing anecdotes. That's what I liked, it's what makes this book so funny, its sheer honesty and simplicity. The best biographies are like a great conversation with a stranger in the pub, this fits the bill.

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best thing I have listened to for a long time

comes across as a top bloke. can really feel his passion.
will definitely listen to it again

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Good Yarn

Henry Cole is a TV presenter that generally inhabits the fringes of multi-channel broadcasting, ne of those celebrities that might have made it back in the 90s but stumbled and managed to keep some semblance of a career as content provision changed. He specialises in middle-class shed based activities, often motorcycles are involved.

The book works well as a talking book, voiced by Cole himself, as a conversational memoir. Much of the content should be boring in the extreme but thanks to Cole’s presentation it feels interesting- in many ways because his life has been relatively normal. Born into upper middle-class he has basically been protected from the hardships that would have ruined less blessed individuals. At the same time, he seems to be quite aware of this and because of that he comes over as likable and honest. Early on we learn he was a Heroin addict, but none of the gory detail, and then he isn’t an addict and the story continue. We learn he failed in his filmic attempts but clawed it back with low budget filler for marginal cable channels and slowly found a presence until he ends up on ITV 3 or something.
It should be terrible, but it works, in the way listening to some distant relative, who you had heard was a bit dodgy and a disappointment, tell you their life story over a period. For ‘bikers’ there will be an extra connection since Cole clearly is an enthusiast it it isn’t a ‘biker’ book to any extent, he could have been an enthusiastic pony rider and the story would still work.

It also stands up to repeated listens, you can dip in for 30 minutes while driving, or riding a pony.

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