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Gripping account by Richard Hammond of life before and after his terrifying high-speed car crash. Richard Hammond is one of our most in-demand and best-loved television presenters. In September 2006, he suffered a serious brain injury following a high-speed car crash. ON THE EDGE is his compelling account of life before and after the accident and an honest description of his recovery, full of drama and incident. An adrenalin junkie long before his association with Top Gear, Richard tells the story of his life, from the small boy showing off with ridiculous stunts on his bicycle to the adolescent with a near-obsessive attraction to speed and the smell of petrol. After a series of jobs in local radio, he graduated to television and eventually to Top Gear. His insights into the personalities, the camaraderie and the stunts for which Top Gear has become famous, make compulsive reading. It was whilst filming for Top Gear that Richard was involved in a high speed crash, driving a jet-powered dragster. His wife Mindy tells the story of the anxious hours and days of watching and waiting until he finally emerged from his coma. In an extraordinarily powerful piece of writing, she and Richard then piece together the stages of his recovery as his shattered mind slowly reformed. The final chapter recounts his return home and his triumphant reappearance in front of the cameras.… (more)
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And just as Shirlie Kemp's devotion and strength was incredible during her husband's
Richard is just as brave - firstly, for struggling back to life and then normality, and secondly, for telling this intensely intimate account of those lost and dark weeks after his crash. No, he didn't have to get into that jet car, and then take a final run after three successful drives - to paraphrase what Jeremy Clarkson said on Top Gear, that's when he 'fell out of his tree' - but what happened was hardly his fault. I was shocked to read just how close to death he came, not being interested in the show or its stars at the time of the accident - his and Mindy's honesty is very emotional and scary at times, exposing just how fragile he was and how strained poor Mindy's nerves became in trying to look after him. It is reassuring to be able to watch him back on Top Gear again, his wit and enthusiasm restored.
The real voice of this biography, though, really does belong to Mindy, and it's great that she is also able to write how she was feeling about what was going on - after all, Richard was out of it, in one way or another, for most of the time, but she was always at his side. The places where their versions overlap reveal much more than what is actually said - Richard's guilt and sadness, Mindy's loyalty and capacity for forgiveness - that at times, this simple but captivating journal is almost embarrassing to read. I admire both of them for telling their story, with relief that such a vibrant personality as Richard is still alive and strong enough to share the uncomfortable truth.