MOTOCROSS THE GOLDEN ERA: BOOK REVIEW

Everyone has a favorite era. It depends on your age, your interest level and your background. If you can set all that aside, ask anyone what the golden era was for America’s involvement in motocross, most people will agree. It took place in the years between 1970 and 1986. That was when the sport took shape in the U.S. Going into that 16-year period, America started off at zero. By the end, it was the world powerhouse of MX.
David Dewhurst is an English-born journalist and immigrant to the U.S. who saw it all happen firsthand. When he came to the U.S., he probably thought he was leaving civilized motocross culture behind for good. As it turned out, the culture came with him. His book Motocross The Golden Era is an impressive piece of work that chronicles that period in 28 beautifully illustrated chapters. He covers it all, with in-depth interviews of the riders who played a part. Roger DeCoster, Gary Jones, Brad Lackey, Marty Smith, Bob Hannah and a dozen other key personalities all sat down with David to give their personal perspectives on America’s emergence in motocross.
To call it a coffee table book trivializes it. This is a piece of first-class journalism with insights and stores that don’t appear anywhere else. It’s good reading, and the photography it contains is nothing short of amazing. The retail price is $199, which only sounds expensive if you haven’t seen and held the book in real life. Once you open it, you understand. You can get a copy at motocrossthegoldenera.com.