Author: John Mayhead
Publisher: National Motor Museum Publishing
The Michael Sedgwick Memorial Trust is pleased to have supported the publication of this new title.
Goldie is the first book about this unsung hero since his autobiography in 1951, and the first National Motor Museum Publishing title. It contains new, previously unseen photographs and information from various archives and interviews, and puts a new perspective on the life of this enigmatic hero.
Goldie moves from the brutality of an Edwardian public school, through the jungles of Ceylon and into the blood-soaked trenches of the Somme. Severely injured after being decorated for bravery during the First World War, Goldie Gardner emerges into the post-war world, trying to make sense of what has happened, finding friendship and love, and searching for a way to prove himself. Motor racing and record breaking seem to offer a solution, but what follows is a story of obsession that establishes him as one of the most extraordinary record breakers of all time but leads to heartbreak, betrayal and eventually taking one risk too many.
The Sussex-based author John Mayhead is one of the UK’s foremost classic car writers and commentators. He is editor of the UK Hagerty Price Guide and is European Bureau Chief for Hagerty Insider.
John Mayhead, says, “It took me years to unearth the fascinating story of this exceptional man’s life, and I couldn’t have done it without the National Motor Museum archive material. Patrick Collins, the Curator of Vehicles and Research, was an exceptional guide and helped me sift through thousands of letters, photographs, and press cuttings to piece together the story. What was there was extraordinary: I uncovered not only previously unseen details of his record-breaking life, but also information about the unearthed secret wartime missions and illicit affairs.”
This book is available from all good bookshops or online outlets.
Published 2023
Price: £20.00
ISBN: #978-1739629731
