Barry Sheene is arguably the greatest British motorcycle racing rider of all time. A chancer, lovable rogue and the leading sports star of his era, adored by the public and press alike, he won two world motorcycle championships in 1976 and 1977. He achieved iconic status by being involved in some horrific crashes and was dubbed ''the bionic man'' on account of the amount of metal used to reconstruct his legs after a particularly bad accident. He later emigrated to Australia and became a leading commentator. He died of cancer in 2003.

For the first time Barry''s widow, Stephanie, and family have agreed to open up their personal archive to give an unprecedented insight into the two-time 500cc world champion. Via private photographs, memorabilia and letters, award-winning Times journalist and author Rick Broadbent will tell the story of a remarkable man in unprecedented fashion.

Rick Broadbent will paint a portrait of one of the sport''s most charismatic figures through the voices of the people who knew him best: his family, his fellow competitors, teammates and the many legends who have admired him from a distance in the years since his death. A celebrated motorcycle racing author, Rick Broadbent is perfectly placed to write Sheene''s story and he will have exclusive access to the family archives and photographs.

Published to mark the 40th anniversary of his second world championship win, this is the Barry Sheene story as told like never before by the people who knew him best. It delves deep into the family history to get inside the helmet and under the skin of an all-time sporting great.