Burt Munro

Previously unpublished interviews with Burt Munro, legendary Kiwi motorcycle rider made famous in the movie The World's Fastest Indian. Colourful tales of a life well-lived. Invercargill, at the far southern end of New Zealand. It's the late 1960s and two blokes sit in a modest shed drinking tea. The old bloke is telling stories about his life; the young bloke, a junior reporter, is typing earnestly on his Olympia portable typewriter. Dramatic tales abound – of youthful scrapes, motorcycle races and ingenious repairs, of international travel and friendships and road trips, of high speeds and accidents and meetings with dutiful policemen. Burt Munro became known around the world through the 2005 movie The World's Fastest Indian, but had long been known to motorcycle fans as a colourful character and speed record-holder. Our young journalist, Neill Birss, moved away from Invercargill and the interviews he had typed out were never published. In fact, they were lost during the move and only resurfaced under strange circumstances many decades later. Here they are in this book – the lost interviews with Burt Munro, legendary Kiwi motorcycle rider – his voice as fresh and his stories as vivid as the day he told them to the young reporter.

"In 1967 an unknown, elderly New Zealander and his ancient Indian motorcycle set a world land-speed record at Bonneville. The man was Burt Munro, and he became a Kiwi legend. How did he do it? His amazing true story is now a stunning picture book.A crowd of people stand on a flat white plain. In the distance, a snarling, roaring dark speck is hurtling towards them. It's a motorbike. The rider is inside the shell, lying almost flat. 'Go, Burt!'The red bike blurs past. Fingers click stop-watches.How fast has Burt Munro gone this time? The moment young Burt Munro saw a motorbike chugging down a quiet Invercargill street, he was hooked. More than fifty years later, he and his ancient Indian motorcycle would amaze the world by setting a land-speed record : one that remains unbroken to this day. Burt didn't have much money. He wasn't young. But he was determined. And he became a Kiwi legend. A wonderful true story about a very unlikely New Zealand champion, by the award-winning author and illustrator of First to the Top."

The Real Burt Munro, inventor of the world's fastest Indian motorcycle, in his own words. A fascinating collection of Burt Munro memorabilia including photos from his family album, newspaper clippings, and interviews with Burt himself, this book reveals the real Burt Munro - the man being the movie. Roger Donaldson has been studying Burt Munro for many years. He made a documentary on him back in 1971, called Offerings to the God of Speed, as well as the 2005 international hit The World's Fastest Indian. During research for both films, he collected lots of material which has never been published, and Burt's son also released Munro family scrapbooks to Roger, allowing them to be published here for the first time. In preparation for the doco Roger interviewed Burt and also taped Burt chatting to several of his cronies and coworkers. These tapes have been transcribed for this book, presenting the real Burt Munro in his own words.

Munro was the ultimate eccentric; a real 'number-eight-wire' inventor. He took an original Indian motorbike and modified it in his shed so that it became capable of extreme speeds. With this bike he broke several international speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 1967 – a number of which stand to this day. This book, an abridged edition of the bestselling One Good Run – the Legend of Burt Munro, is for young readers aged 10-14 yrs. It cuts to the core of Munro's story, from small town Invercargill to heroic deeds in the USA. The emphasis is on thrilling narrative in this 'little guy beats the odds' story.

Large Print.

A hilarious story about one bug’s quest for greatness (with some cool insect facts mixed in!). Meet Burt, a ten-lined june beetle. He’s sure he has a superpower like other insects. No, he can’t carry 50 times his weight, like ants, or spray paralyzing venom, like some termites. What june beetles seem to do best is chase porch lights and lie on their backs flailing their legs in the air ... hmm. Maybe Burt doesn’t have any special skills after all ... But when some other bugs get into perilous trouble that even their superpowers can’t get them out of, Burt realizes there is one helpful thing only he can do ... Why shouldn’t every bug have its day (even the wannabe superhero kind)? Kids will be rooting for this one!

The most-trusted film critic in America." --USA Today Roger Ebert actually likes movies. It's a refreshing trait in a critic, and not as prevalent as you'd expect." --Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle America's favorite movie critic assesses the year's films from Brokeback Mountain to Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 is perfect for film aficionados the world over. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 includes every review by Ebert written in the 30 months from January 2004 through June 2006-about 650 in all. Also included in the Yearbook, which is about 65 percent new every year, are: * Interviews with newsmakers such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Stephen Spielberg, Ang Lee, and Heath Ledger, Nicolas Cage, and more. * All the new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns. * Daily film festival coverage from Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, and Telluride. *Essays on film issues and tributes to actors and directors who died during the year.