For Review: Triumph Bonneville: Portrait of the Legend

Overview: As the most recognizable of all British motorbikes, the iconic Triumph Bonneville has Edward Turner to thank for it's heritage and racer Johnny Allen for its namesake. Three years after the swift Texan's 214-mph streak across the salt at Bonneville, the factory in Meriden capitalized on the 'World's Fastest Motorcycle' claim by bestowing it upon its well sorted T120 twin in 1959. The rest, and even a little before, is documented like never before by photographer James Mann and journalist Mick Duckworth, who take the Bonneville through its Speed Twin origins right up to John Bloor's modernized version. Large, detailed and irresistibly pieced together, Duckworth's text and caption work highlight Mann's stellar photography. In all, 22-different versions of the Bonneville are featured.

Chapters: Models listed chronologically from 1954 to 2010 in multi page detail.

Noteworthy: Duckworth's historical introduction on Triumph history is condensed but highly informative. Many of the feature motorcycles, including the 1959 T120 are US imports, the importance of such covered in the introduction. Thanks to Mann's magic, the 1965 T120 Thruxton (starting on page 80 and extending for nine more) leaps off the page, often utilizing all of the book's large (19” x 11” fully opened) sweep in both the detail and portrait photos of every machine featured.

Flawlessly executed Triumph Bonneville: Portrait of the Legend impresses with its high-end feel and enthusiasm on the subject. Mann's dramatic and colorful photography is among the best I've seen and mixes well with Duckworth's experienced prose to provide a quality product. Nolan Woodbury

A Detailed History of the Triumph Bonneville
Authors: James Mann (photos) Mick Duckworth    
ISBN-13: 978-0-85733-017-8  
Retail: $49.95 (US) $55.00 (Can)
Hardcover
256 pages
300 color images
Published: May 15, 2011
Publisher: Haynes Publishing
Motorbooks (www.motorbooks.com)