We have just received advance news of a new book to be published this coming Spring that may be of great interest to many Speedtracktales readers.

In late August 1939, Hitler’s armies were poised to invade Poland, while in Austria the International Six Day Trial was underway.  The trial was dubbed ‘The Motorcycling Olympics’, where the crème de la crème from five or six nations competed in six days of hard riding.

Image – Cover for new book ‘The Six Day Affair’ ISDT 1939

Following the Olympics in Berlin just three years earlier, the ISDT was seen by Hitler as being another opportunity for Nazi dominance – and the event was unexpectedly held in occupied Austria!  Half way through, riding through the mountains surrounding Salzburg and with the British teams once again doing very well indeed, they received a telegram from the British Embassy telling them to get out immediately.   WWII started just a week later.

The story of how the British competitors and spectators successfully made it away through Switzerland with the help of their German escort has so far only been mentioned in magazine articles and websites, but extensive research has revealed much new material about this fascinating and exciting event in history.

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