After VE Day in 1945 the British population returned enthusiastically to the road, but the cost and scarcity of both vehicles and fuel led to the post-war scene being dominated by motorcycles, most of them ex-military machines. British industry, meanwhile, was exhorted to 'export or die', and until well into the 1950s the majority of new British bikes were sold abroad. During this period, the industry - the largest and most important in the world - continued to develop new and exciting machines. With help from a wealth of archive photographs and classic advertising material, Mick Walker tells the story of these bikes and conjures for the reader the golden age of the industry that they represent.

Mick Walker is acknowledged as one of the world's leading motorcycle authorities. In a career that has spanned fifty years, he has written some 120 books, including individual studies of many of the manufacturers featured in this book. A successful racer, tuner, team manager and talent scout, Mick has been involved in almost every aspect of the motorcycle industry, even acting as the British importer for several leading Italian marques.