ROSCO The Fastest Aussie on Earth: The amazing true life story of Rosco McGlashan as told to Mark J Read

by Mark J. Read

Rosco McGlashan is a legend of Australian motor sport and drag racing. He is also the current Australian land speed record holder. His early years were tough. He spent time in state-run homes and remand centres, eventually leaving home and school at 12. He then drives up north in Western Australia to find work, increasing his age from 12 to 16, to fund his racing career. He fought everyone and everything and, at 17, ended up in prison and even solitary confinement. Once released, his salvation comes through his love of speed and raw horsepower. He focuses his fighting spirit and energy on racing and going very fast. His V8 drag bike and jet dragsters take him from Perth and WA all over Australia, New Zealand and the USA. He meets some incredible people, leading to some amazing adventures and tales that will leave you speechless. Later, his motorsport career and quest for speed takes him to other countries. He gets kidnapped by the Russian Mafia when trying to buy two MIG jet fighter engines and fights his way out. He crashes a car at nearly 600 mph. He also clinically dies on an operating table when another car he was racing went off a mountain road in driving rain. He was revived and went on to break many motor racing and land speed records. He meets mass murderers and world leaders, then casually chats with the Dalai Lama. Eventually, Rosco turned his attention to capturing the Australian and world land speed records, a goal he set himself at age 12. In 1994 he beat Donald Campbell’s Australian land speed record. Rosco and the Aussie Invader team are putting the finishing touches to their latest record-breaker, the world's fastest and most powerful car, Aussie Invader 5R. This car has 200,000 horsepower, the equivalent of 200 Formula One cars! It can accelerate from 0 - 1000 mph in just 22 seconds. You won't be able to put "ROSCO The Fastest Aussie on Earth" down. This book is an incredibly inspiring, moving and motivational story of guts, grit, and determination. Quitting is not in this man's vocabulary.

391 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2023

About the author

My book, ROSCO The Fastest Aussie on Earth, is about my friend, Rosco McGlashan. He is an Australian drag racing champion, land speed record holder and motor racing legend.

I started building cars at fifteen and have always been fascinated with mechanical problems. Land speed records and drag racing are all about solving problems. I have been working with Rosco to build the world's fastest car (Aussie Invader 5R), in which Rosco and the Aussie Invader team intend to break the world land speed record and achieve a 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h).

The Aussie Invader 5R project is a testament to dedication and teamwork. For fifteen years, I've poured my heart and soul into this labour of love, working alongside Rosco and some of the world's best mechanics, engineers, and rocket scientists. We've all volunteered our time and expertise, driven by a shared passion for pushing the limits of speed.

The book's goal is to help raise awareness of our land speed record attempt, with the proceeds from the book going towards supporting our challenge.

Mark J Read

Author and proud member of the Aussie Invader team.

PS Your support and feedback mean a lot. I read every review personally, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with readers who share my passion for speed, engineering and innovation.

Reviews

[Barry Peterkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on Rosco McGlashan and read it from cover to cover in two days !

I have met Rosco and his team and have been to his workshop on several occasions marvelling at the project. I have bought him a couple of "reds " when they knocked off on a Wednesday afternoon. However I really did not know a fraction of his history that this book spells out in detail. I am a car restorer and can relate to some of the great trials they went though to get Aussie Invader 5R to this stage and but am in awe of their achievments so far.Whilst the logistics of the build are amazing the technical challenges they have had to overcome are truely on another level. Only someone with the drive, ambition and determination that Rosco has could get the project to this stage.
I really hope to see him achieve his goal in the next year or two and would love to be on the sidelines watching.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a facinating life of great achievments to fulfil his life's ambition. A great read ( no pun intended ) by Mark Read.

[David G. Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosco

Very interesting read, enjoyed all the experiences shared about builds and all the different cars and propulsion methods try tried.

[Rob Kitzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read much but Mark did such a great job of putting it together, I couldn’t put this book down. Rosco has shared some of these experiences with me previously and I always think wow, this guy is for real & so determined.

Every part of the book tells of real events that have happened in his life. Some would be happy to have had just one of his experiences.

There is probably no one alive that I can say has achieved what Rosco has set out to do from such a young age. He has lived the hard times in his childhood but has learned so much from life. His book does not hold back on what he got up to as a young man. But as they say, ‘You have to be young & stupid before you’re old & wise’.

Rosco’s book is a real-life story about living a dream & never giving up. He proves that if you just keep on keeping on, your dream can become a reality. He understands that everything is not always on the up, rather it’s about living the lows & riding the highs. He has always had people around him that believe in what he has set out to achieve will happen.

Yes, time gets in the way, but this project has never been done before in this manner, so it will take as long as it takes to do properly. His amazing team have had to design a rocket that has never been designed before. That in itself is a fantastic achievement.

If anyone can do this, it’s Rosco & his team.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling biography about Rosco McGlashan, the Australian land speed record holder who is attempting to break the World Land Speed Record with a 62,000-pound thrust rocket engine. This book is not just about motor racing but also about the incredible journey of a man who overcame adversity and found salvation through his love of speed and adventure. With its raw, straight-talking style, this book is an inspiring and thrilling read that will leave readers motivated to chase their own dreams.

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible biography that chronicles the inspiring journey of Rosco McGlashan, an Australian land speed record holder who is attempting to break the World Land Speed Record. This book is not just about motor racing but also about the power of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. The book's raw, straight-talking style captures the spirit of Rosco's incredible journey and will leave readers motivated to chase their own dreams.

[Hannu Aho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Met Rosco years ago at one Adelaide Motor Show and had a brief chat. This book is a great story of a boy who grew up to a man with a great passion for fast cars. The history is fascinating how much money and effort goes into land speed record attempts. Hope his latest project does come to realisation before too long. Wishing you the very best.

[Michael Delahunty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible true story about an inspirational Australian. With enough technical detail to sate curiosity without getting ploughed down. An easy to read book which can be comfortably completed within a few sessions.