What do you think?
Rate this book
Pushing the Limits
Casey Stoner, the two-time World MotoGP champion, tells his own explosive story.
Showing anything is possible when determination meets talent, two-time World MotoGP champion Casey Stoner shares his incredible journey from being a Queensland toddler with an extraordinary ability on a motorbike to his decision to retire at 27 with nothing left to prove.
For the first time, he tells of his early family life, the development of his riding skills and why his parents decided to sell everything and travel from Australia to Europe to chase the dream and support his aim to become World Champion when he was only 14 years old.
As fearless with his opinions as he is on the racetrack, Casey includes all the highs and lows of his life so the real reason he left for Europe so young, his thoughts on racing as it stands today, the riders' hierarchy, the politics of racing, the importance of family, his battle with illness and why he decided to turn his back on a multimillion-dollar contract when he was still winning. And he also lets us in on some of the new goals he has set for himself.
Showing anything is possible when determination meets talent, two-time World MotoGP champion Casey Stoner shares his incredible journey from being a Queensland toddler with an extraordinary ability on a motorbike to his decision to retire at 27 with nothing left to prove.
For the first time, he tells of his early family life, the development of his riding skills and why his parents decided to sell everything and travel from Australia to Europe to chase the dream and support his aim to become World Champion when he was only 14 years old.
As fearless with his opinions as he is on the racetrack, Casey includes all the highs and lows of his life so the real reason he left for Europe so young, his thoughts on racing as it stands today, the riders' hierarchy, the politics of racing, the importance of family, his battle with illness and why he decided to turn his back on a multimillion-dollar contract when he was still winning. And he also lets us in on some of the new goals he has set for himself.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
18 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Casey Stoner
5 books3 followersCasey Joel Stoner, AM, is a retired Australian professional motorcycle racer, and a two-time MotoGP World Champion, in 2007 and 2011.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
April 14, 2014
Casey Stoner was one of my favourite MotoGP riders and I've read quite a few autobiographies/biographies on bikers before. I got in to MotoGP during 2006 and during '07 you could just see how exciting his riding was. He was so much quicker than anyone else and his attitude was great. A lot of people didn't think so but he reminded me a bit of Kimi Raikkonen in F1. I like how he always spoke his mind and that carried on in to the book.
It's not often in a book where people will pull no punches and tell you how it was. Plenty of people just gloss over unsavory events or make them not so bad as they were for fear of angering someone. But Casey wasn't bothered by that. If he had an opinion, he shared it. And that's how it should be.
Until reading this I never realised how fractious his relationship with Ducati had become and I myself also smiled when I could see Rossi struggling on the Ducati during 11/12 when previously he said he would make it a winning bike.
It's a shame Stoner walked away from the sport at such a young age, but on the flip side, I have huge amounts of respect for him having the balls to stand up and be counted and speak his mind when so many other people just went along with all the changes in MotoGP. It took guts to walk away from a sport when you're at the top of your game and could easily win more titles. But he didn't enjoy it, so why stay?
Easily one of the best biker autobiographies I've read, purely because he is still saying exactly what he thinks. Shame more people aren't like him too be honest. Sport would be better for it if they were.
It's not often in a book where people will pull no punches and tell you how it was. Plenty of people just gloss over unsavory events or make them not so bad as they were for fear of angering someone. But Casey wasn't bothered by that. If he had an opinion, he shared it. And that's how it should be.
Until reading this I never realised how fractious his relationship with Ducati had become and I myself also smiled when I could see Rossi struggling on the Ducati during 11/12 when previously he said he would make it a winning bike.
It's a shame Stoner walked away from the sport at such a young age, but on the flip side, I have huge amounts of respect for him having the balls to stand up and be counted and speak his mind when so many other people just went along with all the changes in MotoGP. It took guts to walk away from a sport when you're at the top of your game and could easily win more titles. But he didn't enjoy it, so why stay?
Easily one of the best biker autobiographies I've read, purely because he is still saying exactly what he thinks. Shame more people aren't like him too be honest. Sport would be better for it if they were.
August 18, 2015
Casey Stoner writes in an incredibly easy-to-read style and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Cover to cover it held my interest the entire time and I liked that he included some great photos to go with all the memories he recounts. Some interesting facts and info we otherwise might not have ever known (about both the man, and the sport), and the thing I like most - the honest yet humble opinions he doesn't shy away from expressing along the way.
This book is testament to his passion for the sport, his family, and for achieving his goals. It's honest, inspiring, and eye opening all at once. A great read!
This book is testament to his passion for the sport, his family, and for achieving his goals. It's honest, inspiring, and eye opening all at once. A great read!
January 6, 2014
Casey Stoner always has been and always will be my favourite MotoGP rider. He is the reason I fell in love with the sport.
Humble and passionate, he tells of his highs and lows in his life; winning two MotoGP championships, the sacrifices his family made so he could race, his illness, the death of Marco Simoncelli and the birth of his daughter.
Anyone who reads this book will walk away inspired. His passion is contagious and that's an excellent thing.
A must read for Moto GP fans and non Moto GP fans. An excellent read.
Humble and passionate, he tells of his highs and lows in his life; winning two MotoGP championships, the sacrifices his family made so he could race, his illness, the death of Marco Simoncelli and the birth of his daughter.
Anyone who reads this book will walk away inspired. His passion is contagious and that's an excellent thing.
A must read for Moto GP fans and non Moto GP fans. An excellent read.
January 12, 2015
Learned some things I didn't know, especially about his path to MotoGP, but overall a flat liner of a book. Takes nothing away from his ability on two wheels though. Genius.
November 9, 2018
3.5 stars
January 23, 2014
Good book, it's a shame Casey didn't go into more detail regarding some of the problems with MotoGP at the moment, and his thoughts on the other top riders.
Aside from that I enjoyed reading this book.
Aside from that I enjoyed reading this book.
February 24, 2014
Casey Stoner grew up in the same tiny country NSW village as I did (Niangala) - his sister was in my year in primary school. The fact that he went on to become a dual MotoGP World Champion is a stupendous achievement that I cannot quite fathom. Incredible. Good on you Casey.
April 13, 2014
Again shows perseverance is needed to achieve the ultimate goals. And that life is rarely fair, there are always vested interests that stand in your way.
February 7, 2016
Interesting to find out more about Casey's background and early years as well as the time in Moto GP from his perspective.
December 16, 2023
rated 5 stars for casey's wit and brutal honesty
as a new motogp fan, casey is always the alien I knew about the least as he retired first. most of what i knew about him was that marc took over his bike, and also whatever hitting the apex said. this book was a fascinating glimpse into his life, and also a great run through of motogp history during that time.
this book shows that casey was not only an immensely talented rider, but also a rider with a unique mindset and approach to the sport, as well as strong opinions on how the sport should be run and how riders should behave.
overall, i loved how the book was written, and I loved how casey didn't shy away from sharing his complete thoughts on everything from potential tire conspiracies to how ducati screwed him over.
as a new motogp fan, casey is always the alien I knew about the least as he retired first. most of what i knew about him was that marc took over his bike, and also whatever hitting the apex said. this book was a fascinating glimpse into his life, and also a great run through of motogp history during that time.
this book shows that casey was not only an immensely talented rider, but also a rider with a unique mindset and approach to the sport, as well as strong opinions on how the sport should be run and how riders should behave.
overall, i loved how the book was written, and I loved how casey didn't shy away from sharing his complete thoughts on everything from potential tire conspiracies to how ducati screwed him over.
January 21, 2018
I was never the biggest fan of Casey whilst he was racing, but no matter who you support you cannot deny his ability on a bike.
He faced many set backs along the way and it was inspiring to see what he overcame to achieve what he did. There is a lot in the press about Casey which led to his nickname of 'Moaner' but I think a lot of what he said was taken out of proportion or misconstrued, and he clears up a lot of that here.
It was also interesting to hear about the politics of MotoGP and motorcycle racing in general, its certainly a difficult environment. Overall this is a nice quick read and I would recommend giving it a go even if you are not a fan of Casey.
He faced many set backs along the way and it was inspiring to see what he overcame to achieve what he did. There is a lot in the press about Casey which led to his nickname of 'Moaner' but I think a lot of what he said was taken out of proportion or misconstrued, and he clears up a lot of that here.
It was also interesting to hear about the politics of MotoGP and motorcycle racing in general, its certainly a difficult environment. Overall this is a nice quick read and I would recommend giving it a go even if you are not a fan of Casey.
April 13, 2019
Wow, I always respected Stoners talent and achievements but found him a bit whiney! This autobiography completely vindicates that assessment!! The book is so honest and easy to read and his insight into what happened with tyres, contracts and race politics is a real eye opener. Muchos respect to Casey for doing what he did then walking away when he did. A must read for any motorcycle fan be you pro Rossi or neutral. This book is excellent even for those not obsessed by 2 wheels. Highly recommended especially for those who were not Stoner fans, it may change your opinion of him and the sport itself!
July 25, 2017
I really loved this book. It was very inspiring to read all the sacrifices Casey and his family went through, and how they stayed true to themselves. The author wrote this book without particular filters, and he is very clear about what he loved and what he didn't like about the MotoGP series. And he speaks clear about who he ended up being disappointed by and why, and who didn't. I found this book very enjoyable and very interesting for a petrolhead like me.
August 22, 2021
Such an inspirational story to say the least. The fact that Casey stoner's family sold all their belongings in Australia to come to England and the fact that they lived in a caravan in England is just unbelievable. The lengths that the entire family went to give casey the chance to get to Moto GP is truly inspirational. The way casey has written this book makes you feel like you're along with his family for the ride in England and Australia. Highly recommended even if you aren't a motorsports fan
July 5, 2022
I’m a motorcycle rider and a regular reader of biographies. However I’m not a big fan of the MotoGP racing. Unfortunately that’s what makes up the majority of this book and I found the narrative was weighed down by the corner by corner accounts.
Sure I get it, autobiography of a GP racer is going to have a big focus on the races but I was hoping for more. Possibly Stoner, for all his talents, is just too young for much self reflection or to have developed significant writing skills.
Sure I get it, autobiography of a GP racer is going to have a big focus on the races but I was hoping for more. Possibly Stoner, for all his talents, is just too young for much self reflection or to have developed significant writing skills.
September 11, 2023
I have been a big Stoner fan since he replaced Sete Gibernau's ride in 2007 - I seem to be the only one I know of! I found the book a fascinating read - It was great to get Casey's insight on his career as well as hear all of the heart warming stories on his journey to success. I believe a lot of Moto GP fans have a certain perception of Stoner and if they read this book, this may be changed. What an inspiring young man! :)
July 19, 2017
i get where casey is coming from, how can anyone write a autobiography and be portrayed as humble? he manages to keep his almost trademark honest-to-a-fault attitude, and sometimes is self-deprecating as only an australian can. he sheds light on his most memorable races, and tells his side of the stories where previously there was only spanish/italian tabloid drama...
July 14, 2019
An interesting quick read.
I hadnt particularly followed Casey's career so didnt have any preconceived ideas that needed straightening out but nonetheless was fascinating to find out more about the behind the scenes scheming that goes on in professional sport where the best person doesnt always win!
I hadnt particularly followed Casey's career so didnt have any preconceived ideas that needed straightening out but nonetheless was fascinating to find out more about the behind the scenes scheming that goes on in professional sport where the best person doesnt always win!
October 2, 2021
I enjoyed this one. I was never a huge fan of Stoner's while he was racing, but I always respected him. He was just one of those guys that was so good he was fun to root against. Being a huge US dirt track fan I especially enjoyed learning of those roots of his in Australia.
A fast and easy to read bio, definitely recommended for GP fans.
A fast and easy to read bio, definitely recommended for GP fans.
October 8, 2017
"Clearly your ambition outweighed your talent" Stoner responded to Rossi's apologies after Rossi took him out of the race. Stoner was not a happy camper from my perspective, but fast. Really fast. Not particularly funny to read, but it gives more insight in the mind of Stoner and racing in MotoGP.
March 23, 2021
One word: Brilliant! For me it had a personal touch and motivated me more than any other book I've ever read. I admire the guy, not for the book, but because he is a true human being...if that makes sense.
December 30, 2024
Great story of Casey on how his journey from kids to MotoGP world champion and become legend.The difficulty he and his family face and the story he met his true love plus a backstory of motogp scene.
September 14, 2018
An honest insight into the world of MotoGP. Fascinating story of putting it all on the line to achieve a dream.
June 27, 2019
Great to see the fun early memories that make the success mean what they did to him.
November 18, 2021
Simply breathtaking. By far the most insightful sports biography I have ever read. Hats off, Casey Stoner!
September 20, 2022
3.5
comments on the ppl who raced with him were !!! also nice notes abt mentality etc
comments on the ppl who raced with him were !!! also nice notes abt mentality etc
January 20, 2023
Una bella autobiografia che mostra lo Stoner sconosciuto ai più, raccontata in modo asciutto e poco autocelebrativo.
March 29, 2023
Great book. Casey Stoner gives us great insight and precious memories, starting with his childhood, and going through his amazing career as one of the greatest champions in the sport.
June 1, 2025
an exercise in revealing as little about the author's thoughts, feelings & mindscape as possible, except for the occasional attacks on unsuspecting peers. EXCELLENT time however,
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews