The Hardmen: Cover Art.
Today’s a big deal over here at VHQ; V-Pints are being clinked and backs are being slapped in celebration of our second book, The Hardmen, being released in the UK and Commonwealth countries today, June 1. (It is due out in the United States in the Fall as well as The Netherlands and Belgium in Spring 2018.)
I have a new appreciation for what a band might go through when faced with putting out their sophomore effort (which in our case was something of a sophomoronic effort). While I would never put forward the idea that writing our first book, The Rules, was in any way “easy”, its writing was one unencumbered by the notion that anyone might actually read it. The pressure of expectation for our second book might well have been something we placed on ourselves, but the pressure felt very real nonetheless. The irony did not go unnoticed that we had to harden the fuck up and focus on the business of writing the best book we could manage, given the book was centered around the general notion of Rule #5.
The Hardmen is just that: the tales of the most epic rides and riders in history, or at least in our collective recollection. We wrote it in the style you’ve become familiar with, (ir)reverently with a focus more on legend than on fact, and avoiding research wherever possible for the simple fact that research feels a lot like cheating. Our inclination to make words up also proved an interesting challenge for our copyeditor.
Of the variety of obstacles we encountered along the way, that of selecting the riders to include in the book figured prominently; there are so many worth including that we could hardly set about including them all. So we picked at our whim and whimsy, and we welcome you to challenge us on both our inclusions and omissions.
With that, I will retire to the patio and indulge in more celebratory pints but not before leaving you with this very flattering and possibly unjustified review on the Washing Machine Post.
Thanks to everyone here for your support as our writing slacked off over the past year while we labored to get this book done. We owe you each a debt of gratitude and look forward to enjoying your company online and back out on the roads. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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View Comments
@RobSandy
And was Delgado late AGAIN, so he did not make it into the book? And what about the originator of Rule #VV who also wrote the foreword of the previous Keepers' book?
@RobSandy
@RobSandy
And no LeMan?!?!?!?!?!? (maybe he and Le Professeur are getting their own book solely dedicated to them???)
@litvi
This cannot be correct as this photo has STI/brake lever shifters and no way you could have that on the cover of a Hardman book.
@Buck Rogers
Nah man, that's Campy 10S Powershift. Exactly how much of that Marnier did you drink??? You're going blind!
@litvi
Well fer fuck's sake, they are not down tube shifters so my point is still valid (and obviously it is time for a refill)!!!
Just got word The Hardmen will be translated into Dutch and released in The Netherlands/Belgium in time for the Classics.
Now, THAT'S hard.
By the way, I forgot about this little gem we added to The Rules in the book - now added to this little album. Take that.
@frank
Ha! Talk about covering all yer bases! Well done!
I asked @frank the following :-
" Has it got the glorious leathery velvety cover feel of the first edition " Rules " book ?? "
and was greeted by this reply
" Actually it does. A surprise ending, because I expected a dust jacket - which I didn't want..."
So, on the basis of the cover feel alone, I will be purchasing.