What kind of person risks their life for their sport? And more to the point, why? Intrepid author Tony Davis takes a leap into the unknown to find out in Splat! The Madness and Magnificence of the World's Most Dangerous Sports. Talking to top exponents of the most edgy sports on the planet Davis uncovers why anyone would: * BASE jump off a perilous mountain peak * dive 200 metres beneath the ocean without scuba gear * slide down the world's biggest ski jump * soar six kilometres above the earth on a hang glider * drive a jet powered car through the sound barrier or * be flung through the air by a trebuchet. Full of astounding facts, amazing incidents and real-life drama, Splat! reveals what it's like to be gored by a bull, dumped by a wave the size of a block of flats, have your lights punched out in a boxing ring, slide over asphalt at 200 kilometres per hour after smashing a Grand Prix motorcycle, or have your brain turn to oxygen-deprived mush in the 'death zone' at Mt Everest. Davis veers from admiration and enthusiasm to utter bewilderment and back as he explores what's great about each sport and what's not, some of the nastier injuries on offer, the maddest moments, and much more.

Author Biography

Tony Davis is the author of the bestselling Lemon!, Extra Lemon, Step On It, F Scott, Ernest and Me, and You Must Be Skidding, for children. A previous editor of Drive (SMH), Tony was, until recently, a features writer on the Sydney Morning Herald. Tony now writes full time and can talk endlessly about car and sports trivia, if required.