It is perhaps the most infamous moment in sporting history: Ben Johnson smashing the 100 metres world record to crush his rival Carl Lewis and win gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Johnson said the gold was more important than the record, because that would be beaten one day, but the medal, well. 'they can't take that away from you'. But they could and they did. The news of his positive dope test stunned the world. and nearly a quarter of a century later he is still considered the ultimate sporting pariah.

Yet the story was far more complex than that. Six of the eight finalists have been linked to drugs. How did Johnson get caught? Was sabotage involved? And what is the significance of the 'mystery man'? Richard Moore unravels a complex tale of espionage, skulduggery, corruption and connivance that extended to sport's most powerful men. He tracks down the surviving principals from 1988, including Ben Johnson and - after a length quest - the enigmatic Carl Lewis.

The Dirtiest Race in History is a work of sports history that reads like a thriller, even if you thin k you know the result.