Bernie Ecclestone book for a quid........
Discussion
Art0ir said:
Bought it in the airport last year for similar money.
Very good read, even if parts are fabricated.
And anyway, I though Pitpass was Bernie's mouthpiece
EDIT: Read the article; Wow, quite a few parts fabricated then!
Not so much fabricated as poorly and lazily researched. It might make a decent dramatization, but as a record of events it fails miserably.Very good read, even if parts are fabricated.
And anyway, I though Pitpass was Bernie's mouthpiece
EDIT: Read the article; Wow, quite a few parts fabricated then!
PS. I agree that PitPass seems to be the apologist mouthpiece for Bernie (especially the smug git Christian Sylt who will twist his every wrong into a right), but I'm old enough to remember many of the incidents referred to in Bower's book, and I can state they didn't happen the way he said they did. The total rubbish about William's 'involvement' in James Hunt's success in the 1976 Championship, for example - Bower is confusing this with the decider of the 1997 Championship.
Edited by r11co on Monday 6th January 18:33
Wow -- so many detail experts on Bernie's life and dealings on here...
Tom Bowers book is well written and is generally faithful to the rise of Bernie and his seizing control of F1.
I borrowed it from local library so it didn't even cost me a quid, but I'd buy it for the downstairs loo, as it's a good for dipping in.
Er, the book that is..
Tom Bowers book is well written and is generally faithful to the rise of Bernie and his seizing control of F1.
I borrowed it from local library so it didn't even cost me a quid, but I'd buy it for the downstairs loo, as it's a good for dipping in.
Er, the book that is..
tallmat said:
Tom Bowers book is well written and is generally faithful to the rise of Bernie and his seizing control of F1.
There are enough blatant, provable errors to cast doubt on the veracity of the whole tome. If Bowers wants to be taken seriously then he has to be seen to be accurate. You can play the game of over-egging some facts as long as they bear a passing relation to the truth.The book is in the bargain bucket because that is where it deserves to be.
r11co said:
Hmmm, I agree with the sentiment of your point but at the same time providing a link to Pitpass doesn't add credibility to it!I've read Lawrence's so called review before and it's a shockingly biased and petty synopsis of the book.
It's clear he has contempt for Bower - perhaps because he (Lawrence) feels he should have been asked to write the book? Or that Bower can script a narrative; tell a story that is both entertaining and informative?
Or that Bower sells in millions (even if it is for £1 a go..) ?
I'm surprised because Lawrence is a talented biographer (his Colin Chapman book is considered the most authoritative).
With Bower's book, the errors he so boringly labours over, the alleged inaccuracies of people and events, it's all just simple jealously. And as someone involved with the BRDC in the nineties, the period that Lawrence singles out as inaccurately reported, then Lawrence himself is quite wrong -- factually incorrect -- several times.
Ultimately as with anything, read the book and make up your own mind.
I defy anyone attempting to profile a man who's life has been such a roller coaster, crossed the paths (and palms..) of so many people, involved hundreds of influential and ambitious characters, both friend and foe, and get it 100% accurate.
I've read Lawrence's so called review before and it's a shockingly biased and petty synopsis of the book.
It's clear he has contempt for Bower - perhaps because he (Lawrence) feels he should have been asked to write the book? Or that Bower can script a narrative; tell a story that is both entertaining and informative?
Or that Bower sells in millions (even if it is for £1 a go..) ?
I'm surprised because Lawrence is a talented biographer (his Colin Chapman book is considered the most authoritative).
With Bower's book, the errors he so boringly labours over, the alleged inaccuracies of people and events, it's all just simple jealously. I was involved with the BRDC in the nineties, the period that Lawrence singles out as inaccurately reported, and Lawrence himself is quite wrong -- factually incorrect -- several times.
Ultimately as with anything, read the book and make up your own mind.
I defy anyone attempting to profile a man who's life has been such a roller coaster, crossed the paths (and palms..) of so many people, involved hundreds of influential and ambitious characters, both friend and foe, and get it 100% accurate.
It's clear he has contempt for Bower - perhaps because he (Lawrence) feels he should have been asked to write the book? Or that Bower can script a narrative; tell a story that is both entertaining and informative?
Or that Bower sells in millions (even if it is for £1 a go..) ?
I'm surprised because Lawrence is a talented biographer (his Colin Chapman book is considered the most authoritative).
With Bower's book, the errors he so boringly labours over, the alleged inaccuracies of people and events, it's all just simple jealously. I was involved with the BRDC in the nineties, the period that Lawrence singles out as inaccurately reported, and Lawrence himself is quite wrong -- factually incorrect -- several times.
Ultimately as with anything, read the book and make up your own mind.
I defy anyone attempting to profile a man who's life has been such a roller coaster, crossed the paths (and palms..) of so many people, involved hundreds of influential and ambitious characters, both friend and foe, and get it 100% accurate.
Sorry, but getting the facts wrong about which teams/drivers were entering (and winning) the F1 WC and when is inexcusable as there are countless accurate sources for that information, and literally millions of witnesses!
Regardless of what may or may not be true in the book, failure to represent factual details and basic records that can be easily verified undermines the book's credibility as it suggests either facts were ignored to tell a false story or Bower's sources are flawed and he doesn't care. Might not spoil the narrative, but as I said - as a record of events the book is a non-starter for that reason alone as nothing contained within can be trusted.
This is not an opinion - it is an observation.
Oh, and ad-hominem attacks on Mike Lawrence do not diminish Bowers' mistakes.
Regardless of what may or may not be true in the book, failure to represent factual details and basic records that can be easily verified undermines the book's credibility as it suggests either facts were ignored to tell a false story or Bower's sources are flawed and he doesn't care. Might not spoil the narrative, but as I said - as a record of events the book is a non-starter for that reason alone as nothing contained within can be trusted.
This is not an opinion - it is an observation.
Oh, and ad-hominem attacks on Mike Lawrence do not diminish Bowers' mistakes.
Edited by r11co on Monday 6th January 20:36
You're correct if readers bought the book hoping to find a compendium of statistics and data about race results etc.
Just as they may have rushed out to buy his other titles for data on flight punctuality (Branson), how to bankrupt an economy (Gordon Brown) or best sellers at Harrods.
Bower excels at telling a story about individuals, especially those with an insatiable thirst for power.
Other books on Bernie may be more factually correct, and, as you say, errors undermine the credibility of a history book.
But to many, it's less important. And this book is about a personality who's deal making ability and extraordinary eye for an opportunity is one hell of a story. That he did this from modest beginnings is the kind of rags-to-riches tale that people love to read, usually with a sneaking admiration of the subject, even he did cut many corners.
Evidently that's the appeal for the many thousands upon thousands who did buy it
Just as they may have rushed out to buy his other titles for data on flight punctuality (Branson), how to bankrupt an economy (Gordon Brown) or best sellers at Harrods.
Bower excels at telling a story about individuals, especially those with an insatiable thirst for power.
Other books on Bernie may be more factually correct, and, as you say, errors undermine the credibility of a history book.
But to many, it's less important. And this book is about a personality who's deal making ability and extraordinary eye for an opportunity is one hell of a story. That he did this from modest beginnings is the kind of rags-to-riches tale that people love to read, usually with a sneaking admiration of the subject, even he did cut many corners.
Evidently that's the appeal for the many thousands upon thousands who did buy it
tallmat said:
But to many, it's less important. And this book is about a personality who's deal making ability and extraordinary eye for an opportunity is one hell of a story. That he did this from modest beginnings is the kind of rags-to-riches tale that people love to read, usually with a sneaking admiration of the subject, even he did cut many corners.
Evidently that's the appeal for the many thousands upon thousands who did buy it
That was certainly my impression and why I enjoyed it.Evidently that's the appeal for the many thousands upon thousands who did buy it
I don't like F1 enough to care about the numbers if I'm honest.
Art0ir said:
tallmat said:
But to many, it's less important. And this book is about a personality who's deal making ability and extraordinary eye for an opportunity is one hell of a story. That he did this from modest beginnings is the kind of rags-to-riches tale that people love to read, usually with a sneaking admiration of the subject, even he did cut many corners.
Evidently that's the appeal for the many thousands upon thousands who did buy it
That was certainly my impression and why I enjoyed it.Evidently that's the appeal for the many thousands upon thousands who did buy it
I don't like F1 enough to care about the numbers if I'm honest.
tallmat said:
You're correct if readers bought the book hoping to find a compendium of statistics and data about race results etc.
You are missing my point. Bower reports an incident whereby Frank Williams was involved in orchestrating the result of the 1976 F1 World Championship by ordering his cars to give way to James Hunt at the end of the Japanese GP - the inference being the result was corrupt in some way. Trouble is it never happened because both the Williams cars retired from the race very early on.There was an incident at the end of the 1997 World Championship where it was alleged Frank Williams asked Ron Dennis to make sure the McLarens did not interfere with Jacques Villeneuve in his attempt to beat Michael Schumacher in the last race of the season. Bower either thinks it is OK to change the dates and details of the incident to suit his narrative, or his sources intentionally or incompetently confused them.
If this juicy bit of salacious gossip is provably b
ks then anything else controversial in the book is equally suspect because it demonstrates that Bower does not check his sources.The book might be a good read, but it is no more a factual account of events than Blackadder Goes Forth is a historical record of WW1.
Edited by r11co on Tuesday 7th January 07:15
Wacky Racer said:
Just bought his biography for a pound at my local Poundland store, they had several in stock, maybe your local store may have some left?...interesting read for a quid....
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