What F1 biography should I read?
Discussion
john_1983 said:
Slightly O/T but having seen his name mentioned above - I'd love to read a Ron Dennis autobiography
Can you imagine if it were a Biography?.. Printed on carbon parchment with a laser etched cover made from unobtanium presented in a case fabricated from the thighs of Indonesian hill goats. Yours for a trillion quid 
Anyway...two more to add:
Crash and Byrne. The story of Tommy Byrne.
Flat Out - Flat Broke. The story of Perry McCarthy
Both excellent insights on how not to do F1. Perry's book is particularly entertaining.
Edited by StevieBee on Tuesday 9th August 08:07
You don’t need a Ron Dennis biography (although I wish there was a definitive one too), watch his interview at the Academy Of Achievement, all one hour fifty of it is on YouTube.
I’ve seen loads of recommendations over the years but most have been disappointing, including most on this thread.
The exceptions are the Niki Lauder books, every one of them (his life has been so varied there’s a good few that cover most parts!) is an absolute gem. In fact it’s only discounting that he passed away without writing one last one that covered his modern era F1 exploits.
The other is Ginny Williams’ stunning autobiography about life with Frank. I only hope he chose to read it before his own passing.
Jackie Stewart’s is good whatever you think of the man, as are Sid Watkin’s.
Another worth tracking down is called something like a weekend in September. I’ll have to check the library at home as I’ve forgotten the title!
It’s about the lead up to that years race at the nurburgring in the late 60s early 70s by the Honda F1 team. Years since I’ve read it but for anyone who knows the area it’s well worth finding.
I’ve seen loads of recommendations over the years but most have been disappointing, including most on this thread.
The exceptions are the Niki Lauder books, every one of them (his life has been so varied there’s a good few that cover most parts!) is an absolute gem. In fact it’s only discounting that he passed away without writing one last one that covered his modern era F1 exploits.
The other is Ginny Williams’ stunning autobiography about life with Frank. I only hope he chose to read it before his own passing.
Jackie Stewart’s is good whatever you think of the man, as are Sid Watkin’s.
Another worth tracking down is called something like a weekend in September. I’ll have to check the library at home as I’ve forgotten the title!
It’s about the lead up to that years race at the nurburgring in the late 60s early 70s by the Honda F1 team. Years since I’ve read it but for anyone who knows the area it’s well worth finding.
LimaDelta said:
For a slightly more left-field option, I enjoyed Colin Chapman: The Man and His Cars
Mike Lawrence's book "Wayward Genius" also takes a look at the life of Chapman from a slightly more critical viewpoint. Highly recommended.
Eric Mc said:
Mike Lawrence's book "Wayward Genius" also takes a look at the life of Chapman from a slightly more critical viewpoint. Highly recommended.
Chapman is a fascinating character. I know history paints him as a hero but had he lived it's highly likely he would have gone to prison over the DeLorean accounting and may be remembered very differently. Which in no way undermines his achievements but I simply dont see how he could have avoided that fate.cgt2 said:
Chapman is a fascinating character. I know history paints him as a hero but had he lived it's highly likely he would have gone to prison over the DeLorean accounting and may be remembered very differently. Which in no way undermines his achievements but I simply dont see how he could have avoided that fate.
Agreed. The Channel 4 documentary "The Secret Life of Colin Chapman" covers similar ground to Lawrence's book - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvk64REcBNY&t=...
DickyC said:
Touch Wood - Duncan Hamilton.
A bit of Grand Prix and a lot of sports car and endurance racing. Funny.
Another superb one. Havent read it in over 25yrs, but still remember giggling at his RAF story of them racing each other down the barracks across the roof trusses I think it was. A bit of Grand Prix and a lot of sports car and endurance racing. Funny.
Oh and the minor tale of being on a bender at Le Mans not expecting to race and the pair of them being given an hr to sober up before having to start. And then winning it of course.
Great read
Pflanzgarten said:
Another worth tracking down is called something like a weekend in September. I’ll have to check the library at home as I’ve forgotten the title!
It’s about the lead up to that years race at the nurburgring in the late 60s early 70s by the Honda F1 team. Years since I’ve read it but for anyone who knows the area it’s well worth finding.
Close but no cigar!It’s about the lead up to that years race at the nurburgring in the late 60s early 70s by the Honda F1 team. Years since I’ve read it but for anyone who knows the area it’s well worth finding.
miniman said:
Pflanzgarten said:
The other is Ginny Williams’ stunning autobiography about life with Frank. I only hope he chose to read it before his own passing.
Just read this, excellent book. DeejRC said:
DickyC said:
Touch Wood - Duncan Hamilton.
Oh and the minor tale of being on a bender at Le Mans not expecting to race and the pair of them being given an hr to sober up before having to start. And then winning it of course.
Great read
It's a good story but apparently it's a myth. Tony Rolt in particular was quite upset about it.Oh and the minor tale of being on a bender at Le Mans not expecting to race and the pair of them being given an hr to sober up before having to start. And then winning it of course.
Great read
He competed in just one Championship GP (Silverstone 1956) but the story of Archie Scott-Brown is remarkable.
In a GP car he was often the match for Moss/Hawthorn in non-championship races. In sports cars he was a formidable force. All this despite his very significant physical disabilities.
So, a vote for “Archie & the Listers”.
In a GP car he was often the match for Moss/Hawthorn in non-championship races. In sports cars he was a formidable force. All this despite his very significant physical disabilities.
So, a vote for “Archie & the Listers”.
Halmyre said:
DeejRC said:
DickyC said:
Touch Wood - Duncan Hamilton.
Oh and the minor tale of being on a bender at Le Mans not expecting to race and the pair of them being given an hr to sober up before having to start. And then winning it of course.
Great read
It's a good story but apparently it's a myth. Tony Rolt in particular was quite upset about it.Oh and the minor tale of being on a bender at Le Mans not expecting to race and the pair of them being given an hr to sober up before having to start. And then winning it of course.
Great read
MOST of the stories that he told were…exaggerated, shall we say. It’s what made him such a good story teller.
As a little bit of an aside, and I will have to beg forgiveness on the memory - it’s been 25yrs or more since I last read most of these…is it Ireland’s book where he talks about a group of them finding Jim’s mini (or whoever) in an alleyway and they decide to manhandle it 90degrees and wedge it in?
Another vote for both of Sid Watkins books, as mentioned by others Jackie Stewarts is an interesting read ( I do agree about the product placements and the corporate side). Christopher Hiltons Aryton Senna As Time Goes By, I will go back and read that over and over again. I have the Kimi one, now the first time I read it I was "Huh what is this all about". As someone said above about translation, I agree totally. I gave it another try a few months later and it made for want of a better word "sense" if you get my meaning.
Thanks though for some recommendations Chaps, with Damon's and the Niki Lauda "good" one.
Thanks though for some recommendations Chaps, with Damon's and the Niki Lauda "good" one.
moffspeed said:
“The Lost Generation” is equally impressive but will tear you apart emotionally.
….
Oh god, yes. I totally forgotten about that, and I have a copy!….
I read it after seeing that incredibly sad Youtube of F1 in the very dark days. Think its been pulled now, but by god, that woke me up to just how bad it used be.
Yes - the Kyalami footage from 1977 is something that I have spent the last few decades wishing that I could "unsee".
To re-dress the emotional balance there is this recent affectionate bio of Tom by those who knew him (I made a very modest contribution to it). Difficult now to believe that his F1 career was at its peak just a few years after we lost Jimmy Clark, in many ways he was such a similar self-effacing character.
Highly recommended and a reminder of what a top bloke he was.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/WCuCo3vJ[/url]
To re-dress the emotional balance there is this recent affectionate bio of Tom by those who knew him (I made a very modest contribution to it). Difficult now to believe that his F1 career was at its peak just a few years after we lost Jimmy Clark, in many ways he was such a similar self-effacing character.
Highly recommended and a reminder of what a top bloke he was.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/WCuCo3vJ[/url]Well mentioned - that is a lovely book . I reviewed it last year and concluded that if you were moved by The Lost Generation this was compulsory reading .
Anybody go to the Pryce exhibition in Denbigh a year or so ago ? We did ,and it was a lovely tribute to the wild haired bloke who had stood next to me in the Oulton Park cafe queue - and to my eternal regret I was too shy to speak to him . .
Anybody go to the Pryce exhibition in Denbigh a year or so ago ? We did ,and it was a lovely tribute to the wild haired bloke who had stood next to me in the Oulton Park cafe queue - and to my eternal regret I was too shy to speak to him . .
Turn7 said:
NuisanceFactor said:
Sid Watkins' Life At The Limit and Beyond The Limit?
This, absolutely..... Great thread this, building up a nice ‘must read’ list
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