Essential Motorsport Books...

[acf8181]

Just finished Ben Collins new book, and quite enjoyed it

[Slyjoe]

acf8181 said:

Just finished Ben Collins new book, and quite enjoyed it

Who's he?

[Ianeire]

HeavySoul said:

Anyone read this?

I'm reading this at the moment. I don't have any clear memories of Senna, I was 12 when he crashed at San Marino, and I think the book paints Senna in a very different light to all the rose tinted affection that people seem fond to remember him by. Obviously the book is written in equal parts about his phenomenal talent but it's good to get a balanced view of what he was like. Schumacher is often branded a cynic for his tactics on track, Senna a genious. Go figure.

Crashed and Byrned is also a great read. I couldn't put it down, finished it in a little over 24 hours!

Edited by Ianeire on Friday 8th October 10:11

Edited by Ianeire on Friday 8th October 10:11

[shoestring7]

Paul Dishman said:

touring fan said:

The Lost Generation;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Generation-Tragically...

Thats a great book.

My all time favourite is Touch Wood! by Duncan Hamilton

Other favourites:

Archie and the Listers by Robert Edwards
To finish first by Phil Kerr
All Arms and Elbows By Innes Ireland

I was about to add my list when I see you've done it for me!

I'd add The Lost Generation by David Tremeayne. But be prepared to have you heart wrenched.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Generation-David-Trem...


SS7

[shoestring7]

egomeister said:

acf8181 said:

RedexR said:

Flat out Flat Broke - Perry McCarthy the original Stig

Working the Wheel - Martin Brundle

both excellent and entertaining reads.

+1

and add the tommy byrne book as well (cant rem its title off top of my head)

Crashed and Byrned - very good!

But didn't you just want to give the bloke a slap? Practically a definition of the term 'Wasted Talent'.

SS7

[456lbft]

+1 "Crashed and Byrned".
I remember seeing Tommy Byrne at the Racing Car Show when it used to be held in a Hotel basement in London. There was a Scalextric track set up, and Tommy sauntered up, and smashed the lap record on his second flying lap. He displayed astonishing arrogance/self belief, which was probably his undoing.
Another good one if you can get it is Virginia Williams' "A different kind of life" about Sir Frank's injury mainly, but also a lot about their early days.

[alwayzsidewayz]

really enjoyed the book "Tales from the toolbox" a coolection of mechanics stories and observations in F1 from the 60s and 70s, some great pictures tool.

Very much a book from the days when it was a much simpler sport

[Paul Dishman]

shoestring7 said:

egomeister said:

acf8181 said:

RedexR said:

Flat out Flat Broke - Perry McCarthy the original Stig

Working the Wheel - Martin Brundle

both excellent and entertaining reads.

+1

and add the tommy byrne book as well (cant rem its title off top of my head)

Crashed and Byrned - very good!

But didn't you just want to give the bloke a slap? Practically a definition of the term 'Wasted Talent'.

SS7

Absolutely, that self destructive streak reminded me of George Best

[Nick_F]

More or less anything by David Tremayne or Nigel Roebuck, but on an entirely different tack there's something about Carroll Smith's '...to Win' books that really appeals.

[skeggysteve]

alwayzsidewayz said:

really enjoyed the book "Tales from the toolbox" a coolection of mechanics stories and observations in F1 from the 60s and 70s, some great pictures tool.

Very much a book from the days when it was a much simpler sport

I was going to mention that book, a mate lent it to me and I'm currently reading it.
A very good read.

Another one I would recommend is a book about John Wyre and sports car racing - but I can't for the life of me rememeber what it was called - sorry!
I 'think' it was written by a JW team manager, if that helps.

[HeavySoul]

Ianeire said:

HeavySoul said:

Anyone read this?

I'm reading this at the moment. I don't have any clear memories of Senna, I was 12 when he crashed at San Marino, and I think the book paints Senna in a very different light to all the rose tinted affection that people seem fond to remember him by. Obviously the book is written in equal parts about his phenomenal talent but it's good to get a balanced view of what he was like. Schumacher is often branded a cynic for his tactics on track, Senna a genious. Go figure.

Excellent.

It is already sitting on my shelf waiting to be read so will look forward to it

[Paul Dishman]

skeggysteve said:

Another one I would recommend is a book about John Wyre and sports car racing - but I can't for the life of me rememeber what it was called - sorry!
I 'think' it was written by a JW team manager, if that helps.

The Certain Sound-Thirty Years of Motor Racing by John Wyer

[shoestring7]

Paul Dishman said:

skeggysteve said:

Another one I would recommend is a book about John Wyre and sports car racing - but I can't for the life of me rememeber what it was called - sorry!
I 'think' it was written by a JW team manager, if that helps.

The Certain Sound-Thirty Years of Motor Racing by John Wyer

How much does a copy cost? £250?

SS7

[Paul Dishman]

shoestring7 said:

Paul Dishman said:

skeggysteve said:

Another one I would recommend is a book about John Wyre and sports car racing - but I can't for the life of me rememeber what it was called - sorry!
I 'think' it was written by a JW team manager, if that helps.

The Certain Sound-Thirty Years of Motor Racing by John Wyer

How much does a copy cost? £250?

SS7

Probably, its long out of print. Mine is a Swiss edition (but in English) by the publishers of Automobile Year. I got it through one of those book clubs that advertised in the sunday papers back in the 80s

[GTP rpm]

Another vote for "Winning Is Not Enough - Jackie Stewart".

A truely remarkable man.

[Barbarossa]

Mark Donahue - The Unfair Advantage.Fantastic chapters on developing the 917 CanAm cars.

[Paul Dishman]

GTP rpm said:

Another vote for "Winning Is Not Enough - Jackie Stewart".

A truely remarkable man.

A bit too much about his royal and or rich friends for my taste

[AlpineWhite]

Paul Dishman said:

GTP rpm said:

Another vote for "Winning Is Not Enough - Jackie Stewart".

A truely remarkable man.

A bit too much about his royal and or rich friends for my taste

the first two-thirds are good though.

Currently reading 'the life of Senna', anyone else read it?

[456lbft]

AlpineWhite said:

Paul Dishman said:

GTP rpm said:

Another vote for "Winning Is Not Enough - Jackie Stewart".

A truely remarkable man.

A bit too much about his royal and or rich friends for my taste

the first two-thirds are good though.

Currently reading 'the life of Senna', anyone else read it?

If that is the Tom Rubython book, I was really looking forward to it, as I enjoy his articles in F1 Business, and finally got my hands on a heavily discounted paperback copy when Borders went bust, but was disappointed by the very poor editing. I am looking forward to the film though and I hope I am not disappointed by that.

[HeavySoul]

456lbft said:

AlpineWhite said:

Paul Dishman said:

GTP rpm said:

Another vote for "Winning Is Not Enough - Jackie Stewart".

A truely remarkable man.

A bit too much about his royal and or rich friends for my taste

the first two-thirds are good though.

Currently reading 'the life of Senna', anyone else read it?

If that is the Tom Rubython book, I was really looking forward to it, as I enjoy his articles in F1 Business, and finally got my hands on a heavily discounted paperback copy when Borders went bust, but was disappointed by the very poor editing. I am looking forward to the film though and I hope I am not disappointed by that.

The amount of typo's and errors in that book is disgraceful. I couldn't believe it was actually printed and published in that state!