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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports > Car racing
The hugely entertaining, and extremely candid, autobiography of one
of the most colourful characters in motor sport Eddie Jordan gave
Michael Schumacher his first drive, and helped groom a whole series
of drivers early in their careers, including Damon Hill and Johnny
Herbert. But he funded his first move into motor sport by selling
smoked salmon well past its sell-by date to rugby fans leaving
Lansdowne Road; when stopped for speeding by a policeman, he ended
up selling him his car. Jordan set up his own team, and moved into
Formula One at the end of the 1980s. It wasn't long before the team
began to pick up podium finishes, and in 1998 won its first race -
a remarkable achievement on a comparatively small budget. The
following year was even better, but sadly this was to be the peak,
as the search for more finance and legal battles with sponsors hit
hard. Eventually, in January 2005 he sold the team. AN INDEPENDENT
MAN goes behind the scenes to reveal the true personalities of the
drivers Jordan worked with, and his battles with Bernie Ecclestone.
It shows how, when so much money is involved, nothing is ever
simple. His has been a life lived to the full, and his account is
packed full of superb stories, colourful adventures and revealing
tales.
'I'm no angel.' Bernie Ecclestone Born into poverty, Bernie
Ecclestone has made himself a billionaire by developing the world's
second most popular sport - Formula One racing. Private, mysterious
and some say sinister, the eighty-year-old criss-crosses the globe
in his private jet, mixing with celebrities, statesmen and sporting
heroes. His success is not just in creating a multibillion-pound
global business but in resisting repeated attempts to snatch the
glittering prize from his control. Ecclestone has never before
revealed how he graduated from selling second-hand cars in London's
notorious Warren Street to become the major player he is today. He
has finally decided to reveal his secrets: the deals, the
marriages, the disasters and the successes in Formula One racing,
in Downing Street, in casinos, on yachts and in the air.
Surprisingly, he has granted access to his inner circle to Tom
Bower, described by Ecclestone as 'The Undertaker' - the man who
buries reputations - and has given him access to all his friends
and enemies. All have been told by Ecclestone, 'Tell him the truth,
good or bad.' No Angel is a classic rags-to-riches story, the
unique portrayal of a unique man and an intriguing insight into
Formula One racing, business and the human spirit. Tom Bower is the
author of nineteen books, including biographies of Robert Maxwell,
Mohamed Fayed, Gordon Brown, Richard Branson, Conrad Black and more
recently, Simon Cowell.
Westwood (or 'Wetwood' as some called it) was the first
purpose-built automobile road-racing track in Canada. Its location
in Coquitlam on the slopes of British Columbia's coastal mountains
meant that it often rained, but the rest of the time it may well
have been the most beautiful racing circuit in the world. The track
was built and owned by the Sports Car Club of British Columbia.
SCCBC members viewed it as a special place where family members of
racing enthusiasts grew up over its 32 seasons. The track ran just
about any kind of racing that came along for cars, motorcycles and
karts, but was best known for its spectacular races for smaller
formula cars, Formula Atlantic in particular. Sadly, in 1990
Westwood suffered the common fate of racetracks located near
expanding cities world-wide and was converted into a housing
development and golf course.
THE BUGATTI QUEEN is the beautifully illustrated story of an
indomitable and fascinating woman, a pioneer of motorsport who
revelled in danger. Born in 1900 in a tiny French village, Helene
Delangle, aka Helle Nice, became a dancer and a stripper before
catching the eye of Ettore Bugatti. Seduced by the combination of
machines and speed, Helle Nice went on to have an unprecedented
career, competing in numerous Grands Prix and becoming the only
woman to drive on the treacherous American speedbowls in the 1930s.
She set new land-speed records before a notorious accident which
almost ended her racing days. Re-creating her rollercoaster career
with authority and panache from many previously unpublished
sources, Miranda Seymour reveals the story of an unforgettable life
and sheds new light on the extraordinary and reckless world of
motor-racing between the wars.
Brian Redman is one of very few notable British racing drivers
whose racing life has yet to be put on record in book form. Now
that is about to be rectified. Packed with photographs, Redman's
memoir is a vivid account of his varied racing exploits, with
special focus on the period 1968-73 when he won major sports car
races in Ford GT40s, Porsche 908s and 917s, and Ferrari 312PBs.
Highly readable, and at times both humorous and poignant, this is a
very personal book that will be welcomed by this popular and highly
respected driver's legions of fans.
The glamour and exhilaration of the golden days of motorsport
cannot be matched, ringing with the names of famous international
marques: Bentley, MG, ERA and Aston Martin; Bugatti, Maserati,
Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union and Alfa Romeo. Using extracts from
contemporary race-reports along with expert advice on competitive
driving and vintage advertisements, this new title takes a
light-hearted look at motor racing from its earliest origins up to
the beginnings of Formula 1. Featuring great names like Juan Fangio
and Malcolm Campbell; eccentric personalities like the Siamese
racing Prince 'Bira'; famous races such as the Mille Miglia and the
24 Hours of Le Mans, and iconic tracks from Brooklands to the
Nurburgring, The Racing Driver's Pocket Book evokes the unique
spirit and elan of the period. It also focuses on the cars that
achieved lasting fame, such as the famous German 'silver arrows' of
the 1930s, and explains racing terminology and tactics - outlining
track rules and regulations, as well as providing a few pointers on
appropriate racing attire.
Total Competition is the most compelling, comprehensive and
revealing insight into what it takes to get to the top in Formula
One that has ever been published. Across four decades, Ross Brawn
was one of the most innovative and successful technical directors
and then team principals in Formula One. Leading Benetton, Ferrari,
Honda, Brawn and Mercedes, he worked with drivers such as Michael
Schumacher, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to make them world
champions. In 2017, he was appointed F1's managing director, motor
sports, by the sport's new owners Liberty Media. Now, in this
fascinating book written with Adam Parr (who was CEO and then
chairman of Williams for five years), he looks back over his career
and methods to assess how he did it, and where occasionally he got
things wrong. Total Competition is a definitive portrait of modern
motorsport. In the book, Brawn and Parr explore the unique
pressures of Formula One, their battles with Bernie Ecclestone, and
the cut-throat world they inhabited, where coming second is never
good enough. This book will appeal not only to the millions of
Formula One fans who want to understand how Brawn operates, it will
also provide many lessons in how to achieve your own business
goals. 'A must-have insight into the awe-inspiring career of a true
motor racing great' Daily Express
Occasionally a spark of inspiration can become the catalyst for
transition. Just such an occasion took place with the construction
of Thompson Speedway in 1940, a five-eighth-mile banked oval track,
dubbed "The Indianapolis of the East." A road course joined to the
oval in 1952 enlarged the track to form the first privately-owned
complex where sports car drivers could race safely. It transformed
the face of sports car racing in America, and hastened the demise
of the dangerous open-road events together with the majority of
flat and boring airfield race venues. These two volumes tell the
story of the ground-breaking racetrack and, as far as possible,
detail the drivers and cars that participated in the races. They
are profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs showing
well-known drivers such as Briggs Cunningham, Bill Lloyd, Bill
Spear, Lance Reventlow, Walt Hansgen, George Constantine and Denise
McCluggage in action driving Maseratis, Jaguars, Porsches, Coopers,
Ferraris and other makes that they imported from Europe and that
are now in such popular demand. Today, the Raceway has been
regenerated and runs as a successful venture under the control of
Jonathan Hoenig, great-grandson of the original owner. Volume One,
The Formative Years: 1945-1959, covers the years 1938-1960 and
describes the development of sports car racing at Thompson as early
as 1945. It explains the politics involved between land-owner, John
Hoenig, and Raceway manager George Weaver, and their unsuccessful
attempts to establish a working relationship. Their disagreements
led to the development of the Raceway's second layout by Weaver as
it separated from the Speedway Oval in 1958. Volume Two, Changing
Fortunes: 1960-1977, sees Hoenig and Thompson Raceway in Windham
County Court in 1961, the culmination of a long-standing dispute
over share holdings. SCCA policy changes in the first half of the
1960s involving the conflict between professional and amateur
status also contributed to the eventual demise of the Raceway under
Weaver's control in 1967. Subsequently, the venue was revived by
the Hoenig family, with a new track that incorporated the original
Speedway oval, but the fuel crisis, a lack of investment and a
general decline in spectator interest led to its closure again in
1977.
**THE ONLY DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST RACE - FULL
OF EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH NIKI LAUDA, ROSS BRAWN, DAMON HILL,
DAVID COULTHARD, SIR JACKIE STEWART, OLIVER PANIS AND 2016 WORLD
CHAMPION NICO ROSBERG** Circuit de Monaco. Monte Carlo. The
ultimate race in the Formula One calendar. When you think of
Formula One, you think of Monaco. Once a year, yachts jam the
harbour, celebrities fill the stands and luxury sports cars litter
the streets as of thousands of people gather from across the world
to watch the greatest, and one of the oldest, races in motorsport.
Monaco is glamorous, prestigious and seductive. But for the
drivers, it is the most demanding race of the year. The narrow
streets, tight corners and sharp elevations make it the ultimate
test of driving skill. It is physically draining and mentally
exhausting. Proposed today, the race would not exist but it remains
the jewel in the crown for every Formula One driver. There is
simply no other race like it. Win at Monaco and your name is etched
in history. You will join the likes of Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart,
Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
With exclusive interviews and insight from drivers and a wealth of
F1 insiders, award-winning sportswriter Malcolm Folley goes behind
the scenes to discover what it's really like to drive and live and
breathe this iconic circuit. He reveals along the way a unique and
definitive portrait of the circuit, and recreates in thrilling
detail its most extraordinary weekend, when only three cars
finished.
The last edition of an automotive literary classic: the technical
analysis of Formula 1 penned by Giorgio Piola. After 25 years of
publication, the historic draughtsman is bring the curtain down on
this experience with a volume that examines the last three seasons,
from 2016 to 2018, as always reviewing the principal technical
innovations in the spheres of chassis and engine design. This
three-year analysis is appropriately completed with a retrospective
of some of Piola's most important drawings from a 50-year career
that began back in 1969.
Villeneuve sheds new light on the Formula 1 legend through 48
illuminating interviews with his contemporaries and a stunning
array of action and behind-the-scenes photographs, many previously
unseen. Gilles Villeneuve, F1's last cavalier, lives on in the
memories of his fans - his heritage all the more colourful thanks
to Karoly Mehes' vivid tribute. Villeneuve's Formula 1 career only
lasted for 67 grands prix between 1977 and 1982, yet he made an
indelible impression as a driver who raced without limits. Having
debuted for McLaren, the daredevil Canadian soon switched to F1's
most charismatic team: Enzo Ferrari was Villeneuve's biggest fan.
After his tragic death in May 1982, Villeneuve's legend has
continued to grow globally. Karoly Mehes has interviewed
Villeneuve's Ferrari team-mates, his opponents and journalists - as
well as Gilles' widow, Joann, and son, Jacques (world champion of
1997). Nearly 40 years on, they speak about the incandescent star
of Formula 1 - a man who gave everything for his beloved sport,
ultimately his life.
Known as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indy 500 humbly
began in 1911. Labeled as the first speedway, this
two-and-a-half-mile oval is now home to many of today's top races,
including the Brickyard 400, the Verizon IndyCar Series, the
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the SportsCar Vintage Racing
Association, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, and its most
famous race, the Indianapolis 500. In The Indianapolis 500: Inside
the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, speedway tour guide and racing
aficionado James Craig Reinhardt shares what makes the legendary
racetrack special. He reveals the speedway's unbelievable history,
fast-flying action, notorious moments, and its secrets, including
facts about the beginning of the brickyard, why the drivers kiss
the finish line, how milk became the drink of choice, and much
more. The perfect gift for the veteran or rookie, The Indianapolis
500 is a must-have for all race fans.
Formula One is speed, glamour, danger - and eye-watering wealth.
Driven: The Men Who Made Formula One tells how a small group of
extraordinary men transformed Formula One from a niche sport played
out on primitive tracks surrounded by hay bales and grass verges
into a GBP1 billion circus performing in vast theatres of
entertainment all over the world. Led by Bernie Ecclestone, the
billionaire ringmaster, this clique started by scraping a living to
go racing and ended up creating space-age cars, turning drivers
from amateur gladiators into multimillion-pound superstars, like
Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton, while the names of Ferrari,
McLaren and Williams are now as familiar around the world as
Manchester United or Real Madrid. For 20 years, Kevin Eason watched
how these men operated like a sporting Mafia, protecting each other
while squabbling over the vast wealth pouring into the sport. As
motor racing correspondent for The Times and then with The Sunday
Times, Eason was privileged to have a ringside seat as this cabal
of wealthy characters ruled and then were pushed out of the sport
they created. This colourful and compelling account of the
extraordinary flourishing of Formula One explores the quirks and
extravagances of the men who converged - in one generation - to
shape their sport; disparate characters with a common impulse: they
were racers - and they were driven.
This is a story of excitement, laughs, astonishment and anger - a
story of the determination of a man with a dream and a passion for
motor racing in the big leagues. It is the first time that the
history of the always under-financed Gordini racing team has been
documented in English, and the first complete story of Gordini
himself in any language. This volume will appeal to new enthusiasts
and old hands of Formula 1 and sports prototypes, especially those
who have owned a Gordini engined-car. It charts Gordini's early
life and beginnings in motorsport, up to 1969 when Renault took
over the Gordini company, keeping his name on all the racing
engines until 1986, before finally resurrecting it for a
performance version of the Renault Twingo and Clio in 2009. The
book is packed with evocative period images from important
collections, supplementary transcripts in English from many
contemporary interviews, plus recollections from former employees
remembering their time working with Gordini, and an exhaustive set
of statistics. All the way it's a roller coaster of joy, despair,
humour, and stunning images. The racing legend of 'Le Sorcier'
lives on.
Stirling Moss is a national treasure. Arguably, the world's
greatest all-round racing driver, he was a hero to several
generations of schoolboys and countless enthusiasts throughout the
world. He is still held in the highest esteem and is mobbed
whenever he attends events. He was one of the first of the
jet-setters, living a glamorous life of high octane motor sport and
beautiful women. He only had to be seen with a fabulous female
twice and all the papers would be reporting they were engaged. If
he sneezed, the Press wrote about it. He was the Beckham of his
era. Above all, he was a dedicated sportsman and probably the first
to make motor racing his sole profession. He had to make a living
out of it. He went rallying in the winter, not just for the fun of
it, but to make some money during the racing off-season. Throughout
his career he created his personal scrapbooks, several volumes per
year, and he kept a diary. This book dips into his personal records
and is spiced throughout with treasures to delight and fascinate.
These are supplemented by period comments and many of his
anecdotes. Moss has a fund of stories and is refreshingly non-PC!
In spite of being adored and respected by the public for more than
50 years, Stirling remains the modest man he always was. Long-term
friends and former colleagues have shared their fond memories with
Philip Porter for this book. The year 1955 was a truly remarkable
one for Stirling Moss. Yet to really establish himself at the
highest levels after gamely persevering with uncompetitive British
machinery, he finished the year second only to the great Fangio in
the World Championship and a household name, a mega-star. If there
had been a world championship for sports cars, he would have won it
by a handsome margin for he recorded some extraordinary victories
in possibly his greatest year. In 1955, Moss won his first Grand
Prix, won the uniquely gruelling Targa Florio, won the classic
Tourist Trophy for the third time and, most amazing of all,
brilliantly won the Mille Miglia, the sensationally dangerous 1,000
race around the roads of Italy, reaching over 170mph! This book is
a light-hearted look at the fun, the excitement, the lifestyle, the
challenges, the tragedies, and the victories.
This book presents, in large-format images, Simon's unique
virtually designed racing machines and tells the story of
international racer Vic Cooper, who time-travels under the name
'Vic13' and later 'Mean13' to the past and the future to compete in
a wide variety of motor races. His attempts are supported by world
famous constructor Masucci, who built amazing vehicles for Cooper
between the years 1916 and 2582. In this first volume of The
Timeless Racer, Cooper time-travels to the year 2027, where he
competes in the world-famous--and legendarily dangerous-- 48 Hours
of America endurance race. The book puts three vehicles in the
spotlight, shown in incredibly photo-realistic images.
Car enthusiasts, design fans, and fiction addicts will be awed by
fantastic and futuristic race cars in drawings and hyper-real
renderings up to 24 inches wide. The book includes special
attention to the fine details that make alternate worlds
believable: fictitious sponsors and conflicts, with characters
described in spectacular detail through photographs and back
stories.
In this captivating series, Simon returns to create an imaginary
but entirely possible reality of glamour, speed, and honor. Welcome
to The Timeless Racer.
The foreword has been written by racing legend Jacky Ickx, who
raced in the 1960s, '70s and '80s for many famed teams such as
Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Brabham or Lotus. He is the only driver
to have won in Formula One, Can-Am, Le Mans, and the Paris-Dakar
rally.
REVIEWS:
"Daniel's designs are spectacular. And the machines--presented in
every detail and a highly personal style--intrigue as always." --
Flavio Manzoni, director of Ferrari Design
"Simon created a dream world I would race in any day-- this is
really cool stuff " -- Andre Lotterer, winner 24 Hours of Le Mans
with team Joest Audi R18, 2011 and 2012
"Daniel Simon's imagination is matched only by his spectacular
vision of a sensational motor racing future. With its suave
drivers, gorgeous girls, and international men of mystery, The
Timeless Racer is a book like no other." -- British GQ magazine
"Daniel's imagination is extraordinary. It is joyful to see this
fantasy blend of past and future racing." -- From the foreword by
Jacky Ickx, racing legend
"I have photographed motor racing for 50 years, and I am amazed by
Simon's virtual imagery." -- Rainer W. Schlegelmilch, famed racing
photographer
Gifted with a rare blend of superior ability and unshakeable
nerves, Michael Schumacher is the outstanding Formula One driver of
his generation. Over the past 15 seasons he has won an
unprecedented seven world drivers' championships and in the process
has captured the imagination of fans all over the world. For all
his success, Schumacher is also a controversial figure, feared for
his ruthless tactics and despised for using extreme methods in
pursuit of success. From his first Grand Prix with Jordan to his
Benetton world championships and his attempt to win back Ferrari's
crown, this is a thorough and engaging look at Schumacher's entire
racing career. The story behind Schumacher's record five
consecutive world titles is uncovered, and his impact on the racing
world as a whole following his retirement is examined. Frank,
honest, and adroit, this is an in-depth look at the life and career
of a champion.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE RAC MOTORSPORT BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Glorious...gripping and sometimes tragic' Robbie Coltrane The
inspirational story of the Bentley Boys and Le Mans - the race they
made their own. Le Mans, 1927. W.O. Bentley peered into the dusk.
His three cars, which had led from the start, were missing. Two
years running he had failed to finish. Once again he was staring
into a void. Racing, his shareholders told him, was a waste of
money. This race looked like being his last. W.O's engineering
skills had been forged on the Great Northern railway and in the
skies of the First World War, where Bentley-powered Sopwith Camels
took the fight to Germany's Red Baron. Determined to build and race
his own cars, he assembled a crack team from all strata of 1920s
Britain, from East End boys Leslie Pennal and Wally Hassan to
multi-millionaires Woolf Barnato and Tim Birkin, men in search of
adventures to blaze their way out of the dark past. They dedicated
themselves to building the perfect road and racing car. In the
hayloft above their workshop, the first Bentley was born and soon
it was the car of choice for the fast-living upper classes. They
raced at the fashionable Brooklands circuit and then set their
sights on the fledgling 24 Hours Le Mans race. An audacious goal
for a British car, yet the Bentley Boys rose to the challenge. But
on that night in 1927, after the biggest crash in racing history
claimed their cars, could they still pull it off and put British
motor racing on the map? In the 1920s, Bentley Motors burned
brightly but all too briefly; yet its tale, filled with drama,
tragedy, determination and glory still shines a century on.
'A tragic age and a tragic character, both seemingly compelled to
destroy themselves...a chilling reminder of how little control we
have over our fates' Damon Hill 'One of the greatest motor racing
stories' Nick Mason 'Timely, vivid and enthralling ... it's
unputdownable' Miranda Seymour, author of The Bugatti Queen Dick
Seaman was the archetypal dashing motorsport hero of the 1930s, the
first Englishman to win a race for Mercedes-Benz and the last Grand
Prix driver to die at the wheel before the outbreak of the Second
World War. Award-winning author Richard Williams reveals the
remarkable but now forgotten story of a driver whose battles
against the leading figures of motor racing's golden age inspired
the post-war generation of British champions. The son of wealthy
parents, educated at Rugby and Cambridge, Seaman grew up in a
privileged world of house parties, jazz and fast cars. But motor
racing was no mere hobby: it became such an obsession that he
dropped out of university to pursue his ambitions, squeezing money
out of his parents to buy better cars. When he was offered a
contract with the world-beating, state-sponsored Mercedes team in
1937, he signed up despite the growing political tensions between
Britain and Germany. A year later, he celebrated victory in the
German Grand Prix with the beautiful 18-year-old daughter of the
founder of BMW. Their wedding that summer would force a split with
his family, a costly rift that had not been closed six months later
when he crashed in the rain while leading at Spa, dying with his
divided loyalties seemingly unresolved. He was just 26 years old. A
Race with Love and Death is a gripping tale of speed, romance and
tragedy. Set in an era of rising tensions, where the urge to live
each moment to the full never seemed more important, it is a richly
evocative story that grips from first to last.
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