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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Motor sports > Car racing
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.
'A band of stubborn pioneers rose from the embers of Britain's
cities after the war and created the finest automobiles the world
had ever seen... High Performance tells the exhilarating tale of
their journey' Ben Collins, bestselling author of How To Drive
'High Performance is a cracking read and an adrenaline-packed
tribute to the time when British mavericks "blew the bloody doors
off" the competition' Sunday Times In January 1964, a team of tiny
red and white Mini Coopers stunned the world by winning the
legendary Monte Carlo Rally. It was a stellar year for British cars
that culminated in Goldfinger breaking box office records and
making James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 the world's most famous sports
car. By the sixties, on road, track and silver screen the Brits
were the ones to beat, winning Formula One championships and
capturing hearts. Designers like John Cooper, and Colin Chapman of
Lotus, dismissed as mere 'garagisti' by Enzo Ferrari, grabbed all
the prizes, while Alex Issigonis won a knighthood for his
revolutionary Mini. The E Type Jaguar was feted as the world's
sexiest car and Land Rover the most durable. But before the war
only one British car had triumphed in a Grand Prix; Britain's car
builders were fiercely risk-averse. So what changed? To find out,
Peter Grimsdale has gone in search of a generation of rebel
creative spirits who emerged from railway arches and Nissen huts to
tear up the rulebook with their revolutionary machines. Like the
serial fugitives from the POW camps, they thrived on adversity,
improvisation and sheer obstinate determination. High Performance
celebrates Britain's automotive golden age and the mavericks who
sketched them on the back of envelopes and garage floors, who
fettled, bolted and welded them together and hammered the
competition in the showroom, on the road and on the track - fuelled
by contempt for convention.
The original rally Quattro debuted in 1980, and was based on the
road car, but with a highly tuned 300bhp engine. In 1981, Audi
Quattro works driver Michele Mouton became the first woman to win a
World Championship rally. The Quattro took the Manufacturers'
Championship in 1982 and 1984, and the Drivers' Championship in
1983 and 1984 with Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist respectively.
Audi implemented a continuous development programme for the
Quattro, and the A1 and A2 were produced to meet the Group B
regulations introduced in 1983, while the fearsome Sport Quattro S1
was introduced in 1984. The ultimate development - the S1 E2 - was
introduced at the end of 1985, producing over 500bhp, and winning
the 1985 San Remo rally in the hands of Walter Roehrl and the
famous Pikes Peak hillclimb with Michele Mouton. This Manual looks
at the design, evolution, anatomy and operation of the Quattro.
'Captures the bold, engaging spirit of one of Britain's best-loved
sporting heroes' Sunday Times 'A fascinating read and sure to be
the definitive account of his life' Mark Knopfler SHORTLISTED FOR
THE SPORTS WRITING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD Even in the midst of a
global pandemic, the death of Stirling Moss on 12 April 2020 at the
age of 90 made headlines, almost 60 years after he retired from
Formula One. In The Boy, Richard Williams assesses what made him
such an iconic figure. Told in 60 brief chapters, Williams builds a
fascinating and revealing portrait of a driver who was a hero to
millions. As the long years of war began to recede, sport in
Britain was getting moving again and there was a need for heroes.
Denis Compton and Stanley Matthews were in their pomp, playing to
packed houses. But Stirling Moss was a fresh face, just 17 years
old when he first emerged in 1947. Too young to have served and
been scarred by the war, he was soon revealed to possess not only
an unearthly degree of skill but the qualities of courage and
resolution noted in the generation that fought in the air and on
land and sea. Their youth had been stolen; his was new and
unspoiled. The Boy explains how and why he came to occupy such a
unique place in the esteem and the affections of the nation. Why
him, rather than some of his contemporaries, such as Mike Hawthorn
and Peter Collins, who shared a role in the rise of Britain as a
power in international motor racing? Moss may never have been world
champion, but he created a remarkable and enduring legacy, and
Williams brilliantly shows just how he did it.
You can run to the sun, but can you ever hide? From the bestselling
author of Villa of Sun and Secrets.Monte Carlo means different
things to different people; for some it's a billionaires
playground, overflowing with glitz and glamour but for others it's
where dangerous secrets lay hidden. For Nanette Weston, and her
then fiance, F1 racing driver Zac Ewart, their dream life came to
an abrupt halt 3 years ago following a car accident which Zac
walked away from, but left Nanette being airlifted back to the UK,
never to return and never to see her fiance again. Monte Carlo was
a place she wanted to forget, not revisit. But when her friend and
employer, Vanessa asks Nanette to look after her children in the
Principality for a few months, Nanette knew she had no choice but
to return. As the F1 circus once again comes to town, with Zac in
pole position, mistakes of the past, leave legacies for the
future... This book was previously published as Follow Your Star by
Jennifer Bohnet. What readers are saying about One Summer in Monte
Carlo: 'As always with Jennifers books I was able to escape into a
completely different world, one we can only dream about.' 'I could
imagine myself as the main female character and could hardly put
down the book.' 'A superb fast-paced read with a real surprise and
absolutely loved the F1 glamour of Monaco - I really felt I was
there!' 'Such a roller coaster ride of people's lives. Tragic, sad,
happy tumultuous feelings of life in the fast lane.'
Now in paperback! In 1974, to rave reviews, Porsche produced the
930/911 Turbo to the public and set off on a new road. At the same
time, the governing body of motorsport introduced a new
'silhouette' formula to sports car racing. Thus the immortal 934
and 935 were born. This book tells the story of the 911 Turbo and
its racing cousins, from the 1974 2.1-litre RSR Turbo Carrera to
the tube-framed 750 horsepower final variants of the 935. These are
the cars which still bring a gleam of pleasure to any of the
drivers lucky enough to have sampled their enormous power and,
sometimes, their wayward handling!
You can run to the sun, but can you ever hide? From the bestselling
author of Villa of Sun and Secrets.Monte Carlo means different
things to different people; for some it's a billionaires
playground, overflowing with glitz and glamour but for others it's
where dangerous secrets lay hidden. For Nanette Weston, and her
then fiance, F1 racing driver Zac Ewart, their dream life came to
an abrupt halt 3 years ago following a car accident which Zac
walked away from, but left Nanette being airlifted back to the UK,
never to return and never to see her fiance again. Monte Carlo was
a place she wanted to forget, not revisit. But when her friend and
employer, Vanessa asks Nanette to look after her children in the
Principality for a few months, Nanette knew she had no choice but
to return. As the F1 circus once again comes to town, with Zac in
pole position, mistakes of the past, leave legacies for the
future... This book was previously published as Follow Your Star by
Jennifer Bohnet. What readers are saying about One Summer in Monte
Carlo: 'As always with Jennifers books I was able to escape into a
completely different world, one we can only dream about.' 'I could
imagine myself as the main female character and could hardly put
down the book.' 'A superb fast-paced read with a real surprise and
absolutely loved the F1 glamour of Monaco - I really felt I was
there!' 'Such a roller coaster ride of people's lives. Tragic, sad,
happy tumultuous feelings of life in the fast lane.'
Virtually from the moment of its launch in April, 1964, the Ford
Mustang has been a favorite among road racers. From the Tour de
France, to production sports car racing, the SCCA Trans-Am series,
regional and national A/Sedan competitions, and international and
domestic sedan championships in Great Britain, Europe, Australia,
and New Zealand, the Mustang has enjoyed a following like few other
models. This book is a photographic celebration of road racing
Mustangs throughout the world. It focuses on production-based cars,
rather than the heavily modified tube-frame silhouette machines
that began appearing in the late 1970s. Included are images of
big-budget factory-supported cars competing in the Trans-Am series,
right through to low-buck independents, and cars competing
throughout the world. Using only period images, including countless
photos that have never before been published, this is a true
photographic history, depicting the global popularity of the Ford
Mustang as a road racing car.
The first generation of Sunbeam Alpine was produced in 1953-54 and
was named after the prestigious Alpine Rally which ran through the
mountains of France and Italy. The name was resurrected in 1959 for
a new model, the principle subject of this book. It was launched in
July of that year on the French Riviera and remained in production
until 1968. The Alpine was used in racing and rallying in many
places including Britain, continental Europe, the United States and
Canada. In this book, author John Willshire looks at the history of
the Sunbeam Alpine, its development and production history, the
different variants produced and its use as a rally and race car as
well as advising those who want to own and operate their own Alpine
today. The first book dedicated to the history of the Sunbeam
Alpine alone for more than twenty years, this is the first book on
the subject with such a wide range of historic and modern
photographs.
As with previous years, 2015 was one in which Mercedes-Benz
dominated both the drivers' and constructors- championships. The
German manufacturer confirmed the technical advantage it had
derived from the introduction of the revolutionary power unit,
which first appeared in 2014. In place of Red Bull, which fell into
disgrace after a media conflict with engine supplier Renault, it
was Ferrari that attempted to stand up to the Silver Arrows. Side
issues were the stories of a Williams wanting to come back and
battle for the title; McLaren with a new but not very effective
Honda engine, which touched the lowest point in the Japanese
manufacturer's long history in F1; and the other leading teams of a
season that ended with the official announcement of Renault's
return, having acquired Lotus. Offering a precise analysis of this
latest F1 championship, especially from the technical point of
view, there is once again Giorgio Piola. A hundred or so all-colour
illustrations document the development of the various cars
throughout the Formula 1 World Championship, and offer - as always
- a wealth of information anticipating the 2016 season.
'A BRILLIANT TRIBUTE TO A BRILLIANT MAN.' BOOK OF THE MONTH -
CLASSIC AND SPORTS CAR --- A celebration of the extraordinary life
of legendary commentator Murray Walker, with tributes from key
figures in Formula 1 and motorsport. Murray Walker was the voice of
Formula One, matching the thrill of the track with his equally
fast-paced and exhilarating commentary, delivering the euphoria of
motor racing to millions. Commentating on his first grand prix for
the BBC at Silverstone in 1949, Murray's broadcasting career
spanned over fifty years. His natural warmth and infectious
enthusiasm won great affection with audiences, whilst his passion
and knowledge of motorsport allowed him to hone his instinctive
presenting style into a craft. When Murray passed away in March
2021, tributes came flooding in from every corner of the sporting
world. This book, compiled by Murray's great friend and colleague
Maurice Hamilton, celebrates the extraordinary life of this truly
legendary man. With contributions from drivers and industry
figures, and many friends from the world of motorsport and beyond,
Incredible! combines fond memories, never-before-told stories and
famous Murrayisms with reflections on the highlights of a life
lived at full throttle.
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