Several people have suggested that I post this here - part of the information below has already been posted on the Something about books thread but it seems people are missing it buried within that thread. Having it here also has the advantage of the data being easily and visibly updated as things progress. Thanks.
The info below incorporates updates on the other thread's post plus additional comments - this went out as a mail shot last night - anyone who wants to get on the mailing list, please use the links at the bottom of the post.
Anyone who can contribute with memories of Mike, please do so as soon as possible. Again, please use the links at the bottom of this post
Those of you who have asked how they can purchase the book, plesse make sure you are on the interest list by Registering - there's a link at the bottom of this post. We'll only start taking actual orders once the book is proofed and confirmed for print later in the year.
MIKE HAWTHORN - GOLDEN BOY, A NEW BOOK TO BE PUBLISHED AUTUMN 2008
AND A REQUEST FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS!
For those Mike Hawthorn fans amongst members, you'll be pleased to know that there is a new book on our 1958 World Champion being prepared, title as above. Keen Mike fan and accomplished artist Paul Dove has kindly donated the use of his portrait 'Golden Boy' as the likely cover image for the book (the phrase is now also incorporated in the probable title), together with his latest painting, 'Victory under the Sun' within the book- this shows Mike clinching the World Championship in Morocco.
You can find out more about the book and its progress below and also on the Tribute Web Site - in fact it was the success of the Tribute site that very much prompted the decision to produce the book due to the volume of information that has been steadily coming in from people who visited the site since it came online in November of 2006, many of them being members of this forum. There are currently 14 chapters planned. Notably, Jean Ireland (nee Howarth), who Mike was to marry, has agreed to talk in depth about her time with Mike.
I'm working on the book flat out at the moment from dawn to somewhere past dusk with much help from Paul Skilleter. It will be published by Paul who has had great recent success via his PJ Publishing company with his Ecurie Ecosse and Norman Dewis books (the latter on a second reprint now). Paul also won the Guild of Motoring Writers Montagu Award for the best researched and written motoring book of the year for his work with Norman Dewis. Norman has also willingly contributed to the book with his memories, including driving at Le Mans with Mike as a Jaguar Cars team member.
The book will hopefully be published in November 2008 in advance of the 50th Anniversary of his death. It will be large format and have many, many photographs (we currently have over 700 for consideration with more being added every day). The book concentrates on memories of Mike from those that knew him from growing up through to his work at the Tourist Trophy Garage and on to and past his death. There will be a hefty chapter on memorabilia that survives him.
The chapter covering Mike's racing history is being contributed by expert award winning author, Doug Nye, a well known member of this forum. Doug is also a keen and knowledgeable long term Hawthorn fan, besides being a long-term resident of JMH's home town of Farnham. Doug in fact joined a number of people involved with the book in Farnham a couple of weeks back to tour some of Mike's old haunts. One of these was the Hawthorn family's Tourist Trophy Garage in East Street - this is covered in the book with as much detail as has been possible from inception to closure with lots of photos and memories from those who worked there.
On the last visit there, we had with us two former employees of the TT Garage and had a look round the premises in East Street as they are now - even talking our way up into the old disused storerooms above the current spares shop (the owner was a bit bemused at the interest in an empty room!). Brian and Loraine who were with us both worked at the garage, Brian from 1956 - 1967 and his mother was Mrs Hawthorn's daily at their home for many years. As a result there are many revelations that haven't appeared in print before and some unique glimpses into his private life, including events both during the early morning at the cottage on the day of his death and on the forecourt of the TT Garage later.
Latest updates:
We've had many personal photos contributed by people who knew Mike - most never seen in print before - and many, many personal stories concerning him. We are also going to employ a sketch artist to illustrate some of the antics that Mike got up to! (offers are very welcome if any of you have artistic capabilities)
Illustrator David Clearly has kindly agree to vector draw many of Mike's cars for the book - his work is, we think, absolutely brilliant.
We are in contact with the owners of many of Mike's surviving cars so there will be detailed histories and both contemporary and modern photos of these.
Many of the local publications around Farnham have also helped, in particular ex Herald photographer Chris Shepheard, Ted Parratt of the Farnham Diary and David Rose of the Surrey Advertiser - the Diary will also be publishing a request for help with memories of Mike in their May issue. All ex-pupils from Ardingly College who were contemporaries of Mike in the 1940s have been mailed for their possible help
Jean Ireland (nee Howarth), who Mike was shortly to marry at the time of his death, has kindly agreed to an in-depth interview and we hope that this will prove to be one of the highlights of the book
There are some 26 (at the last count) people actively helping with their personal knowledge of Mike or with recollections told to them by their relations who did. Hardly a day passes now without someone else contacting us with their story of an encounter with Mike!
The owner of Mike's Riley Ulster Imp, Tim Ely, who purchased it direct (as a kit!) from Mrs Hawthorn in 1959, has provided full access to the car and there was a photo session with it at Brooklands in Surrey a few weeks ago. We felt this was appropriate since Mike writes that he was impressed with the circuit as a boy when Leslie took him there. You can find some of the images on the web site at the link below.
We have had access to Mike's original RAF exam entrance papers from 1954 and will be analyzing these and the whole National Service episode - this should prove very interesting and hopefully lay a few myths to rest.
We've made many visits to Mike's old haunts over the past few months with more to come - the Memorials page on the web site has an update as a result with new locations and images. One pleasant trip was to the Ball and Wicket pub in Upper Hale Road - this has a small brewery attached that produces Mike Hawthorn ale (5.3%) complete with a pump clip showing a Ferrari heading for the drinker! The crash site and that whole event will of course be well covered with some new revelations on exactly what happened that day in January 1959.
There have been overhead flights kindly made by a Hawthorn fan who owns a Radio Controlled plane with camera - so there will be a number of photos of notable locations that are a considerable improvement on Google Earth's renditions.
One major chapter is made possible via the many fans who have provided full access to their collections of Mike's personal and racing plus other collectable items. The book will have the most comprehensive and unique record of items ever assembled from Mike's racing and personal life. The latest additions are the drawing instruments that Mike used during his college and apprenticeship days.
And, yes, the book will have many, many photographs.
In the May issue of Jaguar World Monthly, out in April, you will find an article on an amazing find - Mike's original School 'Tuck Box' from the war years and used at Ardingly College in West Sussex. This has been unseen for over 50 years and we had full access to it via its current custodian. Read how it came to the family that owns it and what was in it .... This will naturally also be covered in the book but in more depth - there are some photos and a few quotes HERE on the web site
Others have also provided much material but there's not enough room here to list them all - the book will have a full list of all contributors.
And there's much, much more ...
YOUR HELP NEEDED
We are still looking for material from anyone who knew Mike or might have fresh information about him, and hasn't contacted us yet. Photographs are always welcome for inclusion, particularly if they haven't been seen in
print before.
If anyone out there has direct memories of Mike and would like to record them then I would like to hear from you please. Also anyone with items of memorabilia they would like included. Your memories are important to the book as are your photographs, especially if they are unseen so far - you can contact me via this forum or there is a form on the site to register your interest in the book if you want to and where you can make comments.
One question - does anyone know what happened to Grogger 2?
ADVANCE BOOK DETAILS
The book details as we have them currently are that it will be a large format, hard-bound publication printed on semi-gloss art paper with jacket, size approx. 225mm x 297mm and with hundreds of illustrations – as mentioned, many never seen in any book before. It is being produced in conjunction with Paul Skilleter Books - Paul wrote and published the acclaimed book on Norman Dewis, for which he recently won the Guild of Motoring Writers Montagu Award for the best researched and written motoring book of the year. That book has just gone to a third printing.
Paul also published the recent major Ecurie Ecosse history by Eric Dymock.
The Mike Hawthorn book will be of similar high quality to these books and will form a companion volume to them. Due to the specialised nature of the book, it is anticipated that only a limited number will be produced, together with a very special leather-bound edition with slip case, signed by someone closely connected to Mike, for those who want the best. Likely prices are UKP 45 for the std edition and UKP 150 for the limited edition.
The current provisional contents list is:
Title: Mike Hawthorn - Golden Boy
Introduction
Preface
Bibliography
Chapter One: Growing Up - Mike's school days and adventures
Chapter Two: The Family Business - The Tourist Trophy Garage Ltd
Chapter Three: Life with the Hawthorns
Chapter Four: Mike's Personal Cars
Chapter Five: Le Mans 1955
Chapter Six: A Special Jaguar - VDU 881
Chapter Seven: The Road to the World Championship
Chapter Eight: A Champion's Girl
Chapter Nine: What really happened in 1959?
Chapter Ten: Saying Goodbye
Chapter Eleven: Memorials
Chapter Twelve: Memorabilia
Chapter Thirteen: Recollections
Chapter Fourteen: Potpourri
Index
LINKS
Mike's Book
Register your interest in Mike's Book
Mike's Riley Ulster Imp
Memorials to Mike
Thanks in advance to everyone.
NB: we have until about the end of May to get the copy together so start hitting the keyboards now please!
Once we get to proof pages, I'll post some examples here for everyone to see.
What I meant to write was "I hope there will be plenty of detail regarding Mike's road cars".
