159 replies to this topic

[Don Capps]

I could drone on forever -- and probably will -- about racing books I love, but what about those of you on the Forum? Which book or books are those that you enjoyed or got you interested in racing?

Enquiring minds want to know...

Don

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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…

[mono-posto]

I love the 'Autocourse' annuals and am always adding to my collection.

I also love nearly any book by Schlegelmilch.

I try to keep as many of the above in my "library" as possible.

A recent book which I like alot is 250 GTO by Keith Bluemel.

I try to get these mags monthly:

Motorsport
Forza
Road & Track
Rosso Ferrari (Quarterly)
and F1 Racing (more often than not.)

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"If I had to live my life over again, I'd be a plumber."
-Albert Einstien

[Keir]

Don,
This one is so easy!!!
The book actually has two titles, In GB, it was called "The Checkered Year", in the USA,
"Grand Prix Year". The book was written by Ted Simon, it covered the 1970 Grand Prix season from a "fly on the wall" perspective.
Ted followed the "circus" for a whole year and gave the reader a look at the Grand Prix world that no one has yet to duplicate.
I have read this book more times than I can count, it is almost impossible to put down.
If you can find it, reward yourself.
You won't regret it.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Fast One]

Stirling Moss's All But My Life was my first book, which I read in paperback in 1964 or 1965. Funny, I still remember that his favorite wood is teak! In retrospect, I was lucky that my first book was on Moss, because he was and is such a fascinating person. I read whatever was in the library: The New Matadors, Cars at Speed and such. I was pretty young so many have been forgotten. Taruffi's The Technique of Motor Racing taught me an awful lot about how to drive at speed. I'd practice in my high school parking lot on weekends.

Others include Yates' bio of Enzo Ferrari and Schlegelmilch's Potraits of the '60s...and of course, Mon Ami Mate.

I wish I could work more car books into the 70-80 books I read a year. Want to rad Karl's bios of Moss and Fangio, and look forward to the Gurney and Ascari books. There is just too little time...

[Ray Bell]

I also have a fond recollection of 'All But My Life," (bet you remember the clam digger story, too), but that was surpassed in my view by 'The Design and Behaviour of the Racing Car' (Moss and Pomeroy), which I have now lost.
Along the way I have loved to look over the now-discredited Neubauer book, 'Speed Was My Life.'
But the books to which I refer most often are 'Bathurst, Cradle of Australian Motor Racing' by John Medley and the '50 year History of the Australian Grand Prix' (Graham Howard, Stewart Wilson, Medley, Des White, Terry Walker, Noel Tuckey and myself).
My library is not anything like the scale of some of yours, but if you want a good read of anything associated with motor sport - a book you can't put down! - I heartily recommend Evan Green's great story of the 1974 London to Munich rally (via the Sahara, of course), 'A Boot Full of Right Arms.'


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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Fast One]

Always regretted not buying the Pomeroy book, but I was too young then to see the significance. And no, I don't remember the clam digger story.

[This message has been edited by Fast One (edited 03-05-2000).]

[buddyt]

My first book was small paperback titled "When engines roar" by Bantam Books printed in 1964 that I bought at the school book fair in 1964 and still have. This morning I just went and dug it out of the backroom and like seeing a old friend it brings back memories. Here is a small sample of the short stories in this wonderfull book. The worlds finest-Fangio or Nuvorari by Ken Purdy Roses in the rain by William Nolan With Moss in the Mille Miglia by Dennis Jenkinson Asscari's last curve by John Fitch Racing is a vice by Alfonoso De Portago.

Then next came the Hot Rod mag subscription and as they say the rest is history.


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"Speed cost money, how fast do you want to go?"

[Eric McLoughlin]

Yes Ray, I do remember the Clam Digger's story. I think it was in the introduction and I can't for the life of me remember the point that was being made. To be honest, I can't remember much else about the book. I was probably about 10 or 11 years old when I read it.

My favourite books are:

Stirling Moss - My Career,My Cars - Co- witten with Doug Nye

Formula One - The Cars and the Drivers - By Micheal Turner and Nigel Roebuck.

One of my favourite books, which I borrowed from ny local library countless times was "The Cruel Sport".

[Felix Muelas]

In no particular order, Barré Lyndon's "Grand Prix" (the one covering the 1934 season), William Court's "Power and Glory 1906-1951", Mike Hawthorn's "Challenge me the Race" (no disrespect for Mon Ami Mate, but one has to constantly cross-reference this last one), Douglas Rutherford's "The Chequered Flag", and more recently Nixon's "Racing the Silver Arrows" and Moss+Nye "Stirling Moss My cars, my career".
Rob Walker's bio by Cooper-Evans and Grand Prix Requiem by Court (again) are serious candidates to be included in my short-list too...

[Ray Bell]

I forgot - Denis Jenkinson's 'The Racing Driver' (which came complete with a debate and reasoning on why it really should have been called 'The Racing Motorist' and wasn't!)

And if anyone has a copy of Bill Tuckey's 'Book of Australian Motor Racing' (c.1964) I would like that. Mine's gone...

I have one which I haven't read, a novel by Hawthorn: 'Carlotti Takes the Wheel.' It always takes me a long time to get around to reading novels.... unless, of course, they were by Nini Culotta.

[KzKiwi]

In no particular order:
'GP requiem' and both volumes of 'Power and the glory'by William Court, Any Doug Nye book, especially 'Motor racing mavericks', any 'Autocourse' annual, 'The complete encyclopedia of motor cars 1885 to the present'by Georgano, 'GP cars 1945-64' by Mike Lawrence, 'Historic racing cars of New Zealand' by Graeme Vercoe, 'A record of motor racing' by Rose....that will do!

[Falcadore]

The series of annuals about the Bathurst 1000 I've always found great reading. A Large format hardcover book just detailing one race. It's not something which I believe is done elsewhere, I've seen some of the Indy 500 annuals but they're not in the same league.

Because of the size of the book it goes into great detail all that transpires in the course of each Bathurst race, telling the tale of each team from the multi-million dollar giats fighting to win, to the small teams at the back fighting to qualify. Each year the books make great reading and it's back up up the most gorgeous racing photography going.

There are 19 individual volmes and three compilations available now under various names, and I'd recommend any of them.

The original book which spawned the series was Bill Tuckey's "Australia's Greatest Motor Race" which has just been updated for the third time.

The best of them IMHO was "The Great Race 14", mainly because of the closeness of the race itself.

Mark Jones
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You can take the driver out of the racer, but you can't take the racer out of the driver.

[Eric McLoughlin]

Wow Ray,

I was going to post a question "Has Anyone Heard of 'Carlotti Takes the Wheel'?". I read it as a kid. I can't really remember the story, except it was about a kid who helps out a GP team, set in the 1950's of course. Was it actually written by Hawthorn or was it ghosted?

[Igor DC]

I got interested in racing before I could read .

And honestly I have only become interested in Racing History a year or 2 ago. I have not read that much books.. the ones I have are..

Grand Prix Who is Who - S.Small
The Century of Motorsport - Cimarosti
A-Z Grand Prix Cars
Neubauer's Book..

And I have some video tapes of GP racing I got from DSF.. features 16 episodes of World Champions (or near champions)..

Still adding to the collection.. I have 2 books targeted..

"portraits of the 60s",
and "Racing cars" .. had some good prewar pictures/drawings which I could need for 8W.. since I couldn't recognize Birkin.. had a lucky guess it was a Bentley in the 1st place..

oh I almost forgot.. I have the Michel Vaillant Collection (comics) as well, does that count too?

Igor.

[CVAndrw]

For anyone scratching their head about Grand Prix racing and the wacky politics of the modern era, I found all of Niki Lauda’s books fascinating.

And if I can interject a query: two books I’ve never found and always wanted were “Inside Formula One” by Nigel Roebuck, and the book Ginny Williams wrote about Frank and their life since his accident. I’m visiting England in May- can anyone suggest a bookstore in London that could help me out?

[Roger Clark]

REgarding Carlotti takes the wheel it was certainly ghosted, possibly by Peter Lewis or Neville Lloyd who helped Hawthorn with Champion Year. I read it as a boy, too. I believe that there were two books, "Takes the wheel" may have been the second, but I can't remeber the title of the other. The central character was CArlotti Smith

I remember that real and fictional characters were interwoven. I think that Carlotti worked with a private team which won the Belgian GP fter all the works teams retired on the final lap. This was obviously modelled on the 1958 race. By that time Carlotti may have taken the wheel.

[Ray Bell]

Eric, if you knew Bellingen, you'd be surprised that I had the book.
A few years ago I decided to take my wife for a two day jaunt in northern NSW. One of the primary aims was to revisit my Uncle's old farm at Thora, near Bellingen, which he left in 1961 and I hadn't seen since. But it was something of a spiritual home to me, recalling a number of holidays spent there in my childhood (and the second time I drove a car, not to mention the first time I drove a tractor!).
In those days, the road up alongside the river to his place was dotted with little self-sufficient dairy farms, their cream boxes (the boxes they left the churns of cream in outside the gate for the truck to pick up) dotting the side of the dusty road. Two creek crossings along the way, then just past my Uncle's was a serious low level crossing of the bellinger River.
But this time it had changed. The cream boxes that remained were decrepit, as they were all along the road back to Bellingen, and the farms deserted. Large interests had bought most properties and changed them from family farms to large grazing properties, though some were occupied by alternative lifestylers.
It was so sad to me to see this destruction of real life.
And it's so far removed from racing or any interest in racing, totally divorced, you might say.
We always frequent second hand shops and the like, so in an old bookshop in the small town of Bellingen (pop about 500) I was staggered to find the Carlotti book.
Hope I get to read it one day...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Dennis David]

I'm with Felix, plus which I would add:

A Racing Car Driver's World by Rudolf Caracciola
A Racing Motorist by S.C.H. Davis
Conte Maggi's Mille Miglia by Peter Miller
Cooper Cars by Doug Nye
Great Auto Races by Peter Helck
Great Auto Races by Richard Hough
Jenks: A passion for Motor Sport by Denis Jenkinson
Motor Racing with Mercedes Benz by George Monkhouse
My Two Lives by Rene Dreyfus
Piloti, Che Gente by Enzo Ferrari
Speed was my Life by Alfred Neubauer
Ten Years of Motors and Motor Racing by Charles Jarrott
When Nuvolari Raced ... by Valerio Moretti
Works Driver by Piero Taruffi

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[John Cross]

It was a collection of Autocars being thrown out by a neighbour that sparked my interest, then I used to buy Motorsport every month and Autosport and Motoring News most weeks. The first book I remember reading was Fangio's autobiography (a black paperback as I remember). My first 'history book' was 'A History of Motor Racing' by Giovanni Lurani (which I still have and use on the 8W quizzes). My first Autocourse was the 1970 one (I later picked up the 1965 and 1966 ones).

I recently picked up Court's 'Power & Glory' (also very useful for 8W!), Jarrott's 'Ten Years of Motors and Motor Racing' and a very readable slim volume called 'The Vanishing Litres' by Rex Hays, about the first 50 years of GP racing (1906-1956).

As I am fascinated by the technical side, Nye's books are never far away and 'The Racing Car' is also good. My next purchase will be the re-issued Pomeroy books, then I will no doubt find Setright's 'The Grand Prix Car 1954-1966' too much of a temptation!

I am also sorely tempted by some of Schlegelmilch's books which are good value in the UK (only £20), and Karl Ludvigsen's new book 'Classic Grand Prix Cars' should be good, while the 'Autocourse 50 Years of World Championship Grand Prix Motor Racing' is very tempting...

Whoops, I seem to have rambled on a bit - sorry!

[Dennis David]

Be careful John or you'll end up like me spending $400-500 a month on books!

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Keir]

How about, "All Arms and Elbows"
by Innes Ireland.
It's been reprinted and it's a blast.
I have the original and Innes is quite the story teller.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Statesidefan]

The Dust and the Glory. A history of FoMoCo in racing. Leo Levine

The Speed Merchants. Michael Keyser

Faster. Jackie Stewart

Formula One Fascination. Rainier Schlegelmilch

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"The strategy of a Formula One race is very simple. It's flat out from the minute the flag drops." Mario Andretti 1976

[Ray Bell]

If 'All Arms and Elbows' is anything like some of the stuff Innes did in R & T it must be worth a look. Particularly that story about the army truck...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Keir]

Ray,
The amazing thing about Innes, was his ability to always tell a great story, even if the ingredients were ordinary.
A favorite of mine is how Innes was able to buy himself a plane and then learn to fly it after the purchase!!!
And who could forget the infamous "Graham Hill and the cactus" story.
I could go on forever.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Leo Landman]

Alright Ray, I'll bite: what was that story about the army truck?

Thank you all for the many suggestions I found above. At least I'll know what to look for when I do one of my visits to second hand book stores <g>

A recent book I'm particularly pleased about: Michael Oliver's 'Lotus 49 - the story of a legend'. If you're into sixties' F1, this is a gem as it gives you an inside view in great detail.

[Ray Bell]

When he was a kid in Scotland, during the war, the army came through in a convoy. One of the trucks broke down near his home, and he was able to get it going and use it for a bit of driving around, parking it back where he found it with not nearly so much petrol in the tank. There was more to it than this, of course, but that's the basic story.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Roger Clark]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned BRM by doug Nye. Does anybodyknow how he is getting on with Volume 2?

[ZippyD]

Does 'All Arms and Elbows' have the story where Innes is at some kind of dinner function in his native dress and some woman reaches under Innes' kilt and says "Now that's what i call a man!!"?

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"Pete, Do you sometimes get tired? Of the driving? Lately I have been getting tired. Very tired."

[Dennis David]

I don't know about the BRM book but they recently reprinted his Cooper Cars book which is excellent.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Dennis David]

FYI I beside special sources I use Bibliofind and Advanced Book Exchange, both of whom have websites to search 100s of used bookstores at once.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Keir]

Actually, the story goes that Innes was at a party wearing his kilt in the traditional way, when he leapt upon a table and began to dance.
Of course his kilt began to rise with his rather enthusiastic steps, giving all and sundry a look at the Ireland jewels.
Graham Hill having had enough of the show, thrust a catcus where the sun doesn't shine.
I don't think any females got to touch poor Innes for a number of days. OOOWWWWW!!!!

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"I Was Born Ready"

[ZippyD]

I think the incident with Innes getting groped by the woman may have been from a story in an old Road & Track. I'll have to dig through my issues to see if I can find it. Some of my Road & Tracks were damaged in the great flood of '99 so I hope this issue has survived.

Keir, Do you remember the story I'm talking(?) about? It might be that hilarious story that Innes wrote about a trip he and Sterling Moss took where Sterling has the vest with a 1000 pockets that he thought was a very efficient way to travel but he keeps forgetting which pocket contains his passport, tickets, wallet......etc..etc...
Cheep, Cheep!!!!

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"Pete, Do you sometimes get tired? Of the driving? Lately I have been getting tired. Very tired."

[Walrus]

We don`t have stories like that anymore,huh?

[Keir]

That was a great one!!!
I don't remember any groping though.
It could have been in a R&T.
Speaking of Moss, there was a TV special about Stirling's house, it had all these gadgets, like tables going through the ceiling from one room to another, a fully automated closet and other stuff that makes the 1000 pocket vest seem tame!!!

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"I Was Born Ready"

[magnum]

Chasing the Title by nigel roebuck
and also a book by a ferrari mechanic (in italian) by a guy called Giulio Montanari or something like this (i keep the copy in Italy) - he was ferrari's mechanic in the 70's and served as Regazzoni's chief mechanic in the Lauda era - as well as the 60's with Bandini, Surtees etc. One of his "errors" that he recalls is when he sent Surtees out at monza for a test - Surtees got to the Curva Grande and his suspension failed. Surtees apparently had a smile when he got back to the pit.

[Falcadore]

There's two others I'd like two recommend but slightly off topic. One's motor racing but not a book, the other is a book but not motor racing.

Does anyone remember the BBC documentary series from a few years ago now called "The Power And The Glory"? It was a 13 part 1 hour series on the history of motorsport. Most of it was the history of Grand Prix Racing right from the very beginnings in the 1890's right up until the early 90's when it was made, but there were also episodes concentrating on the various major branches of the sport, World Land Speed Record, NASCAR, Sports Cars & Le Mans, Drag Racing, Rallying, but not Sedan Car racing unfortunately. There was also a episode on racing schools.

The videos feature interviews with names like Striling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jack Brabham, Innes Ireland, Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Paul Frere, Mario Andretti, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Davy Jones, Richard Petty, Ari Vatanen, Donald and Malcolm Campbell, John Force, Richard Noble, Hannu Mikola, Olivier Gendebien and many more.

It features much authentic footage, some from race telecast, and some from other sources, like IIRC Jackie Stewart talking us around part of the Nordschliefe Nurburgring from in-car camera footage of Tim Schenken's car. Plus it also features the cars of the various eras, as they are today, loving restored, and on race tracks again. 1910's Mercedes, 1920's Bentleys, 1930's MG sports cars, the pre-war Auto Unions and Mercedes so reverred.

Attractively packaged with a slick animated introduction and suitable anthemic music it was, I thought, and excellent production. It's been available on two tape video for a few years now grab yourself a copy if you can.

The book is about racing, just not Motor Racing. I've just finished reading "Fatal Storm" by Rob Mundle, it's the story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race which a day into the 3-5 day voyage the race was hit with a cyclone that appeared out of nowhere. This book details the story of each of the dramatic rescues, the 50 odd sailors plucked from the sea by rescue Helicopter, in some cases as far as 90 miles offshore. The yachts that sank, those that survived, and the 6 sailors who lost their lives. Some incredible tales of survival, and the triumph of human spirit and endeavour against 90 foot seas and 80 knot winds. I could not put it down, even to the extent of reading it at work while PC was playing up.

[Ray Bell]

It's that human spirit and will to live that makes 'A Boot Full of Right Arms' so readable.
You can borrow a spare copy, if you like, Mark.

[Falcadore]

I was just saying today that's a book I'd love to read to a family memeber who read the same copy of "Fatal Storm" and had moved on to one of Evan Green's later novels. She actually looked quite surprised to learn that Green had died three years ago as she thought the book she was reading was a new release.

For those who don't know Evan Green was a long standing motoring and motor racing writer here, my personal memories of when IIRC he used to commentate the ABC's racing telecasts with Will Hagon around 20 years ago. Green also precipitated the most significant event in touring car history here, when in 1972 one of his pieces, a story of how Ford, Holden (GM) and Chrysler were building barely disquised racing cars for the street so as to win the Bathurst race (then a race for production cars and of 500 miles) at prices the young Australian male could afford, caused a public outcry.

The version of the story I then heard was the Australian Government threatened to never buy a fleet car from them again if development of the new cars didn't stop. The manufacturers complied and Production car racing became Touring Car racing as the race organisers and CAMS sought to do their part in the debate.

So these 3 cars never really saw the light of day - 4 prototypes of the Ford Falcon XA GTHO Phase IV were built, three survive today, 1 Holden Torana LJ XU-2 was built but was used as a Sports Sedan highly modified racer, and the Chrysler Valiant Charger E55 was eventually built but it was a long way short of the original intention. One does have to wonder about them though, the predecessor Ford, the XY Falcon GTHO Phase III remained to fastest four door sedan ever built for almost 20 years later when Lotus played around with the Carlton.

That story comes from what I've read and heard, as I wasn't there at the time, I'm sure Ray or Barry will correct me on any details and/or have much better Green stories...

[This message has been edited by Falcadore (edited 03-15-2000).]

[Ray Bell]

Actually, Evan Green always rubbed me the wrong way until I read 'A Boot Full of Right Arms.'
I always knew he was a very rapid rally driver, particularly in the Cooper S days, but his generally superior nature irked me. I don't think he did much with Will Hagon on the ABC, by the way, but he did a lot for Channel 7 with Bathurst and Amaroo telecasts.
Will was the one who made that famous 'Well I never expected Peter Brock to do that on the last lap...' comment at Sandown in 1980. I think he was seriously surprised. I was just waiting for it to happen, Brock's ego and car control at the time would not have allowed the opportunity to slide by.
And his dislike for Moffat.

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Hans Etzrodt]

Here another thread, I dug up, which was once well received. At least it is also popular with me.

My favorite books for pure reading pleasure are, like Dennis David's web site:
Great Motor Sport of the Thirties, by John Dugdale (1932-1939)
Tagebuch eines Rennfahrers, By Hans Stuck (1917-1961)
Grand Prix, by Barré Lyndon (1934)
Ten Years of Motors and Motor Racing 1896-1906, by Charles Jarrott
The Checkered Flag, by Peter Helck (1903-1916)
Racing Round the World, by Count Giovanni Lurani (1920-1935)
Bernd Rosemeyer, by Hans Bretz (1909-1938)
Nuvolari, by Count Giovanni Lurani (1892-1953)
My Two Lives, by René Dreyfus and Beverley Rae Kimes (1914-1980)

And primarily for enjoyment of illustrations, in the following order:
Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Racing 1934-1955, by George C. Monkhouse
Grand Prix Suisse, by Adriano Cimarosti (1922-1982)
The Star and The Laurel, by Beverley Rae Kimes (1851-1986)
Circuito de Lasarte, by Angel Elberdin (1923-1935)
Grand Prix Racing 1906-1914, by TASO Mathieson
Bugatti – La Gloire, by Franco Zagari (1910-1993)
With Flying Colours – The Pirelli Album of Motor Sport, by Setright, Forsyth & Newman (1894-1986)
The Complete History of Grand Prix Motor Racing, by Adriano Cimarosti (1894-1989)

That leaves out all the good histories on marques:
The Mercedes-Benz Racing Cars, by Karl Ludvigsen (1897-1970)
The Alfa Romeo Tradition, by Griffith Borgeson (1906-1990)
Bugatti, ‘Le Pur-Sang des Automobiles’, by H.G. Conway (1907-1975)
Grand Prix Bugatti, by H.G. Conway (1907-1980)

And for the race reports or results, so immensely important, by priority:
A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing, by Paul Sheldon Volume 1-4 (1894-1949)
Grand Prix Racing, Facts and Figures, by George C. Monkhouse (1894-1963)
Unter dem Mercedes-Stern, by Bodo Herzog (1934-1955)
Grand Prix, by Laurence Pomeroy (1885-1954)
Power and Glory, by William Court (1894-1951)
Grand Prix, by Trevor R. Griffiths (Best of all statistics about GP racing after 1950)

I could keep on and on, and…

[fines]

There's a fabulous trilogy about American Championship Racing which I found about two years ago. It's published by renowned racing film man Dick Wallen and incorporates:

• Board Track - Guts, Gold & Glory
• Fabulous Fifties
• Roar from the Sixties

Very expensive, but also very good!

[Barry Boor]

For a really good read, catch 'Alf Francis - Racing Mechanic'. It is really excellent.
Also, anything by Chris Nixon; particularly 'Rivals', the photographs alone are worth the money. Chris must be one of the great researchers!

Someone mentioned Karl Ludvigsen's Dan Gurney book. Being DSG's #1 British fan, I grabbed it straight away. My advice to prospective buyers is; be careful. Again the photographs are superb, BUT the text is second-hand. Ludvigsen simply uses quotes gleaned from other sources, some of which are, according to Dan himself, apparently dubious if not actually completely inaccurate. I am told by a contact in L.A. that Dan will not sign copies of this book (which is very unlike him) because he did not authorise its production, and was not consulted at any time. Indeed, he has an autobiography on the go, which has been temporarily put on hold thanks to the arrival of Ludvigsen's tome.

Despite all that, I am looking forward to Ludvigsen's new book about Ascari, as the only thing I have about Alberto, apart from what is in Rivals, is in the somewhat morbid volume called 'Man With Two Shadows'.

[fines]

Also brilliant read is William Court's "Power and Glory", at least the first volume. I also quite like Mike Lang's "Grand Prix!" books for their in depth research without fanciful talk. And, of course, the Sheldon books - I simply can't do without! For quick reference there's no better than Peter Higham's handy "Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing", I always ensure I have it available at arm's length. Another must is Mike Lawrence's "Grand Prix Cars 1945-65", very readable and well researched, closely followed by David Hodges' "A-Z of Formula Cars" although the latter sadly ignores Indycars.

[Ray Bell]

Got to agree about 'Alf Francis - Racing Mechanic'... I read it over thirty years ago, wish I had it now.

[Maldwyn]

Autocourse is an essential but if I had to pick one book it would be Chris Nixon's "Mon Ami Mate". Turner's front cover completes an excellent read.
Anything written by Nigel Roebuck comes high on my list too but the problem is he doesn't write enough.

[jarama]

My fav' books, though not necessarily in this order, are:

Porsche 911 Story, by Paul Frére.
Carrera Panamericana "Mexico", by Adriano Cimarosti.
Racing the Silver Arrows, by Chris Nixon.
Jaguar Sports Racing & Works Comp.Cars, vols.1&2, by A.Whyte
Fifties Motor Racing, by Alan R.Smith.
American Racing, by Tom Burnside.
Grand Prix Greats, by Nigel Roebuck.
Stirling Moss / My Cars, my Career, by S.M. and Doug Nye.

[Don Capps]

Amazing how a good thread never dies...

Most of those mentioned I have or have read at some point. Indeed, I took time this past week to re-read some of the Barre Lyndon books, and a ton of other similar books while at Watkins Glen.

One book I enjoy is Robert Edwards' Archie and the Listers. Ditto for his Managing a Legend. I enjoyed the Alf Francis book as well, especially having seen him at races doing his magic... Fast and Furious by Richard Garrett is better than expected -- it covers 1967 for all you GPL types.... The Ted Simon book was really great and another I re-read this week... The Dick Wallen books are simply superb, period.... Paul Sheldon is often taken to task for errors that pop up, but the good Doc actually did what everyone talks about doing -- like it or not, he is the "mark on the wall." If you don't believe it, note that his errors are all over the myrid web sites that list results ;) !!!

In 1977, I plunked down 65 Big Bucks for one of the best books in my collection: Excellence Was Expected by our own Karl Ludvigsen. It was one of the best investments I ever made in a book since I have re-read it many, many times...

The Griff Borgeson book, The Golden Age of the American Racing Car, Mark Dees' The Miller Dynasty, the Gordon White books on the Offenhauser and the Kurtis-Kraft Indy cars are all top notch.

To echo many, I could go on, and on, and on....

[Ray Bell]

Another to give great insight in the period was 'The Design And Behaviour Of The Racing Car" by Moss and Pomeroy... lots of questions answered... lots of material for further questioning in that one.

[robcar]

I notice that " Split Seconds " my racing years by Raymond Mays does not appear in the list of favorite books. It was first published in 1951 by G.T. Foulis $ Co. London.
It makes very interesting reading of an era which, sadly, no longer exists. It covers Mays' career from his early hillclimb specials, his 2 Brescia Bugattis, the development of the E.R.A. and the B.R.M. There are several off course excursions to the theatre and other personal interests of his. well written with a lot of history.

[Zawed]

The book that got me interested in F1 was Ferrari Turbos by Anthony Pritchard. I never really knew about car racing till I got that book. Now I collect the Autocourse series of books and they take pride of place in my collection.