10482 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Might I recommend Australian Lotuseer Mike Bennett's extraordinarily detailed book 'Lotus 12 Chassis No. 353 - The History' (ISBN No: 0-646-45776-4)... Very, very interesting for anyone attracted by these first single-seat Lotuses, and especially for its insights into the people who created, campaigned and cared for them.

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 26 March 2024 - 05:08.

[PRD]

A new book from Chris Ellard looks promising

https://www.chaters....the-likely-lads

[Dick Dastardly]

Received the latest / last issue of AutoTradition today. In it, there is mention that while the serialisation of The F3 Screamers 1964-70 has now ended, Ed McDonough / Mike Jiggle will produce a book of the same title covering what has been serialised and what remains to be done to bring it up to the end of 1970. So, an ideal companion to the above Chris Ellard book....     

[MCS]

Did anybody take up the late Justin Haler's unfinished F3 1-litre screamer book?

 

That was something a lot of us were looking forward to seeing.

[68targa]

Did anybody take up the late Justin Haler's unfinished F3 1-litre screamer book?

 

That was something a lot of us were looking forward to seeing.

According to Chris Ellard it remains unpublished.

[rwilliams1947]

I'd be grateful to hear if anyone has made a direct comparison of the original David Bull and new Cassell editions of Luca Dal Monte's excellent Ferrari biography. Are they the same translation? Has the Cassell version been abbreviated or amended in any other way?

 

Richard Williams

[john aston]

Richard - I endured    read the original for a review. As you know ,no fact is unspared which is good for historians but less so if you just  want an absorbing read. I couldn't really face trying the later edition but out of curiosity  I did have a look at it on line. At first sight it is very similar but It is significantly shorter . 

[FastReader]

I'd be grateful to hear if anyone has made a direct comparison of the original David Bull and new Cassell editions of Luca Dal Monte's excellent Ferrari biography. Are they the same translation? Has the Cassell version been abbreviated or amended in any other way?

 

Richard Williams

A brief look at the sample of the Cassell edition on Amazon seems to indicate that it's the same translation albeit with whole paragraphs omitted, presumably to make it more concise.

 

Richard - I endured    read the original for a review. As you know ,no fact is unspared which is good for historians but less so if you just  want an absorbing read. I couldn't really face trying the later edition but out of curiosity  I did have a look at it on line. At first sight it is very similar but It is significantly shorter . 

You say that "no fact is unspared", but I thought there were some surprising omissions as I pointed out after reading the book last year:

 

I recently finished reading Luca Dal Monte's book Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire. It's a fascinating book but considering its length and claims to be definitive I couldn't help but be surprised by some of the omissions. For instance, there is no mention of the death of Emilio Villoresi whilst testing the Alfa Romeo 158 at Monza in 1939 after which Ferrari refused to sanction an insurance payout to the Villoresi family. Likewise, there is no mention of the Stirling Moss Bari incident in 1951 when he was invited to drive a formula 2 car by Ferrari, only to find on arrival at the circuit that the car had instead been allocated to Piero Taruffi, a faux pas that lead to Stirling's enmity towards Ferrari for most of the rest of his driving career. Also, there is no mention of Peter Collins' marriage to Louise Cordier which caused a rift with Ferrari; indeed, she isn't mentioned by name at all, only appearing in a post 1957 Mille Miglia photo where she is referred to as Collins' girlfriend even though she was by that time his wife. Surely all of these events (and possibly others) were worth some analysis and exploration in such an extensive biography? I was also surprised at the lack of a bibliography and the fact that all of the sources are Italian publications or (extensively) conversations; thus a huge body of printed material appears to have been excluded from Dal Monte's research.

 

So ultimately, whilst it contains much material that is new, I still don't believe it can be viewed as definitive.

My view is that it's a very good reference work to sit alongside the far more readable Ferrari biographies by Brock Yates and Richard Williams.

[Jack-the-Lad]

A brief look at the sample of the Cassell edition on Amazon seems to indicate that it's the same translation albeit with whole paragraphs omitted, presumably to make it more concise.

 

You say that "no fact is unspared", but I thought there were some surprising omissions as I pointed out after reading the book last year:

 

My view is that it's a very good reference work to sit alongside the far more readable Ferrari biographies by Brock Yates and Richard Williams.

Apparently the opportunity to address the things that you mention has been missed, unless the new edition has been revised instead of just abridged. 

[john aston]

A brief look at the sample of the Cassell edition on Amazon seems to indicate that it's the same translation albeit with whole paragraphs omitted, presumably to make it more concise.

 

You say that "no fact is unspared", but I thought there were some surprising omissions as I pointed out after reading the book last year:

 

My view is that it's a very good reference work to sit alongside the far more readable Ferrari biographies by Brock Yates and Richard Williams.

 I don't know if there were omissions or not as the author clearly knows more about the Ferrari story than I do. My comment was an attempt (failed , it seems ) to describe the style of the book . It's not an easy read and at times the reader (this one at at least ) feels overwhelmed by detail .  

Edited by john aston, 29 March 2024 - 06:50.

[rwilliams1947]

Thanks for those helpful replies re Luca Dal Monte's book. I was impressed by the amount of good new material in the original edition and so less bothered by the omission/overlooking of more familiar stories. But it's useful to know that I don't have to invest in the new abbreviated edition.

[LittleChris]

Any chance of a heads up on the subject of next weeks podcast with Matt Bishop Richard ? 

[rwilliams1947]

It would be wrong to use this forum for personal advancement, so no... but thanks for asking.

[PRD]

If anyone would like a slip case built for a particularly treasured book, then I can recommend: 

 

https://www.ebay.co....1&ul_noapp=true

[amerikalei]

Has anyone here read David Halberstam's The Reckoning (1986), and if so what were your impressions?  I've enjoyed other works of his, but not sure about committing to 700+ pages without getting more info. 

 

On the other hand I recently picked up two David Tremayne biographies, on Rindt and Jim Clark.  Not through with the latter but I thought Rindt was excellent, and they both seem to be among the best books on these drivers.  I have the old Alan Henry driver profile for Rindt, which had some good photos to augment the 2020 edition of DT's book.

 

Also just finished The Last Road Race.  Really enjoyed the interviews with Salvadori and Brooks, and had to wonder at Moss's foresight in keeping such good diaries of his racing years, which the author noted in that interview section.  I look forward to reading 24 Hours, which is on order.

 

Anyway, this is all old news for the TNF crew, but the thread's been quiet so I thought what the hell.  Always looking for the next recommendation in the event this triggers any discussion.

[jtremlett]

I've never heard of The Reckoning, so can't help there.

 

It is a while since I read the David Tremayne Rindt book but I do recommend the Mcklein Publishing Rindt biography which has some really superb photographs as well as excellent text from Erich Glavitza who knew Rindt.  Shop around for the best price though.

 

David Tremayne's biography of Jim Clark I found quite heavy going in places.  He fell into the trap of feeling he needed to write two or three lines about every race Clark took part in and, for me, that got quite tedious.  I do get frustrated (and bored) by books that I think I could write a good part of myself from a set of results sheets and lap charts.  

 

Separately, I have recently read Starting from the Back of the Grid by Kris Henley which popped up as recommendation on a well known website.  I had not previously heard of Kris Henley but he is a producer covering Formula 1 for South America.  The book covers how he got the job and assorted misadventures along the way, interspersed with more general chapters about various races and so on (mostly recent).  It is quite readable and occasionally mildly amusing although I didn't find it quite as hilarious or laugh out loud as the blurb suggested.  I suggest it isn't really a book to make an effort to seek out (unless you know the author) but fine to while away a few hours.

 

PS. Speaking for myself, I am quite happy to be reminded here of books I've read a while ago or books I've missed as well as what's new.

Edited by jtremlett, 19 April 2024 - 19:13.

[LittleChris]

 

PS. Speaking for myself, I am quite happy to be reminded here of books I've read a while ago or books I've missed as well as what's new.

 

I'd recommend Circus Life by Don Cox though the prices have gone up rather a lot since I bought it for £20 inc P&P 5 years ago.  It tells the, often emotional, stories of the Australian and NZ riders who came over to join the original motorcycle Continental Circus in the 50's / 60's and the places where they raced many of which I'd never heard of but are now on my " to visit" list ( Wife may in future wonder why we're circulating random roads around Villefranche-de-Rouergue  for no apparent reason   ) . 500 or so pages of great stories and fantastic photos. Wonderful book .

[cooper997]

Back when 'From Voiturettes to Formula 1' was announced 6 months ago, I did the mathematics to potentially get a copy to Australia and erred to not proceed.

 

On March 31 at a quiet moment I re-visited the idea and scratching around found copies were getting expensive! Finding one that required Euro168 plus 65 more for post. On April 17 it arrived from Germany. It may well have been a smart move if I was ever going to get a copy as I see last night the source has nearly doubled their Euro price! With just 500 copies and out of print at the publishing house. Perhaps a decison that all parties concerned thought feasible at the time, but may now wish the number published was a bit higher up the scale..

 

 

Copy 311/500 with Merit kit 4CLT/48

(and friend of Tony Johns and myself at FML has copy 123/500)

 

Congratulations to all concerned, job nicely done. Although without being seen as critical the cars with Aussie history seem to lack some of the details that shouldn't have been hard to find. Alas, I guess like all publishing projects a line in the sand had to be made somewhere.

 

 

Stephen

[FastReader]

I hope this doesn't get me into trouble and I should state from the beginning that I am NOT the seller but there has been a copy of Editions Cercle D'Art's Car Racing 1967 book in "like new" condition on Ebay for the past month (having been relisted 3 or 4 times) at an absolutely bargain starting bid price of £19.99 + £4.49 postage. If I didn't already have a copy I would've snapped it up by now but it's a shame to see it sitting there when there must be someone on here who would enjoy it. Here's a link for anyone who is interested.

[a_tifoosi]

I hope this doesn't get me into trouble and I should state from the beginning that I am NOT the seller but there has been a copy of Editions Cercle D'Art's Car Racing 1967 book in "like new" condition on Ebay for the past month (having been relisted 3 or 4 times) at an absolutely bargain starting bid price of £19.99 + £4.49 postage. If I didn't already have a copy I would've snapped it up by now but it's a shame to see it sitting there when there must be someone on here who would enjoy it. Here's a link for anyone who is interested.

 

Yes, I have seen a few Car Racing books at very, very low prices. Indeed, I am the happy owner of the 1967 edition, which costed me a total of 8.66€ (P&P included  ).

[a_tifoosi]

A new 3-volume publication on De Dion Bouton by Michael Edwards has been recently announced: "De Dion Bouton. The Veteran Years, 1899-1904". £175 + P&P. 

 

Having the tricycle books, as well as the one on the De Dion types from 1905 to 1914, I'm sure that this will be the definite work for this marque and period.

 

More information here.

[FastReader]

Yes, I have seen a few Car Racing books at very, very low prices. Indeed, I am the happy owner of the 1967 edition, which costed me a total of 8.66€ (P&P included  ).

Wow! That hardly even covers the cost of postage.

[FastReader]

Has anybody seen a new book by Brian M. Ingrassia entitled Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing and the Making of Modern America? If so, is it any good?

Edited by FastReader, Yesterday, 12:57.

[Sterzo]

And could anyone recommend a good book (or more) on Indianapolis and other oval history? There's a paradox in "big" subjects, that they can attract potboilers, making it tricky to know what's good and what isn't.

[Vitesse2]

Has anybody seen a new book by Brian M. Ingrassia entitled Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing and the Making of Modern America? If so, is it any good?

Looking at the various blurbs and the interviews on the publisher's website and Current I suspect it may only go up to about 1930.

 

https://www.press.ui...-speed-capital/

 

https://currentpub.c...an-m-ingrassia/

 

Some interesting crossover with the Rajo Jack biography 'The Brown Bullet' regarding Jack Johnson. Perhaps he draws on Poehler's research for that?

[Vitesse2]

And could anyone recommend a good book (or more) on Indianapolis and other oval history? There's a paradox in "big" subjects, that they can attract potboilers, making it tricky to know what's good and what isn't.

Well, there's Rick Popely's 'Indianapolis 500 Chronicle', which was published in 1998 - mainly results and race reports, but well illustrated. A sort of more modern version of the Jack C Fox book which went through several editions and sells for silly money. Lots of copies available in the US, a few in Britain, starting at about £12.

 

Problem with oval history generally is that it's so 'bitty'. It would be the work of a lifetime to research, let alone write - as I'm sure Michael, Don, Jim and others can attest! Board tracks, dirt tracks, fairgrounds, half-mile ovals etc etc. And there are thousands of locations! 'Big cars'. midgets, jalopies, stock cars ...

[GMiranda]

And could anyone recommend a good book (or more) on Indianapolis and other oval history? There's a paradox in "big" subjects, that they can attract potboilers, making it tricky to know what's good and what isn't.

It's hard to find good books on IndyCars apart from the 500

[Parkesi]

Nigel Roebuck used to be full of priase for the work of Joe Scalzo. 

Might be better than most books:

http://www.racinghis...m/joescalzo.htm

[ensign14]

Might get more truth from Stroker Ace.

[DCapps]

Might get more truth from Stroker Ace.

 

Far more, as in lightyears more...

[DCapps]

And could anyone recommend a good book (or more) on Indianapolis and other oval history? There's a paradox in "big" subjects, that they can attract potboilers, making it tricky to know what's good and what isn't.

 

I thought Dr. Ingrassia's monograph, Speed Capital, interesting for a variety of reasons, one being that he is among the few academics to even attempt publishing a monograph on motor sport. 

While, as usual, I might not necessarily agree with all of his interpretations regarding the IMS, overall, certainly a far cry better the usual tripe that gets published on the topic.

I actually read the footnotes before even reading the monograph, not an unusual practice on my part.

 

Personally, I thought more of his article in the Journal of Sport History (Vol. 50, No. 1, Spring 2023, 17-31), "Annihilating Space: Motor Sport and the Commodification of Movement," to be honest. 

Far more interesting in his conceptual riffs and interpretations, in my view.

 

As for the topic of American "oval" racing, not to mention American racing in general, very poorly served and pretty much a wasteland, still even today. 

There are a few nuggets here and there of course, but overall little of any worth or, worse, intelligence.

Lots of stories, perhaps, but very little history.

Lurking within the electrons of TNF there is probably far more material of any merit on the topic, than lining the bookshelves -- which is a truly frightening thought in so many respects.

[Collombin]

Well, there's Rick Popely's 'Indianapolis 500 Chronicle', which was published in 1998 - mainly results and race reports, but well illustrated. A sort of more modern version of the Jack C Fox book which went through several editions and sells for silly money

If you're after one single book on the Indy 500 I would go with Popely's. The Fox books have the bonus of including some photos of entries that didn't make the field, but in every other regard the Popely book is superior.

The Autocourse official history Indy book by Davidson/Shaffer is inevitably interesting, informative and authoritative, but on some occasions a little too much space is taken up debunking myths at the expense of telling you much about what actually went on during the race.

Roger Huntington's Design and Development of the Indycar is a fine paperback book covering the years up to 1980 from a technical standpoint but very readable and easily accessible to the layman (ie even I understood it).

Beyond Indy, it's fairly slim pickings. There's no Time and Two Seats of US championship racing, although the Dick Wallen tomes covering the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s do a fantastic job for those decades. Not cheap, but great value. The 1970s one is much shorter, probably indicative of Wallen still not getting over the dropping of dirt miles from the championship trail in 1970. Wallen also did a fine book on the board tracks, though on a track by track format rather than season by season.

Biographies are inevitably hit and miss, some (eg Jimmy Murphy, Rex Mays) are very good, others (eg Ted Horn, Rodger Ward) are, shall we say, less so.

Any particular eras or branches of oval racing that are of special interest, Sterzo? That might help narrow down the available options.

[Sterzo]

Thank you all, folks, I shall take a punt on a couple of the books mentioned. Ideally I'd have liked a William Court "Power and Glory" equivalent, or something like the David Hodges books on the French and Monaco GPs (along with the companion Posthumus one on the German GP). All published in the sixties, but covering history from day one.

 

As an aside, the "debunking myths" approach mentioned by Vitesse detracts from a number of books, both motor racing and "real" history. It's very hard to learn about Napoleon if the author's obsessed with telling you he isn't like he's portrayed in other books you haven't read.