[Books] Books - My Top 20

[Pete Fenelon]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

Doe's anyone remember The Castrol Drivers Manual by Frank Gardner. The Tech stuff will be a bit dated now, as it was written in the 70's, but it's worth a read for Gardners sense of homour alone!

Wonderful book -- full of Frank-isms and anecdotes. It (and Nick Brittan's "How To Go Saloon Car Racing") should still be mandatory reading for anyone daft enough to want to be a racing driver!

[Alan Raine]

I lent my copy to someone years ago and never got it back but it's on sale at Amazon for a fiver! Time for the credit card

[Suze]

to be honest I haven't read that many. however, rather like:

- Life at the Limit, Sid Watkins
- Beyond the Limit, Sid Watkins
- Unless I'm very much mistaken, Murray Walker
- James Hunt the Biography, Gerald Donaldson

James Hunt book was great, had to write an essay on him once long time ago now but had some great info. Like Autodrome for pics and info, and just about to start reading a Jeremy Clarkson one too as never read anything by him. Want to source a copy of that Beverly Turner book too - heard bits about it but want to see a couple of reviews and what it's all about....

also want to read Kings of The Nuerburgring by Chris Nixon, was looking at it somewhere or other recently.

[Martin Bull]

I've had some fun browsing this thread & even more browsing through my collection. FWIW here's my top 20, again no excuses and no particular order - these are the ones I like....

- The Certain Sound ( John Wyer )
- The Cruel Sport ( Robert Daley )
- Mon Ami Mate ( Chris Nixon )
- Castrol Racing Drivers Manual ( Gardner/Nye )
- Racing In The Rain ( John Horsman )
- Formula 1 Fanatic ( Koeren Vergeer )
- Chasing The Title ( Nigel Roebuck )
- Into The Red - with the CD ! ( Nick Mason )
- Villeneuve ( Gerald Donaldson )
- Jenks - A Passion For Motorsport
- It Beats Working ( Eoin Young )
- 24:16 ( Norbert Singer )
- Challenge Me The Race ( Mike Hawthorn )
- Unfair Advantage ( Mark Donohue )
- BRM Volume 1 ( Doug Nye )
- The Turbo Years ( Alan Henry )
- The Death Of Ayrton Senna ( Richard Williams )
- 917 ( Fodisch/Nesshover/Rossbach/Schwarz)
- Can Am ( Pete Lyons )
- Autocourse 1981-1994 editions.

[John Turner]

Good to see this resurrected, Martin. I'd make some changes to my original list now (6 years later!) and would certainly included 'Time and Two Seats' by Janos Wimpffen (actually purchased that directly from him - I think that it may have been one of the last available!) and also two magnificent Alfa histories by Simon Moore - 'The Legendary 2.3' and 'The Immortal 2.9'. Talking of Alfa aficionados, I see that arch Alfa enthusiast, Ian Titchmarsh, is waxing lyrical about a new title 'A Passion for Speed' about the life and time of George Abecassis by David Abecassis. Titch describes it as 'right up there with the very best'. It's £65 which I'm sure is good value but unfortunately, I no longer have the wherewithal to spend that much on books, so might have to borrow it, sometime!

[Martin Bull]

Well, I guess these lists are a moveable feast....since doing that one at the weekend, I've finished Jo Ramirez' 'Memoirs Of A Racing Man' and I'm just starting Innes Ireland's 'All Arms And Elbows'. Looks like both should really be in my top 20 ( or should I make it 22 ? )

[chunterer]

Yes, the Ramirez book is pretty good.

Phil Kerr's book is a lovely read, full of anecdotes.

If I can count 20 I will but some of my favourite reads have been:

Gilles Villeneuve - Donaldson (had it when it was out new as h/b in 1989 for xmas)
25 years of ATCC - can't recall author
Ford in Touring Car Racing - Robson
The Lost Generation - Tremayne
Ayrton Senna - Karin Sturm or actually the Rubython book isn't bad
Gerhard Berger - Hilton (highly amusing anecdotes)
Phil Kerr
The Bathurst Annuals (Group A era, 85-86, 86-87, 87-88, )
F1 in Camera 79-89
F1 in Camera 69-79
Alex Zanardi My Story
Tony Southgate
Life At The Limit
Inside The Mind of The GP Driver
Paul Newman His Racing Life

I'll list some more when I can remember!!!

[Andy77]

Not getting close to 20 but here are some from my collection.

-Kings of the Nurburgring by Chris Nixon
-Can Am by Pete Lyons
-Can Am Racing 1966-1969 & 1970-1974 & Can Am Racing Cars
-The Speed Merchants by Michel Keyser
-Racing in the rain by John Horsman
-Flying Finn by Stephen Davison
-Stefan Bellof, Eine viel zu kurze Karriere by Rainer Braun/Ferdi Kräling
-The Bahamas Speedweeks by Terry O`Neil
-Jarno Saarinen, The Flying Finn by Klaas Tjassens
-Hallo Fahrerlager 1 & 2 & 3 by Rainer Braun

[old man]

Thanks for this thread, lots of things there that I feel I should get hold of as, over the years reading books has not been my style, always seemed too busy! Recently I have more opportunity and have just read The Certain Sound by John Wyer, a bit late I hear you say! This prompts me to ask where one might obtain copies, say your favourite specialist websites other than Amazon?

[ensign14]

Chaters and Collectors Carbooks, for magazines Pooks (very good value compared to some books, but they take up more space). For new foreign books, Hortons, but you pay a few bob for them...they also have extensive second hand stock at hefty prices.

[M Greenslade]

Full Throttle - Sir Henry (Tim) Birkin

Bladders...........

[Groupc]

"Recently I have more opportunity and have just read The Certain Sound by John Wyer, a bit late I hear you say! This prompts me to ask where one might obtain copies, say your favourite specialist websites other than Amazon?[/QUOTE]

Expect to pay around £75 on ebay, they come up fairly regularly.

Changing tack slightly, I have recently sold a load of surplus stuff (books, posters, magazines etc) on ebay to raise some money for some Sports Car Racing books which I wanted but couldn't afford. In 4 months of feverish trading I raised enough to buy, and now thoroughly recommend, the following:

Gruppe 5 - Die Silhouetteformel 1976-1981 - Harold Schw - German text, but as it's full of gorgeous pictures of 1970's Group 5 cars, it's well worth it in my opinion. Shame nothing in English !

Porsche Kremer Racing - A Photographic History 1966-1981, in German and English. It's a collection of photos so the main text is captions. Beautifully produced book in a slip case. My only slight disappointment was that their Le Mans participations weren't covered in more depth.

Scuderia Filipinetti by Ed Veuvink - a subject I know little about, so I've bought it to read later. Very pleased at first browse.

Ten Days in Sicily (Corsa Research) by Tony Adriaensens A glorious photo essay of the 1966 Targa Florio, from the cameras of four young Englishmen who travelled to Sicily

Admittedly these are all rather expensive books, but I felt it important to add them to my collection. Apart from their content, and tactile beauty, they are sure to be a sound investment. I have no regrets. Regrets ?? I'm delighted !

My tip to anyone interested in buying, would be to buy them on ebay from a German seller (I won't plug the one I used, but PM me if you want to know they're ebay ID) who are MUCH cheaper than UK sellers (on or off ebay) and Amazon. All about the Euro exchange rate I assume. Anyway, gift horses and mouths !

[nicanary]

Just found this old thread.

If you need a particular book in a hurry and there's nothing on e-bay,log on to abebooks - they are intermediaries for a consortium of book sellers in the UK and USA.

The prices are sometimes a bit steep ( especially from the States), but you get a chance to compare prices. You have the choice - to buy or not to buy.

(If you've got "Time and Two Seats" try to get the 4 photo books that were brought out later to accompany it - superb for just browsing).

[Livery]

Great thread...I'm going to have to check out a few of these mentioned. Some of my favs in my collection.

Alex Zanardi - My Sweetest Victory
Gilles Villeneuve (Driver Profile4) - Nigel Roebuck
Remember Ayrton Senna - Alan Henry
Greg Moore - A Legacy of Spirit - Proudfoot & Kirby
Villeneuve - A. de la Plante...soft and hard copies...soft signed by the author
Realisation of a Dream - The Creation of British American Racing...interesting read

[nicanary]

Can anybody help me ?

Last week I bought a copy of one of the Sheldon/Rabagliati "black books" off e-bay, in v.good nick for £40 (no other bidders).

They were expensive new, but very much a specialised publication, and I didn't expect brilliant print quality. The print is not very "sharp", almost like a good quality photocopy - is this normal for these books? I can't imagine that anybody would go to the trouble of copying and binding an original (my book is clearly marked as a 1st ed).

I've been offered another at a similar price - it seems a bargain since dealers are asking £150+, but I'm feeling edgy about it.

Anybody out there got these?

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by nicanary

The print is not very "sharp", almost like a good quality photocopy - is this normal for these books?

Yes. Probably because those books were pretty much home-made specials.

The information in them though is gold dust.

And they are gradually producing updated editions on better quality paper and print. Such is the improvement in home publishing technology.

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by ensign14

Yes. Probably because those books were pretty much home-made specials.

The information in them though is gold dust.

And they are gradually producing updated editions on better quality paper and print. Such is the improvement in home publishing technology.

Thanks for confirming what I suspected - I can breathe a sigh of relief.
The extra book I have been offered is also a 1st ed. so it would appear to be a bargain.

Whether I'll ever get to read the whole book is another matter ,a bit like the Georgano Encyclopedia. I've got half-way through the "A"s with that one! But I did read "Time and Two Seats" from cover to cover, a bit of a marathon.

[nicanary]

Now that I'm beholden to you all for advice and assistance, I thought I'd better put in my two-pennerth to update this thread.

I'm a bit of a collector (or is that hoarder) and I've got lots of titles that I'll probably never read again; my daughter wants me to sell them to fund any more purchases, but she just dosn't get it, does she?

Top-20 title lists will always be a subjective thing, we all have our favourite drivers, teams or eras. For me it's the 50s and early 60s before cars were painted as fag packets. ( I was born in 1950 so I remember real racing in black-and-white).It seems that books fall into four catagories -

1)Well-written by respected authors who know the sport intimately - anything by Nigel Roebuck or Doug Nye (although his name has been used on some pot-boilers ; something has to pay the rent), and also Alan Henry, Maurice Hamilton and Eoin Young.
2)Painstakingly-researched reference works that cost the earth but are worth their weight in gold ; Georgano's Encyclopedia, Time and Two Seats and the Sheldon/Rabagliati "Black Books" spring to mind.
3)Useful reference books that are relatively cheap, like the Grand Prix Who's Who and the recent Spurring Le Mans histories.
4)Books specific to your individual interest - I have a few 1st ed. autobiographies of 50s drivers.

The vast majority of books published are just a waste of the rainforest.I've lost track of the number I've taken to the charity shop.

I particularly like things I can just pick up and browse through, stirring memories. The four photo-books that accompanied Wimpffen's tome are truly superb for this, as are the "In Camera" books from Haynes for F1 and Sports-Cars. If you can find them, try out William Court's Power and Glory volumes, beautifully written by a real enthusiast of the sport - there was a 2nd edition which will be a lot cheaper. (There was supposed to be a volume 3 which never appeared, and I believe the author has passed away)

Do not use poverty as an excuse - I am of humble means,making a living as a part-time take-away delivery driver. If you want it badly enough,you will find the cash somehow.Thanks be to the Lord for Amazon and E-bay!

[Livery]

Picked up a copy of Steve Matchett's "The Mechanic's Tale"...from others...it looks like a good read...looking forward to this.

[chunterer]

I love fleabay for old bargains, not necessarily classic tomes but decent reads all the same. It's just a case of being patient and waiting for the right book to come up at the right price.

In the last 2 years or so i've 'acquired' biographies on Peterson, Jones, Rosberg, Berger along with some rarer stuff of personal interest like the Ralt and March stories and some Bathurst annuals (to feed my Group A fever!) all of which have provided good reads and added to my thirst for motorsport knowledge.

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I love fleabay for old bargains, not necessarily classic tomes but decent reads all the same. It's just a case of being patient and waiting for the right book to come up at the right price.

In the last 2 years or so i've 'acquired' biographies on Peterson, Jones, Rosberg, Berger along with some rarer stuff of personal interest like the Ralt and March stories and some Bathurst annuals (to feed my Group A fever!) all of which have provided good reads and added to my thirst for motorsport knowledge.

I totally agree - never panic and buy the first one that crops up. I have books in excellent condition by Roebuck & Co. which cost me £1 plus postage. Happy days.

[Livery]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I love fleabay for old bargains, not necessarily classic tomes but decent reads all the same. It's just a case of being patient and waiting for the right book to come up at the right price.

In the last 2 years or so i've 'acquired' biographies on Peterson, Jones, Rosberg, Berger along with some rarer stuff of personal interest like the Ralt and March stories and some Bathurst annuals (to feed my Group A fever!) all of which have provided good reads and added to my thirst for motorsport knowledge.

Exactly...just picked up an Autocourse 2009 and Autocourse 2010 for a song...like my Dad says..."A better deal always comes along, just be patient"

Next on my list is the Eddie Jordan biography...looks really interesting.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Livery

Exactly...just picked up an Autocourse 2009 and Autocourse 2010 for a song...like my Dad says..."A better deal always comes along, just be patient"

Next on my list is the Eddie Jordan biography...looks really interesting.

Good post until the last sentence.....

Just kiddin, it's not a bad read, considerably less 'me me me' than the JYS one, but I really hoped that the EJR team years would have gotten greater scope. You'll see what I mean when you get the book.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by Livery

Exactly...just picked up an Autocourse 2009 and Autocourse 2010 for a song...like my Dad says..."A better deal always comes along, just be patient"

Not always. I've never seen a limited edition "Time And Two Seats" for sale after the initial offer. Cost me £190 new. Dread to think what it costs now.

The interesting thing is how some remaindered books end up fetching a fair sum. Geoff Goddard's photo book could have been had for a tenner, the original edition was fetching £80 last I saw...

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Good post until the last sentence.....

Just kiddin, it's not a bad read, considerably less 'me me me' than the JYS one, but I really hoped that the EJR team years would have gotten greater scope. You'll see what I mean when you get the book.

Got to watch the moderators on this one, but if you read the "Lunch With" articles in Motor Sport magazine, it's surprising how often that certain person crops up in people's careers, with those drivers feeling aggrieved about something - usually sponsor money being "mislaid" or misleading "promises".

As for "Time and Two Seats" - Chaters had one recently for £1600. On e-bay I've seen one with a damaged slip-case up for £600 and unsold.
It makes you wonder whether these prices are just pipe-dreams; something is only worth what someone is prepared to pay.