Chasing the Title: Fifty Years of Formula 1 [Hardcover]

Nigel Roebuck (Author), Frank Williams (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2000

In 1999, the Formula 1 World Championship is 50 years old. Here Nigel Roebuck, rated by many fans as the finest F1 writer in the world, presents his personal selection of highlights from the past half century, filled with his own memories and colorful anecdotes. Roebuck looks at key events including the first World Championship GP at Silverstone in 1950; the arrival of Lotus in F1 in 1960; Ferraris year of trauma in 1982; Damon Hills heavy weather championship in 1996; Ayrton Sennas tragic death at Imola in 1994; Mika Hakkinen vs Michael Schumacher in 1998; and much more.

Also contains pen portraits of racing legends Moss, Stewart, Senna, Prost, Ecclestone, Williams and Watkins. Well done!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nigel Roebuck (born in 1946, in Manchester, Lancashire, England) is an English journalist. Since 1971 he has reported on Formula One, and is considered one of the sport's most influential writers.  Roebuck continues to write for Autosport, plus Autoweek in the USA and a retrospective column in Motorsport magazine. His flowing, laconic and self effacing style is matched only by its insightfulness, honesty and humor, and occasional, heavy-handed reference to UK party politics. In 1982 Roebuck drove a Formula One Renault turbo at Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Haynes Publishing (January 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859606040
• ISBN-13: 978-1859606049
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,352,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roebuck does it again!, July 12, 2000

By 

Francesco Zargani - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing the Title: Fifty Years of Formula 1 (Hardcover)

Nigel Roebuck is widely considered to be one of motor racing finest scribes. In this book, with a bit of an odd title (since it focuses on much more than just the F1 championship battles, but our Nigel acknowledges that), Roebuck again narrates miscellaneous stories and anectodes, remembrances and conversations from the world of Formula One. Never boring, with that Roebuck-wit and humour, it not only captivates but it also amuses. Of particular interest are his opinions, whether you agree with him or not. Roebuck covers the whole spectrum, from the modern Formula One cars and the knee-jerk reactions to safety improvements, to perceptive studies of personalities like Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, Enzo Ferrari, Sid Watkins, and Jacques Villeneuve-- amongst the many. A book for the serious Formula One fan, who appreciates the great history of the sport as well as its many great characters. A must on any Formula One student's shelf!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars F1 at its finest!, June 1, 2001

By 

[e-mail] (Kuala Lumpur, WP Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chasing the Title: Fifty Years of Formula 1 (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best books that I've ever read. It does not concentrate on the stats or indeed particularly on the winners of the World Championship. It takes a personal look at the people, races and years that have shaped F1 from it's very begining. It is a great read for any F1 fan as Roebuck succeeds in not only jogging our memory of the past but also telling untold behind the scenes stories in detail not to mention a tinge of humour. I trully love this book, in fact I think I've read it cover to cover at least 3 times if not more.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating stuff!, January 3, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chasing the Title: Fifty Years of Formula 1 (Hardcover)

When I first saw this book's title, I nearly gave it a pass, thinking it was just one more in an already well-covered niche. But Nigel Roebuck's name was enough for me to chance it. (If you've read his columns you know he's always interesting.) This book is really unique. Despite the title, it's not an attempt to condense a history of 50 years of racing. It's more like a collection of essays about people and events that are not well covered elsewhere. I've read a LOT of books about F1 (cars, teams, drivers, ...) but each chapter of this book had new and intriguing things to say. It was a really enjoyable read, as well.