Customer Reviews

Ferrari: 1947-1997

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are interested in a broad sweep of Ferrari racing history, this is the book. If you are interested in Ferrari road cars, buy "Ferrari" by Hartmut Lehbrink instead. This is an excellent book, large and heavy with great color pictures and cut-aways. It does gloss over the road cars and has great summary color thumbnails of all Ferrari's (racing and road)in the back. A worthy addition to any Ferrari library.

If you are interested in a broad sweep of Ferrari racing history, this is the book. If you are interested in Ferrari road cars, buy "Ferrari" by Hartmut Lehbrink instead. This is an excellent book, large and heavy with great color pictures and cut-aways. It does gloss over the road cars and has great summary color thumbnails of all Ferrari's (racing and road)in the back. A worthy addition to any Ferrari library.

If you can afford only one Ferrari book this year,buy this one! This book is a tribute not ony to Enzo,but to all that were involved. By all means read this book from cover to cover,it deserves that attention. You will learn things,or relearn things,that you did not know,or had forgotten. I know I did and it was a wonderful lesson. This book was a gift from my family,but trust me,I WOULD HAVE GLADLY BOUGHT IT FOR MY COLLECTION. Having been an avid Ferrari enthusiast since 1953,all I can say to the publisher and author is thank you and well done.

This book is a summary of the last 50 years of racing, with many short testimonials and memoirs of former drivers who share some of their experiences racing for the prancing horse. There are some short chapters on body & engineering innovations of racing. Some of which carried over to became first of their kind on the road cars. Technical data is scarce. I felt the content of each chapter to be a little bit to brief, as if to wet your tongue but not completely satisfy. But then again fifty years of racing history is a lot to fit into any one book.

If Ferrari racing is your main interest then this book is a must have. If Ferrari road cars interest you more, then this book is still worth getting as long as you realize that 90% of the content is about racing.

The fiftieth anniversary of the world's most famous sports car company required a very special book. Originally it was published in a limited edition of 1000 copies in English and 1000 in Italian, at a credit-card-melting list price of $330, or £200 in the UK. But it was worth it (still is if you can find a copy). There has never been a more comprehensive or magnificently presented history of the company. When the smoke and feathers cleared and it was apparent that most every copy had gone, a popular, cheaper, edition was called for. And here it is. The good news is that it's exactly the same book: not printed on quite such heavy paper, not as expensively bound, and not in a slipcase, but the same format and all 408 pages of fascinating content. There are two broad sections. The first, by Karl Ludvigsen no less, surveys Ferrari's technical history. The second, by Gianni Cancellieri, looks at the human and sporting history of the company. But easily the most interesting aspect for many people will be the tributes to great drivers of the past, and articles by the many great Ferrari drivers who are happily still with us. Heroes like Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, and as they say, many many more, write on what it's like to drive for Ferrari. And what it was like to drive for "Mr Ferrari", as they called Enzo with understandable respect. All this, and 1000 photographs and illustrations, most in color. The black and white pictures include a selection from the Klemantaski collection, and there's an article by Louis himself. If it was good value as a $330 limited edition, this version of the book is the bargain of the year. While you're about it, check out "Ferrari" and "Ferrari Formula 1" by Rainer Schlegelmilch and Hartmut Lehbrink. The stunning photographs in these books complement "Ferrari 1947-1997" perfectly. Why not buy all three? You won't be disappointed.

If you are interested in a broad sweep of Ferrari racing history, this is the book. If you are interested in Ferrari road cars, buy "Ferrari" by Hartmut Lehbrink instead. This is an excellent book, large and heavy with great color pictures and cut-aways. It does gloss over the road cars and has great summary color thumbnails of all Ferrari's (racing and road)in the back. A worthy addition to any Ferrari library.

This book accomplish quite properly it mission. To give us a shallow look at the first 50 years of the make. Good and some very rare pictures, diagrams explaining technical solutions and good but condensed text. A must.

The book provides great insight into vehicle development at Ferrari. Interesting pictures, great cutaway drawings, and useful basic information are provided.

A few criticisms: input from the Ferrari PR department is obvious (though not bad) and the book is a little light on road car information. However, the road car information that is provided is very good. Also, I could do without the pictures of celebrities and their Ferraris - would rather have more engine/chassis/interior shots.

All in all, no serious Ferrari library will be complete without this book.

From the uncountable interesting anecdotes, to the wonderful photos and drawings, this book brings the history of Ferrari to life. The reminicings of past Ferrari competition drivers, and the ever entwined influence of Enzo Ferrari and his machinations make the reader appreciate how the man and his cars have become synonimous with speed, beautiful design and competition glory. If you buy only one book about Ferrari, make it this one.

I would like to congratulate the author of this book for the great job that was done in putting it together. It is one of the most interesting books that I have read about Ferrari in a long time. I am only a student and therefore cannot afford an actual Ferrari, but reading about them makes me feel like I know what it's like to own one. This book did that for me. I would also like to congratulate the photographer for getting pictures of various different-coloured Ferraris. Most Ferrari books have the misfortune of only printing red Ferraris and don't take the time to show different colours. I am pleased to have bought this book and I will cherish it as part of my Ferrari literature collection.