Customer Reviews

Grand Prix Racers: Portraits of Speed

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The photographs are wonderful, of course.

The bios on each driver are so informative. I was learning things I never knew and I have followed the sport of Formula One for over 40 years.

Didn't want it to end. Wish they could do another as there are so many more drivers that could be included.

This is a wonderful book for several reasons. The portraits of Grand Prix champions over the decades are worth the purchase price. The cover shot of a young Jack Brabham catches you, and then you are caught up in trying to recognize iconic faces from the recent and not so recent past. It features 72 F1 greats from the modern era, 1950-2007,grouped by personality characteristics. The action shots are also very iconic. A few examples are the Ferrari team on the banking at Monza 1961, racing through sand dunes and hay bales, etc. The photos are by Bernard Cahier and his son, Paul-Henri. The very informative descriptions of each driver are by Xavier Chimits.

The author does a wonderful job of creating a personal image of these Grand Prix Racers though a combination of historical facts and more significantly through personal antecdotes of their persona, lives, and character. These stories along with the striking photographs capture the essence of these drivers, and an insight into their triumphs, failures, and in many cases their deaths. Many unsung heros are featured such as Bellof, Courage, and even lessor knowns with but a few Grand Prix starts. A few fairly significant drivers such as Bandini, Barrichello, Depailler, Revson, Watson, and new champ Hamilton are left out, but the author's intentions are simply to create a portrait of Grand Prix racers from 1950 to 2007. And that he does! At around $25.00 on Amazon.com this book is a gem !!