Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle [Hardcover]

Janet Guthrie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2005

In this beautifully written book, Guthrie tells her story from the beginning. Nearly two decades in the making, Lady and Gentlemen captures the poignant detail of the complexity of the racing business. On a deeper level, she conveys all that she encountered along the way as a woman in the most testosterone-charged of men's worlds.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A refreshing peek at a history of racing nicely crafted by an author who does not rely on a ghostwriter. -- Phil Berg in Auto Week on May 30, 2005

A well-written, insightful look into Guthrie's life...the successes she had, as well as the...barriers she had to overcome. -- Jerry Bonkowski in Yahoo Sports on May 12, 2005

An accomplished new memoir...one of the most distinctive [books] ever written on racing, and one of the best. -- Charles Hirshberg in Sports Illustrated on June 6, 2005

Guthrie...demonstrates her flair with words in her autobiography. ...She has pulled off another triumph. -- Nelson Price in Indianapolis Star on May 1, 2005

Run, do not walk, to your bookstore. -- Dave Kindred in The Sporting News on June 6, 2005

This book is must reading for female athletes...so enlightening that every sports fan should give it a try. -- Phil Tatman in Orlando Sentinel on June 27, 2005

With rich...detail, Guthrie puts the reader in the driver's seat...[H]er experiences are ones we can all learn from. -- Michele Vincze in Fort Worth Star-Telegram on June 8, 2005

From the Inside Flap

In 1977, Janet Guthrie made front-page headlines across America and sent editorial writers scurrying for their typewriters when she breached the male bastion of auto racing to become the first woman competitor to run in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. The world had never seen a race car driver quite like her. In "Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle," Guthrie has crafted an autobiography that stands as a testament to perseverance, resilience and courage. Meticulous in its detail, this is an eloquent account of one athlete's demonstration that, physically, emotionally and mentally, women are as well equipped as men to compete in the utterly demanding and occasionally deadly sport of auto racing. Guthrie's riveting narrative captures the complexity of the racing business and the essence of the racing life, both on the track and off. With passion, she details the physical, emotional and intellectual demands of the sport. She recounts the barriers she overcame in a business fueled as much by machismo as gasoline, recalling moments of isolation, dejection and frustration, but also the moments of sheer joy and exhileration that marked her journey. And she shares with readers the adrenaline rush of steering a race car through the turns at close to 200 miles per hour. But more than a racing story, Guthrie provides an enlightening examination of changing attitiudes in the 1970s, when, due in part to the women's movement, America underwent fundamental social change. Amid the turmoil, Guthrie's arrival at Indianapolis and Daytona became a lightning rod for backlash. Ultimately, she earned the respect of the racing fraternity and the admiration of America, particularly among women. But first she had to suffer the anger, scorn and derision of other drivers, media and fans who clung to antiquated notions of a woman's place in society. She recounts outrageous comments from elite drivers like Richard Petty and Bobby Unser, ridicule from some of the nation's most respected sportswriters, and hate mail from fans. Yet she was unflinching in her quest to succeed. Always an adventurer, never a follower, forever a pioneer, Guthrie smashed barriers to emerge as a heartfelt voice for females of her generation, an Amelia Earhart for the modern age.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Sport Media Publishing; 1st Canadian edition (March 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894963318
• ISBN-13: 978-1894963312
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most enjoyable racing books I've read., July 8, 2005

By 

D. Michael Cook "mrcook67" (Reynoldsburg, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle (Hardcover)

As a die-hard racing fan from the 60's and 70's, I have many books on the sport from those times. While my personal favorite is still Mark Donohue's "Unfair Advantage," Janet Guthrie's book easily ranks right up there with the best, and amazingly she wrote it all by herself, with no "ghost" writer. While I followed racing closely back then, I was surprised at how little I remembered about the details of her racing, especially in NASCAR. Her book is VERY well written and flows smoothly, covering efforts in both Indy racing and NASCAR, and does an exceptional job of explaining the difficulties (and discrimination) she faced. The key to the book, however is how she succeeds in making the reader understand that, in her view, she was a racer first and that being a woman was not the issue to her. She never wanted to be the best woman racer, she wanted to be the best racer, period. Well written, descriptive, and eye-opening about some of the sexism that happened at the time, the well designed book makes this an extremely enjoyable read for the race fan and anyone interested in reading about one person's efforts to just do what he/she loves doing, with help from some good people and in spite of the neanderthal opposing mind set of the times. Good job Janet, and good luck to Danica Patrick, Sara Fisher, and the others still fighting the barriers the pioneering Janet Guthrie helped knock down.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too short by far., August 26, 2006

By 

Don Knowles "Don" (Pittsboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle (Hardcover)

I started sports car racing about the same time as Janet, also had no money, and enjoyed all the years of scratching and clawing for a ride. I could not have written this book, though, because not only did she do something special, she tells the stories so well. I learned more about her in the book than I did at the time, and as a result of the book, feel the shared history and experiences deeply.

As a mutual friend said, "...it's exposed more about her and what she did and how she did it than most (of her comtemporary racing friends) either knew or understood...it's established more of a camaraderie with other racers ..." than was thought to exist at the time.

I wish she would publish the other several hundred pages she had to cut out of this beek, as I am sure I would enjoy it also.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a lady, what a life!, May 26, 2006

By 

Fruit Loop (Down South) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle (Hardcover)

I was in junior high school when Ms. Guthrie ran in the Indy 500, and was wowed by the fact that a woman could make it auto racing. Those who of us who remember the era before Title 9 know how tough it was for female athletes in any sport, but especially auto racing which remains a male-dominated field to this day.

Cheers to you, Ms. Guthrie, for your excellent career, for opening the doors, for your marvelous record on the track, and for an exciting memoir that's as fast-paced as your race car! Five stars!