Legendary Race Cars [Hardcover]

Basem Wasef (Author), Stirling Moss (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2009

More than any other sporting pursuit, racing is a test of both human and machine. This beautifully illustrated book is a celebration of that unique union of sweat and grease, blood and gasoline, courage and fear, elation and terror, triumph and tragedy. Through vivid, human detail, writer and photographer Basem Wasef brings to life more than two dozen racing legends, including the story of Mario Andretti and the Lotus 79 that he drove to the 1978 Formula 1 world championship—a triumph trumped by the tragic loss of his teammate, Ronnie Peterson. We ride along with the incomparable Stirling Moss as he pilots his Mercedes-Benz SLR to an improbable victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia. And we feel our teeth rattling and our bones shaking as we race for nearly seven grueling hours with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp, en route to a controversial win at the very first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Filled with fascinating stories of humanity and machinery, this book is a must for all race fans.

 

See Motorbooks author Basem Wasef interviewed by Jay Leno on JayLenosGarage.com: http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/jays-book-club-basem-wasef/1168295/

Editorial Reviews

Review

“More than any other automobile history book, this one struck a chord with me. The mix of modern and period photos, the historical details in each story, and the writing style all add up to a satisfying experience for anyone who loves cars.” - David Grant, 2008 Porsche Enthusiast of the Year (PCA)

“If, like ours, your tastes in racing run broad, Basem Wasef’s book, Legendary Race Cars, deserves a spot on your shelf. With a foreword buy Sir Stirling Moss and text that covers both the human and mechanical, Legendary Race Cars is a book you’ll enjoy one chapter at a time.” – Road & Track  

“At the absolute minimum, we’ll give the author credit for providing the fuse that can cause a great argument to explode: What are the 25 greatest racing cars of all time, from every generation and genre of motorsport, and who were the men who drove them? That’s a killer proposition. Wasef is a photographer, and the book is handsomely illustrated, its frameworthy dust jacket is an interesting marketing strategy.” – Hemmings Motor News

“With 176 glossy pages, 318 photos and a cover jacket that can be framed as a poster, this hardcover book celebrates significant race cars in history.” – EuroTuner magazine  

“The photography is excellent, and the book is well-written, informative and entertaining to read (including an introduction by Stirling Moss), with many quotes and recollections from the designers, drivers and team members that drove and were involved with the cars that are profiled. This is a great book to add to your book collection and is one you'll go back to often.” – TheRaceSite.com  

“Even if you just have a passing interest in the sport of automobile racing this book will grab and hold your interest. Beautifully illustrated, this book will entertain and inform you about the cars and drivers who reached the pinnacle of the sport in all of its forms from road racing to rallying to stock cars, Indy, LeMans and Pomona.” – Paul Bova, Vintage Racer Group

“A veritable book of dreams, Wasef tells the stories behind 25 of the most significant racing cars ever. Nicely written, packed with glowing photography and beautifully bound and presented. When viewed through a certain filter, Legendar Race Cars is a road map for turning dreams into reality.” – African Americans on Wheels magazine

Confused as to what to do with all the Barnes & Nobles and Amazon.com gift cards your in-laws pelted you with this Holiday season? Be confused no more! Legendary Race Cars is the book every pistonhead needs sitting on their night stand in 2010. Some of you might be familiar with Basem Wasef's first book, Legendary Motorcycles. If you are, you'll no doubt remember that Jay Leno wrote the introduction to that one. Not bad for your first book. For his second book, Basem got none other than Sir Stirling Moss to pen the foreword, which, for you whippersnappers who have no clue who Sir Stirling is, would be like getting Snoop Dogg to help you write an essay about gangsta rappers and marijuana.Pick up a copy of Legendary Race Cars (It's $23.10 right now at Amazon). You won't regret it one iota.” – Autoblog.com

Even a non-racing fan will enjoy reading this book. Many well known and lots of less famous race cars receive an overview in this detailed tome. Packed with more than 3,000 photos and illustrations, the author presents the history of racing cars dating back to the first Indy 500 winner from 1911 with lots of background information. Legendary Race Cars is an excellent book that will hold the attention of aficionados and novices alike.” – AAANY.com

“… the choice of cars reflects an impressive knowledge of the breadth of motor racing, with machines from all manner of other disciplines including rallying, drag racing, Indy cars, NASCAR, sports cars and more.  I enjoyed the variety of the cars chosen, the succinctly-told stories behind them and the generous complement of contemporary photographs. An interesting choice for technically-minded fans with a taste for more than just F1 cars.”  -F1fanatic.co.uk

This book will heat up your hot stove debates. The book features 25 legendary racecars, and you can argue for hours whether all of these cars should be included or if there are others that are more deserving of

Book Description

Like any sporting pursuit, motorsports has its heroes.  But unlike other sports, racing finds its heroes in a perfect meeting of man and machine.  These are the mythic pairings profiled in Legendary Race Cars—Mario Andretti’s world championship-winning Lotus 79, Stirling Moss’s unstoppable Mercedes-Benz SLR, Ray Harroun’s inaugural Indy 500-winning Marmon Wasp, and many, many more.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; First edition (October 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760335486
• ISBN-13: 978-0760335482
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.8 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Photographs with Excellent Text January 8, 2010

By John Mccarrier

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The high quality of the text in this book matches the high quality photographs. Usually readers get one or the other. Each of the 25 chapter tells the story of the featured car clearly and concisely.

Most of the cars included are obvious choices that have been written about extensively in other books but a few are refreshingly new. It`s a bit heavy on Formula 1 cars but not excessively.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb! January 1, 2010

By M.Bern

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book is well written and has many intersting stories. I found this book a fantastic read. The author manages to unify the automotive junkies and the history buffs. The pictures are superb and are not mere copies of generic photos. Plus the free poster is a must have! If you found this intersting make sure to check out Legendary Motorcyles by the same author. Both books are well executed and any car enthusiast and racing fan would love adding either to their library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book! December 24, 2009

By J. Ramsay

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is an excellent follow-up to his previous book, "Legendary Motorcycles." I think the presentation of this book is even better than the first (although the first one was also first-rate) and it again has a fascinating selection of classic race cars through history. This book is essential for any car enthusiast and will make a great gift!