The worst crash in motor racing history - killing more than 80 people - was produced by a ferocious and haunting combination of circumstances: nationalism, raw speed, the nature of a 24-hour race, and chance. The crash drew in Mike Hawthorn, the blond playboy from Farnham, in a Jaguar, and Juan-Manuel Fangio, one of the greatest drivers of all, in a Mercedes. A crowd of 250,000 watched hypnotised as Hawthorn set out to break Fangio, the two cars going faster and faster...and faster. Another English playboy, Lance Macklin, was caught up in the crash in his Austin-Healey, along with a 50-year-old Frenchman driving under the assumed name of Pierre Levegh. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It cost him his life, even as his car was torn to pieces that scythed into the dense crowd. In this new and full study of the fateful day, Christopher Hilton sets the race itself in the context of the 1950s. Through a host of interviews - with drivers, team members, journalists and spectators - and original research at Le Mans and in the Mercedes archive in Stuttgart, he recreates every aspect of the race and the crash. Much of the material has never been seen before. He examines the aftermath - the bitter blame game, the conflicting testimonies, the direct threat to motorsport in Europe - and chronicles the beginning of the culture of safety that has affected what we see of motorsport on our television screens today.
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About the Author
Christopher Hilton is a leading authority and writer on contemporary motorsport, and has written more than 30 books on the subject. His book Nuvolari, published by Breedon Books in 2003, was critically acclaimed. He has also produced a ground-breaking study of the Donington Grands Prix of 1937 and 1938, as well as biographies of more modern Formula 1 drivers like Michael Schumacher and the late Ayrton Senna.
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35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Subject but the author's style makes for tough reading,
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This review is from: Le Mans '55: The Crash That Changed the Face of Motor Racing (Hardcover)
My old boss at my first writing gig told me - "easy readin' is hard writin' " and he was right. This book, an indepth account of the worst car crash and loss of life in all of motorsports, was fascinating but could have been much, much easier to read. I originally thought that I was just tired as I first sat down to read, but it was the same thing the next day as I struggled with the author's difficult writing style. Since I consider Le Mans one of a handfull of great races, I really wanted to learn more about the tragedy and the aftermath. The author certainly did his research and the details, maps and drawings, calculations and photos all helped to bring this event, fifty years back, into sharp focus. A definite plus. I especially loved his explanation of the German, French, British post-war tensions and how it affected the way people formed opinions about racing teams. But I really had to strain to get through some parts because his style and sentence structures are not familiar to me.It's on my motorsports book shelf but I don't think it needs to be on yours unless you too are a motorhead.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Le Mans '55: The Crash That Changed the Face of Motor Racing,
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This review is from: Le Mans '55: The Crash That Changed the Face of Motor Racing (Hardcover)
Wow! LeMans 1955... What can you say about this epic event? Great cars & Driver; Peter Collins in the DB3S Aston Martin, Moss & Fangio in the Mercs', Hawthorn in the D-Jag and Ken Miles sharing the EX182 (MGA Prototype)...Great book... fantastic photos, yet a sad tail. My father, Dickie Green, was on the pit counter with the MG team when all hell broke lose on the Saturday. It was the one thing he didnt' like seeing "Replayed over and over on TV." Like battles against the Afrika Corps in WWII (Dickie was British Army Tank Driver) seeing the "accident" firsthand was enough. Aston Mechanic Tug Wilson was one of the first into the wreck with a fire bottle, and was nearly run over by Fangio as he dashed across the front straight! Few know this fact... In the end the race went on. Personally I think the Merc team should have kept going... my 2 cents. A must buy book for any collection. Michael Green / West Coast British
5.0 out of 5 stars
Le Mans '55 the crash the changed the face of Motor Racing,
By Robert Geco "Bob Geco" (Long Beach, Californa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Le Mans '55: The Crash That Changed the Face of Motor Racing (Hardcover)
This book is the pinnacle of information on the Mercedes-Benz Jaguar Duel at Le Mans in 1955. It was A PERFECT STORM. Author Christoper Hilton is very precise at delivering the overwhelming information in a book you can not put down.I have heard about this tragedy the took 85 lives at the Le Mans but could never fine a book on the subject as good at presenting the facts. know I am aware of what really happened. the characters are played out as if you were their. The story is real and Mr.Hilton did an excellent job of presenting the facts. With out going further into detail It is a good read that any Motor Sport fan or Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar enthusiast will want for their library. Two of the greatest automobiles the Jaguar Works Long nose D-type with its innovations of the first disc brakes and feline good looks capable of 190 MPH with Jaguar Star driver Michael Hawthorn behind the wheel and Mercedes-Benz new 300SLR with its innovations of desmonic vales ,air brake and world renouned driver Juan Manuel fangio order to race not pace while Jaguar's strategy was given to Hawthoren drive flat out and break the Mercedes-Benz cars. the tragedy was waiting for then 50 year old Pierre Levegh drivng # 20 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR his encounter with Lance Macklin Austin Healey out of control. This book does not put the blame on any one of the Race drivers involved it simply is a book, that is jam packed with information and facts. Once you read it you may as I have done move on to learn more. It is history and the question remains 55 years after the tradgy, despite all the safety regulations and changes to Motor sport racing it is still a dangerous sport. Robert Geco Automotive enthusiast and historian. Long Beach, California USA
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