Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story [Hardcover]

Christopher Hilton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2007

Michael Schumacher - the most successful Grand Prix driver of all time - remained a quiet-spoken, private family man throughout his controversial career. The global celebrity was a global stranger.

This is his full story, from humble beginnings to fashioning Ferrari in his own image, from a home-made kart to his very last race in China in October 2006 and the thrilling battle for his eighth World Championship. Best-selling Formula 1 biographer Christopher Hilton draws on an immense number of sources to celebrate this unique, fascinating and turbulent career as well as revealing who the stranger really is.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Michael Schumacher - the most successful Grand Prix driver of all time - remained a quiet-spoken, private family man throughout his controversial career. The global celebrity was a global stranger. This is his full story, from humble beginnings to fashioning Ferrari in his own image, from a home-made kart to his very last race in China in October 2006 and the thrilling battle for his eighth World Championship. Best-selling Formula 1 biographer Christopher Hilton draws on an immense number of sources to celebrate this unique, fascinating and turbulent career as well as revealing who the stranger really is.

About the Author

Christopher Hilton, the highly respected Formula 1 author, has published many successful books with Haynes, including Michael Schumacher: The greatest of all, Ayrton Senna: The whole story and Memories of James Hunt. He lives at Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Haynes Publishing (August 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844250083
• ISBN-13: 978-1844250080
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,307,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The title is right - The WHOLE Story, March 1, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story (Hardcover)

Sorry, but I have to really disagree with J.A.G. Reid's review. He only read the first 70 pages? How do you do a review without really reading the book? That's 2 1/2 chapters of a 12 chapter book; 70 pages of a 433 page book! And none of those first 70 pages actually covers the Grand Prix era! I am guessing that J.A.G. Reid is a diehard Shumacher fanatic who wants to read only praises and positive things about a hero. That's fine, but I'd rather read the whole story - both the good and the bad, and this book provides that.

I have been following Formula 1 and other racing since 1967. Over the years, I have been a Gurney, Stewart, Lauda, Andretti, and then Schumacher follower, and the Michael Schumacher story is a fascinating one. He is obviously one of the all time greats. I look forward to him following Sir Jackie Stewart's lead and some day writing his autobiography, but, until then, I was looking for an attempt at an objective look at the driver. I felt this book delivered that. It discusses the good - all the wins and the team building. It discusses the amazing, such as racing in the Benetton with only one gear (!) while adjusting his stategy to driving it like a sports car, and also winning from all the way back at 16th on the grid at Spa in 1995. It also discusses - in painful detail- the negatives of the Benetton disqualifications, fines, and appeals, the 1994 Hill collision that gave Schumacher the contoversial championship, the 1997 incident with Villeneuve, that led to Schumacher's exclusion from classification for the entire season, and the 2006 qualifying incident at Monaco.

The final chapter, titled "All Time High" tries to discuss how Schumacher will be viewed in Formula 1 history. Probably the most accurate conclusions of the whole book are on the last text page, where Mr. Hilton states "One part of the fascination of his career was that he seemed to leave nobody indifferent. They railed against him or they defended him ferociously....I think in time the memories of the incidents will soften and the success will remain...." Accurate and honest. I wanted to read about both views of Michael Schumacher, and, as I have said, this book delivered.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buy the James Allen Schumacher biography instead, January 9, 2008

By 

J. A. G. Reid (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story (Hardcover)

Don't waste your money on this book!

I received two Michael Schumacher books for Christmas. This one and the excellent James Allen one titled MS:The Edge of Genius.

I gave Hilton's book 70 pages but could give no more. I have put it down never to be read by me again. What a tiresome piece of rubbish written by what appears to be a lazy hack. What astounds me is that Hilton has written so many books on Formula 1 drivers.

Hilton's book is nothing more than a tedious race by race, corner by corner account of Schumacher's brilliant career.

How can book about such a tremendous figure be so boring? It's almost as if Hilton sat down and watched the old races on video and has merely written what he has just viewed.

Contrast this with James Allen's excellent book. Allen's is truly insightful filled with interviews and comments from fellow drivers and others in the know. Allen's book is such a terrific read that I really had trouble putting down.

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring as the others say, a waste of money, September 27, 2011

By 

John H (Whittier CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Michael Schumacher: The Whole Story (Hardcover)

Save your money for something else. This one is a total bore with no soul or spark and the race by race recaps soon just get annoying.

I am in complete agreement with this review:

This book is nothing more than a senseless tedious race by race account of the greatest pilot in F1. How can book about such a tremendous figure be so boring and simple? I had the greatest chance to live and enjoy the Schumi's era. And this book is nothing but waste your time and money.