Driven: The Motorsport Photography of Jesse Alexander, 1954-1962 (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Stirling Moss (Author) "Jesse began his career as a racing photographer in the early fifties..." (more)
Key Phrases: starting grid, motor racing, Formula One, World Champion, Phil Hill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Driven collects the best of internationally acclaimed racecar photographer Jesse Alexander's work taken between 1954-1962, the height of the golden age of the European Grand Prix. During the pinnacle of continental glamour, Alexander took his camera throughout Europe, following this intimate group of fearless racecar drivers from Grand Prix to Mille Miglia, and capturing their heroic wins and narrow defeats. In one photograph Jackie Stewart accepts the Grand Prix trophy cup from Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Alexander's images hum with an energy and seduction second only to the sleek bodies and powerful engines of these now vintage Maseratis, Mercedes, Ferraris, and Porsches. His captions describe the renegade adventures, dangerous courses, and technological breakthroughs of the time. With an essay by world-class British racer Stirling Moss, Driven takes a nostalgic look back at the elegance and innocence of motorsport's most memorable years.

About the Author

Jesse Alexander, preeminent racecar photographer, has exhibited photographs in museums and galleries throughout the United States. He lives in Carpinteria, California.

Stirling Moss is the most famous English racecar driver of the postwar era. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; Text is Free of Markings edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811828514
• ISBN-13: 978-0811828512
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #622,318 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars la Tour de Force Automobile, October 12, 2000

By	David Soares (Santa Cruz, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First, a disclaimer: my desk faces framed prints of Fangio at Monaco, 1956, and Fangio at Reims, 1958 by Jesse Alexander, and my copy of the sadly out-of-print LOOKING BACK is signed by the photographer and Juan Manuel Fangio. But even if names like Jean Behra and Wolfgang von Trips are unfamiliar, anyone with a love of sport and a sense of nostalgia for a less populated and more hopeful late '50's Europe will be enthralled by DRIVEN. Jesse Alexander's timing and composition are peerless, capturing not just the machines, but the souls of the men who risked their lives for sport in the optimistic days between the Second World War and Vietnam. The familiar images of Gurney, Moss, and Fangio brim with vigor and confidence. The images of the great Jimmy Clark verge on the iconic. Perhaps my favorite image is that of the Porsche team's garage at Le Mans in 1959: the French street urchins in the background are right out of the RED BALOON. I could go on, but perhaps the best review of the work in the book is the forward by Sir Stirling Moss, whose eloquent reminiscences and insights stand in stark contrast to the bone-headed comments we see from today's "Karting With Bernie" racing drivers. The layout and printing would be superb at four times the price--this book is a must-have, and the first edition is sure to sell out. If you love racing, buy it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply The Best!, May 8, 2008

By	John Thawley "Motorsports Photographer" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jesse Alexander is probably one of the greatest motorsports photographers around. This book is a wonderful way to enjoy his work. In short, he his the Ansel Adams of motorsports photography. While the content is enough to getting any race fans blood going, the photography is spectacular. He's a photographer's photographer.

John Thawley - [...]

5.0 out of 5 stars Driven -- Excellent, February 18, 2008

By	Ronald J. Taylor (Carpinteria, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Driven: The Motorsport Photography of Jesse Alexander, 1954-1962 (Hardcover)

"Driven" by Jesse Alexander is an outstanding photo-journal of the author's journey through the world of Formula One racing in the fifties and sixties. The text, captions and photography are first-class. Highly recommended!