Racing Books

This book has all the info i was looking for in an easy to read format.

Hi folks,

First of all I'll have to confess that I haven't read the whole book yet, but it's a must-own book for beach-cat sailors. This book is the closest you can come to the beac-cat sailors bible.

The book has covered such a great amount fo material in an easy and explaining way, with humour as a common agent. The don't's and musts of catamaran sailing is marked with fat types so you'll easy remember wath to do or what you must never do xD .

For crew the text is often sumed up so it's easy to scum the text.

I'll say, at the end, the book is worth every penny for experienced sailors as for newbeeies. Have fun :)

I got this book a week after I entered my first race. I had raced monohulls before but this was my first cat race. Lots of amazing tips for any level. Read this before your next race and you will be sure to pick off a few more compettitors..... I learned a lot and can use the tactics and techniques every time I go sailing wether I am racing or not. I would strongly recomend this book.

Rick White is the master of communicating how to sail a catamaran. This book mirrors his seminars and videos. I think the video series might even be an even better starting point for most catamaran sailors because much of book is about how-to activities that should be visualized and practiced.

A very well rounded book that covers the fundamentals, as well as specific hints on the various boats out there (Prindle, Nacra, Hobie, etc.). While it is not designed to be a "cheat sheet" on going fast, there are a few things I re-read - namely off-wind tactics. Due to the inherent differences between Cats and monos, there are a few things I needed to un-learn to get faster. I'm no Worrell 1000 winner, but this book has moved me from the "How do they get so far ahead?" to "nipping at their heels". And it has certainly helped fill the trophy case..

The section on spinnakers is a little weak, but still will get you going downwind fast.

All in all, this book will teach the intermediate sailor (or advanced sailor with little cat experience) enough to stay within sight of the pack leaders. The rest you'll have to learn from those guys. Tuning your rig/tactics/crew is what wins races, and these are so varied that it's actually better that the book doesn't cover this - so not as to confuse sailors too much.

SPECIAL NOTE: Due to the publishing date, this book is sadly lax in it's instruction on several newer boats - namely the I-20, F-18 class, Hobie Tiger/Fox. Several new ideas have emerged that seem to work, but you'll have to learn that on your own out on the course! ;-)

Ok, I'm not giving this one 5 stars b/c I'm pictured in the book, but because it is a great visual story of the great sport of NASCAR. Since the fans are heart of NASCAR, it is essential that they have a place in this book. Scott did a fabulous job (aside from spelling my name wrong even after he verified it-typo?)
The crisp, bright pictures pull you in with each viewing.

If you love Talladega, Bristol, Lowe's Motor Speedway and all those other haunts where NASCAR is a religious experience, then you will enjoy seeing Scott Robinson's up-close and personal images of the real people who make auto racing an authentic part of life in the United States in the early twenty-first century.

Robinson's camera lens has a point of view that is at once affectionate and straightforward. He neither condescends nor fawns, but he does thoroughly document with the fervor of a true believer in NASCAR.

I received this book at Christmas and have been pleased to keep it on the coffee table. To me the most interesting sections are not about the cars but the fans. Nice quality printing and binding. Some text but mostly its about the photography, which is very good. This will appeal to racing fans of all ages..

Outstanding coverage of the "other side" of a great subject. Very impressive that Mr. Robinson did the writing as well as the visual reporting. Nice visual rhythm page after page. He has captured some wonderful "blink-of-the-eye" moments to savor again and again. judy sawyer & chip maury send

Scott Robinson's photographs and essays provide a fresh and welcome perspective on the world of NASCAR, one that is more personal and intimate than I'd previously seen. I enjoyed his photographs tremendously, and found the essays insightful and engaging. The pictures are both vivid and warm, and anyone who has even a passing interest in auto racing and NASCAR is going to love this book!

My father 'Donnell A. Sullivan', is written up many times in this history of fords racing. He wasone of the five engineers hired by Mr. Henry Fordto design the first V8 Engine in l932. He worked on MANY FORD Motor racing projects up until his death in l994 at age 89, he is a legend thru out the world and is a member of the hall of fame. I need a copy as soon as possible, it would mean needless to say a lot to me. Patty Sullivan (daughter)

This book was a terrific detailed history of Ford Motor Company racing through 1967. For anybody who loves fast cars, Fords and lived through the debut of the Mustang, the Cobra, and the GT40 that won at Le Mans this is a terrific read. A friend who is a car buff recommended it and while it took a while to get through (640+ pages) it was worth the effort. It also makes you appreciate the advance in publishing that have taken place since 1968 when this book first appeared. The pictures are grainy and don't do justice to the drivers, the cars or the author's fine writing.

My father 'Donnell A. Sullivan', is written up many times in this history of fords racing. He wasone of the five engineers hired by Mr. Henry Fordto design the first V8 Engine in l932. He worked on MANY FORD Motor racing projects up until his death in l994 at age 89, he is a legend thru out the world and is a member of the hall of fame. I need a copy as soon as possible, it would mean needless to say a lot to me. Patty Sullivan (daughter)

Wow. This is a fabulous story told by a skillful writer. The people and the technology support each other, and "Ford" as a theme takes the story through early racing, hot rodding, Indy, NASCAR, and Europe. The research that Levine put into the book shows, and he (or his editor) is skilled enough to know exactly when to step aside and let the source material tell the story.

And what a value! 640 pages for $..., compared to <200 pages for a typical auto racing book.

This is a wonderful book, essential for any true racing enthusiast. The author weaves the various threads of racing development -- worldwide in scope -- form Dearborn to Oregon to Argentina to California to Europe. The only disapointment in this edition is the rather poor reproduction of the photographs...

I love this book. It takes me back to a time when you could weld some tubes together, drop in an engine , pour in some nitromethane, and run it out. These are the stories of legendary men and women of our time that made history on the asphalt strips of California. There will never be a time again of such pure simplicity of art expressed in men and machines.

The title "Fuel and Guts" says it all. It's all about guys strapped into frame rails, feet against clutch cans, flames from headers, smoking tires and chutes blossoming at top end as told by the heroes themselves.

This was one of the first projects I worked on when I joined the Motorbooks staff. A rather cranky guy named Tom Madigan called me on my first morning, looking for some photographs he had sent with a book proposal about a year earlier. I told him I hadn't been a Motorbooks employee back then, but I'd be happy to see if I could locate the missing pix. When I found them, I immediately took them to my new boss, explained the situation, made him look at the photos, and asked if they weren't some of the coolest old drag racing pictures he'd ever seen. Then, I called Tom back and told him I'd found the photos and could send them back right away, but I'd prefer to keep them because I wanted to do a book with him. Thus began a long, sometimes tedious, but ultimately insanely rewarding journey.

Those of you who have read the first edition (the second edition is being printed as I write this) might have noticed that Kent Fuller's name is mispelled pretty much throughout the book as "Ken Fuller." That was my doing. Before you start thinking I'm an idiot, turn to page 181 in the book and look at the cowl of Roland Leong's "Hawaiian" dragster. What does it say? That's right, it says "Ken." I saw this just before we sent the proofs to the printer. Now, I know that Kent Fuller's name is Kent Fuller, but there it was, right on Roland's car: Ken. I panicked. I thought I must have been wrong all these years. I looked in Dr. Bob Post's seminal book on Top Fuel racing, High Performance, and it reaffirmed what I had thought I knew to be true. Why, though, would Roland have painted the wrong spelling on his car? I called Tom, but he was out of his office. So I made an executive decision. The wrong one, it turned out. Okay, now that you know the whole story, you can go ahead and tell me I'm an idiot. (As an aside to this story, I saw Roland at a book signing Autobooks/Aerobooks in Los Angeles had for Fuel & Guts. I immediately informed him of the trouble he'd caused me. To this day, he maintains that he really thought it was Ken, not Kent. No, Roland wouldn't do anything like mispell somebody's name to get a rise out of the guy, would he? Not Roland! Who, by the way, is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Which either says something about him or the rest of the folk I've encountered in my life.)

So, the basic point I'm making here is that Fuel & Guts is an oral history. There are occasional mistakes, people misremember things (I mean, most of the people in the book are approaching their 200th birthday, for crying out loud), people have axes to grind or they just want to poke fun at their peers -- it's everything a good oral history should be, and it'll give you a really good idea of what it was like to create a brand new form of motorsport. If you couldn't be there yourself, reading these stories is the next best thing. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of making this book, from working with Tom Madigan to meeting a few of the drag-racing heroes of my youth. It was a labor of love, and, judging from all the nice reviews, it sure has paid off. Thanks to all of you for making it possible. Now quit reading this stuff and buy the book. You'll like it.

This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of drag racing. Great stories, pictures and technical information. Brings you back to when drag racing was raw and gutsy. Makes you want to get out on the track (again?). Good for the novice and the old timers!

I got this book for my husband for xmas. He reads it almost nightly and is always reading me exerpts from the true stories of drag racing's legends. The pictures are awesome too.THANKS FOR A GREAT BOOK. HE LOVES IT!!!

this was a gift for my husband and he says it is a great book....shipping was fast and received in excellent condition.....he would highly recommend this book

A very informative book about a very special group of airplanes. Clearly building the replica plane (and debunking a few myths about the original) was a labor of love for the authors, and it shows.

Take an exciting trip back via the replication of The Gee Bee. Relive the nail biting expectations of the Gee Bee design and the myths that were dispelled in the modern version of this 1930's air racing phenomenon. Enjoy the next best way to fly the Gee Bee, short of being in the cockpit.

I have the rare privilage to work with Delmar on a daily basis on aircraft. I have as well been blessed to fly with him on several occasions. He is as calm and cool in the cockpit as he is in the book. He has a video version of the book as well, and both complement each other so well that one will want to read the book, and see the video.

As for the book, it is an easy read, it is a story of a dream that anyone who has ever flown or wanted to fly will identify with. It's a romantic story of a by gone era when flying was the cutting edge of science, and the world made hero's of individuals with names like Lindburg, Doolittle, and Amelia Earheart. Delmar as a man has earned his niche in aviation history and folklore by not only dreaming about the golden era of aviation racing; he has built his dream and lived it. This is the type of man he is. The book inspired me to live my dreams too, and with his encouragement I will soon do that. Thank you Delmar, for being my friend, and for sharing your dreams with the world at large.

This is a book well worth reading, and for having. I keep mine on the living room coffee table for all to see. How I would love to be talented enough to fly the beast .....

This book will tell you how the dream of building an authentic GB replica came true.It has great pictures of both the construction phase and flying/airshow status.

This book cuts to the things that matter and show you how they did it! It's a must have if you love the Gee Bee.

this book had me looking foward to reading page to page-didn't want the book to end...

We continue to be completely satisfied with the excellent service we receive through Amazon.com and its affiliates. Everything is sent quickly (usually ahead of the estimated delivery date), cleanly, in excellent condition, and exactly as advertised. Thank all those involved with this process.

This book is a must have. It takes a look back at some of the greatest moments of Saratoga's top class racing. It is written so well, that you can not put the book down even if the president of the United States called. I strongly advise you buy this book because, if you don't, you will miss a once in a lifetime reading opportunity.

Bill Heller, Graveyard of Champions: Saratoga's Fallen Favorites (Eclipse Press, 2002)
There are few things in racing that one can count on. Churchill Downs (and certain other tracks) are notorious horse-for-course tracks, and you can count on a parade of longshots the crowd ignores who have previously raced well over the track. Artificial surfaces and speed biases do not mix. Horse owned by the Sheikhs will be retired at the end of their three-year-old seasons. These things just happen, as regular as clockwork.

There's another one, the oldest of them all: odds-on favorites in graded stakes races will fall at Saratoga. And you know what they say about the bigger and the harder. Hardly a year has gone by (if one ever has) where at least one odds-on favorite hasn't delivered the goods at the Spa. Sometimes they lose by a nose, sometimes they finish dead last, but they all have one thing in common: they don't win. The roster of horses who have dropped the bit, sucked dirt, bid and hung, flattened, fell victim to a cuppy track, whatever your euphemism is, and the roster of America's greatest horses sure does have a lot of overlap in it. The two best horses in the history of American racing both got stomped at Saratoga, both by horses who never did a damned thing otherwise. That's the stuff legends are made of.

Bill Heller attempts to make sense of the legend, applying some research and codification to the track tales. And you know what he found out? There really is some kind of a jinx on top-class horses at Saratoga. He runs a list (how comprehensive it is, I don't know) at the back of this book of odds-on favorites who have failed in stakes races at Saratoga over the years. It's a long, long list, and it looks a lot longer when you remember that Saratoga's meet runs three to five weeks every year. A list this long at someplace like Calder or Thistledown, tracks that run nine months of every year, wouldn't be a big thing. But Saratoga?

The book is more a collection of articles than a book, really; the stories of some of those favorites and the races in which they failed. If you like really good descriptions of races past, there are few better at writing those descriptions than Bill Heller. It's hard to make a description of a harness race pulse-pounding, but Heller's recounting of "the weirdest race in Saratoga Harness history" works, and it works well. (The accompanying photo is terrifying. It's hard to believe anyone, or anything, survived, much less that both horse and driver walked away almost uninjured. Even more so when you realize that harness horses do this sort of thing far more rarely than thoroughbreds.) And, of course, it would be hard to not recount Secretariat's losses to Prove Out and Onion, or Man o' War's to Upset, and not captivate readers.

What seemed to be missing, to me, was a greater sense of unity than just "look at how these horses fared." A couple of summary chapters that took a more statistically-minded approach would have been an excellent addition here, a closer look at the bigger picture before (or after) the individual stories. But this is not to take away from those individual stories, which are classics. *** ½

I found this book a very exciting read for anybody in horse racing. This book is suitable for fans, horseman, and executives. Saratoga has a long history as the place where many great horses have been sent to the "Graveyard". This book is well detailed, filled with facts, and contains quotes from people who have played a strong role at Saratoga. This book is as great as the track itself.

This book is a play by play of the 1994 F1 season which included the tragedy of Ayrton Senna's death at Imola. The narrator is Steve Matchett from the prospective of his then position of race mechanic at Benetton. The chapters are month by month of the entire year and give great insight into the grueling season of a Formula One team with all the ups and downs along the way. Very educational and entertaining!

Steve Matchett, commentator on Speed Channel's F1 coverage, had another life as an F1 mechanic on the Benneton team which won the driver's championship (Schuey's first) and lost the constructor's championship by one point in 1994. This remarkably readable book was a page-turner for me; I read almost straight through it. Steve gives us his uncensored journal of the events of the 1994 F1 season, which included Senna's tragic death (and Ratzenberger's), the Hockenheim pit fire and Michael Schumacher's first world championship (he wrote a short foreward). The book is well-written and extremely informative if you have an interest in the highest technology motor sports on the planet. I really enjoyed it and am now reading both of his other books. A must-read for F1 nuts!

Most new F1 fans Stateside only know Steve Matchett as one of the color commentators on the Speed F1 broadcasts. Steve Matchett was a longtime mechanic for the Benetton F1 team during the 1990s. In this book, Matchett gives a race by race, blow by blow account of Benneton's 1994 Formula 1 season. For those of you who are familiar with F1 history, you know that 1994 was one of the most turbulent years in racing history.

All in all, an excellent read.

If you're a fan of Michael Schumacher this book is for you, if you're a fan of Jos Verstappen this iz your book. This is a very very good book, reading through it you'd feel like you're actually working for that Benetton team as a jackman. It gives you the deatils of tragic and triumphant year of the 1994 season and plus theres a lot of stunning photos from 1994, its very rare to find such photos, its very historic, I am telling you buy this, its a must for every F1, M Schumacher, J Verstappen and Benetton fan.

You may only see them for a total of 24 seconds during race day -I'm talking about the people Michael Schumacher usually thanks in the winner's press conference which is rightfully so as they do most of the hard work.

This book is a Benetton mechanic's view of the 1994 Formula One season. The content of this book do not delve on racing analysis but on the suitcase life of a mechanic, the middle of night repairs to get a car ready plus many, many more. Contains many interesting anecdotes that are unseen in news reports like when a driver requests the brake pedal to be moved a little bit closer to him, and the mechanic moves it back a fraction. Driver says, 'Er no, too far back just a bit' then the mechanic moves it back to its original position and driver says, 'Yes, that's perfect, just there!' Author also describes his immense gratitude to the McLaren team mechanics who helped him out during the pit lane fire in the German Prix.

There's also something on the fuel rig tampering charge the author defends Benetton's position in this issue. I find the author's take on cheating quite convincing - that no one in Formula One intentionally cheats for fear of being disqualified from the competition altogether.

However, I would have wanted Matchett's opinion on the Damon Hill-M. Schumacher Adelaide collision which effectively decided the 1994 Driver's Championship as he merely glossed it over.

Interesting read nonetheless and a must for every Formula One Fan.

For someone who was new in this area, this wonderful book was a great help. Especially invertebrates ae very well descripted. The shots from the animals are very impressive.

This book is one of the most amazing publishing accomplishments I have seen. The authors and their friends have accumulated 1700 superb photographs of marine life, especially the tiny and obscure invertebrates that almost no one has even seen or suspected, let alone photographed. (Where else are you going to find photos of neon sea-fleas and parasitic copepods in the wild?) Many of the animals herein are not even described scientifically. I studied fisheries development for years and thought I knew something about marine life, but I never knew there were so many worms and snails and tunicates out there, let alone did I ever see them or photos of them. Everyone interested in nature or biology should have this book, or at least look at it, just to see what amazing things there are in the world. It is of interest far beyond the narrow confines of Northwest Coast shores.

so I'm no expert on marine life, but I'm very interested in the subject. I got this book and had high expectations that were more than met. The photography is excellent, the organization is excellent, and the contents extensive. I really like how they tell you both the common and the scientific names, and how they have some short descriptions of behaviors or charactoristics. I actually got it for my boyfriend because he wants to study to be a marine biologist and i saw the other reviews by people who were in related fields, and they made it sound like a book that would be useful even to an expert but not only useful to an expert. And it is. He loves the book (says its one of the best gifts he has ever gotten) and was very impressed by the quality of the contents, he uses it all the time. Bottom line the book is awesome i would reccommend it to ANYONE who loves ocean life.

This book is a blessing for us tidepool/beach explorers in the Pacific Northwest because of its wonderful, clear photographs. It saves us many hours of tedious and frustrating puzzling over technical jargon trying to figure out the identity of whatever amazing creature has captured our hearts. The volunteers at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington have already practically worn out their first copy from looking up critters and plants that show up in the tanks via the flow-through seawater system. Many mysteries have been solved, and many fascinating tidbits of natural history gleaned to share with the visitors to the exhibits. Books like this will open the eyes of a society blind to our own environment, like the Peterson guides did a couple generations ago.
All praises and cliches apply: "a picture is worth a thousand words", "greatly needed and long over-do"... Consider this a definite rave review for a timely book. Now all we need is a waterproof edition!

Enhanced with 1,700 superb color photographs, Marine Life Of The Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia Of Invertebrates, Seaweeds And Selected Fishes by Andy Lamb (Marine naturalist and educator) features the photography from Bernard P. Hanby (recipient of the Vancouver Natural History Society's 2003 Davidson Award for Conservation) and is an impressively thorough collection of the majestic ocean life associated with the Pacific Northwest. Featuring a "user friendly" and alphabetically organized listing of diverse fish, seaweed and invertebrate aquatic life, Marine Life Of The Pacific Northwest offers a comprehensive compendium of more than 1,400 saltwater plants and animals, and includes a quick reference usability with guide, maps, glossary, index, and color-coded pages for easy information access and identification, as well as entries that include the common name, scientific name, size, range, depth, description, picture, description and comments, and more. A core reference work for professional and academic library reference collections, Marine Life Of The Pacific Northwest is very strongly recommended for all marine-savvy explorers of the Pacific Northwest area.

This is the coolest book. I saw this and thought my dad would absolutely love this for Christmas. We exchanged gifts yesterday and it was the best - the look on his face and the fact that he knew a lot about this history and he remembered the actual patches for the jackets and the bumper stickers from when they first came out. This is the best present I got him this year and he was more than happy with this book.

An incredible book with the history of the sport of Nascar. Very worthwhile reading and a definite keepsake for years to come. Thank you for offering this book. KC Gordon

This book is great! It is full of great old photos and memoribilia.

I have purchased two of these books, one for a seven year old and another for an eleven year old and they love them. They are filled with so much information and they like looking at all the memorabilia from past years and how the cars have changed. I suggest every NASCAR fan no matter how young or old, purchase one of these books, it is well worth it.

The book has an amazing amount of historical information, and the collectables are incredible! You feel like you've stepped back in time to the memorable events that have made NASCAR what it is today. A must have for fans and racers alike.

The was a CHristmas gift to my husband who absolutely LOVES this book. Regular delievery was quick and the book was packaged well! Thank you!

In my opinion, this is by far the best book out about the history of the Porsche 917 race car; (I have not read the newly released one by Gordon Wingrove yet; I heard that is good too because he was behind the scenes, in the pits etc working on these cars.) Mr. Morgan's book however takes you through the history of the 917, from the early beginnings of testing on up to the 917/30 version and it's banning from Can-Am racing. The photos are awesome and great source for reference for a model builder, such as myself. You will not be disappointed- trust me!! I will be ordering Gordon's book here shortly and I'll try and leave a review of that one as well!

I purchased this at the same time as Porsche Prototype Era: 1964-1973 in Photographs and this was the superior book. It was a consise, complete and fascinating look into the 917 family from it's roots through the 917k and finally the Can Am effort. There were also many personal stories and anecdotes and it wasn't a dry technical dissertation.

If you have any serious interest in this family of cars, I'd highly recommend it. Porsche Prototype Era is more dedicated to the photos with a sort of "skim" of the history but this is the book you'll remember.

I was twelve in 1971 and lived in Liege. My dad got us tickets to the 1000km of Spa. Sitting along the grid across from pit row. To this day I can close my eyes and see two powder blue Gulf 917's entering the final straight from Virage de la Source. As I remember it Oliver let up just before the finish and Derek almost got pasted him. (I think he may have let up a little too) the hairs on the back of neck still stand up...WOW.

The magic of the 971's touched my life. This is a wonderful book. Pick it up and let the magic rub off on you.

Thank you Peter Morgan, and you too Dad.

I build scale model cars and this book is a great reference tool. It covers all of Porsche's racing cars of the '60s leading toward the development of the 917 and recounts all the roadblocks and pitfalls along the way. People who are not saavy about the real world of large-stakes motorsport can be surprised to learn about how much rule-bending goes on. "Unfair advantages" are aggressiviely sought through research and experimentation. An interesting aspect of the 917 is much refinement and modification was needed to turn this complicated and dangerous car into a successful racer.