Racing Books

From the moment you pick up "Born To Trot" you can't put it down! Your instantly transported back into time and stuck by Gibson White's (stories man charecter) side. It's packed with a ton of horse info, about history's greats: Hambletonian, Rosalind and Greyhound. But this book, you won't be disappointed!

Born To Trot is one of my favorite books! I have read this book twice and it's one of the best books I've ever read! It's based on a true story and I think you'll enjoy this book a lot.

This book is insanely wonderful!I love it!I liked how it was two stories in one.This book is a perfect example on M. Henry's wonderful writing ability.This book,King of the Wind,and Black Gold are my hands-down favorite Marguerite Henry books.

Published in 1950, Born to Trot is another classic horse novel from the pen of Marguerite Henry. If you enjoyed her other novels such as Gone with the Wind, you will enjoy this book. You don't need to be a lover of horses to enjoy the story. It is classic children's literature at its best.

The book is actually comprised of two stories revolving around the history of American trotters and the Hambletonian race. They are true stories and centre on the person of Gibson White, son of "Hambletonian Ben" White, and his horse Rosalind, the fastest trotter in history. The book begins with Gibson being confined to a hospital where he spends the next two years. During that time he reads the story of the first trotting horse, Hambletonian. That story is interspersed with the story of Gib's recovery and return to the horsing world. His horse, Rosalind, is a descendant of Hambletonian and rises to greatness as a racer. Although Born to Trot is named for Rosalind and her great speed, the characterisation of Gib as the hero who recovers from his sickness to rejoin the world he loves makes this story a great read for all.

"Born toTrot" was a great book. With my horsing experience, I learnd quite a bit on training a track horse. If you wanted to race one, this is one of the books to read. My favorite part was when Rosiland, the horse, broke the record as the fastest horse in the country. the time Rosiland did it in was remarkable. Also Rosiland having colts that are almost as fast as their mother was amazing. Just knowing with practice they will be as fast or just as fast as Rosiland. Pony Boy was the young man in the book that was determined to work Rosiland to be a winner. With the work he did, it was no wonder that she was the fastest horse in Kentucky. If I had the determinationwith my horse, I would make sure he would be #1. If you love horses and mostly buggy horses, then this is the book you need to read. If I get the right horse get the right horse, Iwill use this book to remember the determination to make that horse the winner. THE ENDna

This is a beautifully written and well-researched story, and to that extent it is a good book. Chuck and Mary Kastner are friends, and frequent visitors to our Bed & Breakfast, so I won't say any more about the book than "Buy it" you won't be disappointed!

The story on the other hand belongs not only to the book, but to American History. The racers formed a cross-section of American society, with some fascinating foreigners thrown in for good measure. The trials and tribulations of all the runners amazed me and their sheer persistence could not help but become fodder for the story. But more than that the story is of ordinary people whose characters and personalities were forever changed by their phenomenal efforts. When the leaders of the race cross into New York State, there is a gesture by the leading racer which brought tears to my eyes. I leave it to you to buy the book and read the story, and admire these Bunioneers.

Whether you're interested in running, history, or African American studies, you'll find this book fascinating. Well written and surprisingly well researched and referenced, Bunion Derby presents the story of the first footrace across the United States. Among the different elements of the footrace Kastner brings to life, the most intriguing is the story of Ed Gardner, an African American competitor from Seattle.
As ultra distance running becomes increasing popular in contemporary times, Bunion Derby reminds us that such feats of endurance and will have been part of the American fiber since well before the term 'ultramarathon' was heard of.

I found this book to be intriguing and inspirational. It is a book that anyone who is interested in the history of distance running should read. It tells the story of the 1928 footrace across the United States and the stories of the brave men who competed in the race. I couldn't put this book down. It was extremely well researched, and the stories of competitors were inspiring. I strongly recommend this book.

Ostensibly a book about running - it is concerned with the cross country foot race from Los Angeles to New York in 1928 - it is so much more. It is a slice of American history, our pride and our shame. Runners and walkers from all over the globe were competing for a $25,000 prize - a vast sum in those days. Many who entered did so for the money and what it might do for their families. It didn't matter that so many of these men lacked the training, the support people, and the proper attire for such an endeavor. C.C. Pyle, the promoter of the race, and all the attendant side show foolishness that capped most days of competition, promised food and housing along the way. (The eleven-foot tall coffee pot fastened on a truck chassis, a famous curiosity of the day, followed the racers and served the runners and staff 90 gallons of coffee a day).

The reality was this: The food Pyle provided was inadequate to such an arduous venture. Lodging was minimal - tents or boxcars barely serving to keep runners out of the worst of the weather. When one of the front runners persisted in publicly complaining about Pyle's lack of sufficient attention to the men, he received a telegram stating that his wife had died. She had, in fact, died several years earlier; the idea was that he would rush home and forget about the race.

The Black runners fared as well, or as poorly, as the rest of the pack until they ran smack into the Jim Crow South. There they were harassed and threatened. Their treatment was referred to by the international runners as "the most disgraceful thing they ever knew anything about."

Kastner has illuminated what was great and what was wrong with America as it was in 1928. Despite the scorching heat of the Mojave, the sleet, the wind, and the altitude of the mountains, the filthy, sweat-soaked clothing and ill-fitting shoes, and threats and humiliation aimed at the Black athletes, 55 men completed the 3,400-mile trek. These men rose to a challenge and would not be daunted. Why did so many put themselves through such an ordeal? As one racer put it, "Every man who finishes such a race is a winner. He has shown strength of heart and purpose, which should uplift him with pride and uplift his children after him."

The 1920's are famous for grandiose stunts and promotions. One of the most arduous was the great bunion derby of 1928. Brainchild of promoter Charles C. Pyle, this was a foot race from California to New York, spotlighting the newly laid Route 66. This grueling race attracted trained athletes from across the United States and beyond. But most participants were amateurs, ill-suited to the trial before them. They came for the glory, or the thrill, or perhaps the $25,000 prize. Of the 199 starters an ama zing 55 men completed the race.

Kastner's account follows African American, Ed Gardner, through the torturous ordeal. This is history that reads like a novel - absorbing and well-paced. Kastner brings into sharp focus the motivation, the perseverance, the will, the grit that made Gardner a hero of his day.

I have been looking for "The Cobra Ferrari Wars" for many years. I am thankful for libraries and interlibrary loans. Only about 4 libraries in the country have this book. The story of Carroll Shelby's quest for the World Championship is one of the best in U.S. racing history. The information about the GT cars of that era, such as the Ferrari 250, Aston Martin, and Cobra is outstanding. The stories of the development of the Cobra and Daytona Cobra, gave me a new insight into the creation of these great racing machines. These stories are told from the point of view of the people who where there. This is one of the many strengths of this book. Another great feature is the race-by-race summary of every race the cobras competed in from 1963 until the final race of the championship season of 1965. Each race is told in the words of the mechanics, drivers and team members who were there and played a vital role in the winning of the championship.
The Cobra Ferrari Wars took place during a time when the U.S. had some of the best racing cars and drivers in the world. These cars and drivers won the biggest and best races in all of the major racing series. They won in F1, Sports Cars, and Indianapolis. We don't seem to produce drivers that can win F1, Le Mans or even the Indianapolis 500 any more. What happened!

I hope that the producers of this great book will come out with a second edition. I don't need to have a signed first edition. If this book was put back in print, more people could have the opportunity to read about Carroll Shelby's 1965 GT Championship. I can afford to pay $...for this book but not $...or more. This new printing would give more racing fans a chance to own this book.

This is one of the best historical works about motor sports published during the last twenty years. With over fifteen years of research put into this work Michael Shoen has created something we will long refer to as a classic. In an era where automotive racing was almost completely dominated by European sports cars Carroll Shelby managed to not only build a competitive sports car but also upset the seemingly invincible position held by Ferrari. The Cobra-Ferrari Wars 1963-1965 accounts, on a race by race basis, the amazing story of the Cobra's climb to the top during those glorious three years.

Not only is this book extremely well written and thorough but the accompanying photographs and diagrams bring this infamous battle to life. Few other motor sports books have been able to accomplish this. I wouldn't recommend this book to the average Cobra or Ferrari enthusiast, however for the serious die-hard this is definitely a must have!

GREAT READ! Unbelievable amount of history on the subject here.

Lots of wonderful pics.

I can't say enough about how good this book is.

A MUST HAVE/MUST READ for any auto enthusiast, but especially for Cobra owners.

AUTHOR MICHAEL SCHOEN was there when the Cobras were rewriting the record books, a fact clearly reflected in his landmark work, "The Cobra-Ferrari Wars" (CFW). Escorting the reader into the thick of the story from the very first page, Schoen eloquently describes the rare brew of ambition, focus and raw talent that propelled Carroll Shelby's youthful and capable team to the 1965 FIA World Manufacturer's Championship. At the same time, the author recounts the fortunes of other opposing teams, details the politics rendered behind the scenes by both Shelby and Ferrari and, perhaps most importantly, provides ample first-person narratives by almost everyone who was involved in the Cobra effort, including an impressive line-up of the great drivers of the day. Complemented by a wealth of evocative period photographs, "The Cobra-Ferrari Wars" stands head and shoulders above anything else in the motorsports history genre, and belongs in every enthusiast's library.

I have about every book extant on vintage motor racing--COBRA-FERRARI WARS is the best by far. The quality of the research is staggering, the photos superb--it puts you into the pits as American motorsports came of age.

Crash Burn Love: Demolition Derby is a gallery of black-and-white photographs, embellished with a couple of brief essays by photography expert and sports enthusiast Bill Lowenburg. Crash Burn Love strives to capture not only the thrill of demolition derbies, but the lives and feelings of the men and women who participate. Some crash for money; some for the thrill of the sport; some for the feeling of surviving the incredible. The timeless still images range from a shattered car converted into a roadside sign, to people hard at work on their demolition vehicles, to blurred moments of intense action, to portraits of pit crews and competitors. A superb giftbook for any demolition derby enthusiast.

Crash Burn Love: Demolition Derby is a gallery of black-and-white photographs, embellished with a couple of brief essays by photography expert and sports enthusiast Bill Lowenburg. Crash BUrn Love strives to capture not only the thrill of demolition derbies, but the lives and feelings of the men and women who participate. Some crash for money; some for the thrill of the sport; some for the feeling of surviving the incredible. The timeless still images range from a shattered car converted into a roadside sign, to people hard at work on their demolition vehicles, to blurred moments of intense action, to portraits of pit crews and competitors. A superb giftbook for any demolition derby enthusiast.

Small Press Bookwatch from The Midwest Book Review

Crash Burn Love: Demolition Derby
Photographs and Essays by Bill Lowenburg

"Mayhem is just the song that allows us all to dance."
-Bill Lowenburg

It's funny that I got this book right after reading Chuck Palahniuk's new book "Rant" because they both involve demolition derby and amazing visuals. Chuck's book is more of a twisted disturbing visual of the sport while Bill's book shows us the beauty of destruction but they both open the eyes of the reader to a new reality.

The essays in this book sound as though they are written directly to the reader, it's a spoken word book and I can hear Bills voice as I read it. When I first flipped through I saw pictures of dirty people, mechanics, and blue-collar workers; after reading Bills essays, I see sons, daughters, loved-ones, and family. His voice takes away every stereotype that could be put on these people and shows that there's a lot more to life than a job or a boss that doesn't understand what a catalytic converter is.

Bills humor is dry and scattered perfectly throughout the book. When the reader isn't in awe of the photography telling its own story, they are on a rollercoaster of smiles and self-analysis. A line that one of the derby drivers said that really sparked something in me was "the family that demos together, stays together." This wasn't just a sport or a time to get frustration out; it was a time to get together with family and friends. Many of the drivers spend hours putting their cars together and taking them apart again with friends and family, so, maybe they're on to something.

Attention to detail is apparent in his writing as well as his photographs. After eight seasons watching and interacting with these drivers, Bill has found something that many of us would have entirely missed if we went to one or two derbys, and that's that demolition derby isn't about destruction, it's about life, love, and camaraderie.

Flipping through the pages of the book, which are full of black and white photos from various derbys, the reader realizes that many of the spectators want to see the legs sticking out of the hood of one car to be smashed by a car named "Fender Bender," but where Bill was, behind the scenes, a young woman kisses a man before the race with love. The contrasts of reality of these races is explained in the writing and elaborated on in the photographs which can be called nothing but beautiful.

In his last essay of the book, Bill shows the past, present, and future of demolition derby. While its beginnings are uncertain Bill believes that its future is bright. With books like this and "Rant," as well as specials on TBS about the sport, we should all be so lucky to catch a glimpse at the reality of demolition derby. This book deserves a look by anyone that wants to find beauty in a world full of anything but.

Bill Lowenburg's book captures Demolition Derbies like nothing I've seen before. It is exciting, epic, and beautiful. The photos not only capture the crashes but also the drivers and fans. You can tell they were taken not only by an amazing photographer but by a true fan of derbies and the result is exceptional. In the months when there are no derbies by me, it doesn't get any better than looking through "Crash Burn Love" . This is a must have for fans of demolition derbies and Ameircana but the quality of the images makes it perfect for anyone interested in photography

This photo-documentary is very unique. I have never seen a collection of photographs quite like it. It is also a great resource to own. I have been using Lowenburg's essays and referring to the photographs in my American Photography and Visual Studies courses in college. When left out on my desk, my guests pick it up, leaf through it, and comment on its quality. I would recommend it to everyone.

UPDATE! Here's a review from Book News:

At the heart of this book are 80 extraordinary b&w photos (presented in a
10x9.5 inches format) depicting people, cars, and scenes of demolition
derbies. The photos are aesthetic, intimate, and compelling - curiously
delightful for outsiders, and a celebration of the familiar for those
involved in the sport. Photographer/writer Bill Lowenburg also includes an
essay on the history of these events and a bibliography listing books,
magazine articles, films, and websites. (Annotation C2007 Book News Inc.
Portland, OR)

This book does an excellent job on how an engine works and all the theories behind them. I have never read a book like this. It explains things in plain English which a person can understand without an engineering degree but it goes enough into detail to allow how to extract more power from engines. In the last section of the book it gives examples of engines, although some of these engines out of date, they were kings at their time and still apply to today engines.

I am a NC State student, and I cheeked this book out from the library here at school. I just have to say this is the best book I have ever read. I have had it only a few days now and I have already read around 150 pages. I can't put it down. I wish I had to read this in school instead of something like Withering Heights (It was a good book too, no car stuff though). But hey, what am I doing this for I need to get back to reading... So my suggestion is that you buy this book, or at least check it out like me. Who ever said that a library was not a cool place? I would also recommend buying and MGB.

Absolutely awesome book! A book that is a must, for the library of every mechanic or racer. Even if you are just a enthusiast, the book is incredibly informing, whether you are a certified mechanic or just an everyday driver, that wants to know what's going on inside the engine. I've owned the book for years, and I plan on buying a new copy, to give to my son, when he hits the driving age. This book is a must, for any engine builder, from the weekeng warrior to Nascar or the IRL. This book is a must!

It's a book necessary to any racing engineer- it's kind of a "Bible" for racing engine related technicians

I bought this book back in 1979, a year after I got my driver's license, 4 months after I bought my 396 Chevy, and about a month after a buddy of mine dropped a Car Craft Magazine on my desk in open class in High School, thus starting a life-long passion with cars and motorsports.

At that time I was thirsty for "true" knowledge about engines, especially high-performance engines, and quickly came to the conclusion I wasn't going to get that from my buddies who inanely swore that their 2-barrel 350 Novas were turning 10-second 1/4-miles ("I'm certain of it man, I clocked it myself"). This book was reviewed in a Road & Track issue, I picked it up, and became truly educated about all facets of basic engine design and the physics and principles behind true horsepower production.

I found the text easy to read and understand, and the delivery of information, although technical, certainly not above anyone's understanding. This is not a "get out your slide rule" type of book; but it does lay things out in a clear, direct manner, making it easy to absorb and understand, even as a newby 17 year-old gearhead.

Even though we've seen a tremendous advance in engineering regarding the internal combustion engine since 1979, to this day the principles delivered in this book ring true. You cannot go wrong, nor do I think you can do better, than starting here on your quest for horsepower knowledge--learn the basics first, and go from there. (For real slide-rule stuff, consult the book Scientific Design of Exhaust and Intake Systems, to learn where the heart of any internal combustion engine resides.)

I still have guys my age swearing that they're doing truly unbelievable things with a certain engine and car; the crazy stories never fade, but you'll do better than tell stories after learning what this book has to say.

I have to agree with the other reviewers. First Mate is a wonderful, well written book. Ms. Ketcham spins a great story and one you shouldn't miss. I can't wait to read more books by this talented author!

"FIRST MATE is a captivating read. Ms. Ketcham captures the sailing world in such vibrant detail that you will feel yourself aboard Pazzazz. Even more compelling is the battle Lee faces every day with her weight and self-esteem. This flawed heroine will steal your heart just as she steals Jason's. Pick this book up for a read that isn't tried and true but fresh and fun."

"Fresh as a brisk wind from the sea, FIRST MATE is a delightful book that deals with Leann's problems, her self-discovery, and final knowledge that she is, indeed, a beautiful, desirable woman. Thank you, Ms. Ketcham, for your sensitivity, your knowledge of the sea and sailing, and for a book I enjoyed thoroughly. You are, indeed, a rising star in the land of romance writers."

"The sense of excitement and the sheer demand of crewing on a sailboat is brought to life on the pages of FIRST MATE. The sizzling tension between Jason and Lee practically boils the ocean surrounding them."

"FIRST MATE is one of the best written books of the year! It has it all: delightful and charming characters, a plot that runs before the wind, and the craftsmanship of a master storyteller. Give us more, please!" --Romance Communications **WINNER of Reviewers Choice and Readers' Choice Award

This authors beautiful heart, comes out on paper. I recommend this to mothers and schoolteachers everywhere. - ThriftyMrKikster@aol.com

This authors beautiful heart, comes out on paper. I recommend this to mothers and schoolteachers everywhere. ilwjcmtty.

Looking for a book to teach your children good morals, along with great fun. Look no further. I enjoyed this book very much. So did my younger brother whom I read too. I wish there were more Children Authors like this is Europe. Great for Kindergarden teachers! If you know of any other books by Taramesha Maniatty, please let me know at gruven@europe.com

Glory Trail brings across a great lesson for children, as well as an exciting story! From day one to the finish line, This best seller by Taramesha Maniatty, is a heart warming book for you and your children to enjoy, time and again!

WOW, This author takes the words off the page, and brings them to life! My children beg me to read this book to them every winter! A great book for children of all ages, with a wonderful lesson for all of us! I recommend this book to those who love to read to there children! I hope this Author writes more for the future!

This is a touching and cute, as well as informative, book on greyhound adoption.

With a fourth grade hero, Ms. Ahrens covers not only the world of greyhounds, but the everyday struggles children have with good manners, clean rooms, homework, family and friends. It's a smooth read, with a happy ending!

Even if you've never thought about adopting a retired racing greyhound, you and your children will want to read this book.
Doris gives a wonderful explanation of the adoption process, from submitting the application to the home visit to matching the greyhound with the family. When you finish this book, you'll want to go out and meet a greyhound. And I think that is exactly what Doris intended. This is a wonderful book to share with your children/grandchildren during summer vacation. I give it 5 stars but the five greyhounds at our house give it 20 paws!!

A wonderful tale about the very special pet-hood involving retired "racers". Ms. Ahrens takes the reader through all the real-life stages of an adoption in a light-hearted and entertaining way. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was purely fiction. Ideal for teaching a young person about the process, but fun reading for anyone really.

I like books about animals. It was neat to hear how people are helping find homes for greyhounds when they can't race anymore. I learned a lot about greyhounds. The pet show was fun. I would like my school to have one too. I am in the fourth grade. Kids my age will like this book.
Katie (age 9)

This book is, plain and simple, the best book on what drag racing is all about. The history and facts are first rate. I learned more about the sport from this one book than all others I have read combined. This would be a fantastic documentary for TV.

as a lover of drag racing and a drag racer myself,i have to say this is THE MOST COMPLETE BOOK on the subject of drag racing i have ever read.it covers all aspects of the sport from the beginning to 1990 and in every detail.if you are a lover of the sport,a drag racer or even if you know nothing about the sport this book will give you new insight,new feelings and you WILL learn a new appreciation of the sport..

Robert Post has given us an invaluable book. This is a strong claim, for Post's book is a narrative history of drag racing. And, while it is a very well done history, how can it possibly be "invaluable" when its subject matter is essentially useless? Now there's a strong claim. Let me hasten to establish my appreciation for what drag racers do. At the end of the 1997 racing season, the very best racers were getting to the end of their quarter mile race track -- from a standing start -- in less than a blink over 4.5 seconds. Perhaps even more astounding, the very fastest were going more than 320 miles an hour -- once more, from a standing start -- when they got there. This is truly amazing, but I am regularly struck dumb when asked a very simple question -- what's the point? Name almost any other major form of auto sport and I'll give you an answer. In NASCAR it's obvious. Even though those aren't at all stock cars anymore, a lot can still be learned by running flat out for 500 miles on production-based components, and that can be used to improve even the family car. Furthermore, that kind of abuse is perfect for testing tire technology. Even failing this, there's the old fallback, "win on Sunday, sell on Monday". But what do we learn from -- or sell from -- the top-notch dragsters? These are all completely purpose built vehicles, using all custom designed parts, performing a completely atypical activity and resembling nothing that is at all available on the showroom floor. In short, drag racing is the mountain climbing of motorsports. There is no point to it except to do it, and once you've decided to do it, you might as well do it as well as the technology -- and your money -- will allow. Recognizing the uselessness of the activity, however, is not to denigrate this very fine book. Anyone with an interest in the evolution of technology, automotive history, or motorsports will be fascinated, as should just about anyone who grew up during the time Post covers. Post writes that the first officially organized drag race happened on the streets in Goleta -- near Santa Barbara, California -- in 1949, although he recognizes that that same strip of road had been used for "unofficial" races for years before that. He uses that race as his starting point, and, in a clear, engaging writing style, supported my quite pertinent quotes from racers and many, many wonderful pictures, tells the story of the next 40 plus years in the development of this pursuit. Post is not a rah-rah boy, at least not for modern drag racing. This book is clearly a labor of love, but of love for a bygone era. While he appreciates and applauds the remarkable performance gains since the beginning -- those early cars took nearly 11 seconds to cover the quarter mile, hitting about 150 miles an hour -- he believes that the technical strides that account for those gains have changed the sport forever. It simply costs too much to go this fast. Further, going this fast fosters too much me-tooism. There is usually only one sure way to build a car to go this fast, so everybody essentially builds the same car. For these reasons, Post sees both the little guy, shade-tree mechanic and the spirit of innovation frozen out of bigtime drag racing. And since these are the backbone of what we think of as the hot-rod, drag racing culture, this is apprehensible. Post, then, seems to yearn for a time of more innocence. A time, say, 25 or 30 years ago. It is this that makes this book so invaluable. It will be invaluable to anyone who -- like me -- grew up not only during the time Post relishes, but also at the places, and cheering for, sometimes, if you were lucky, helping the people that he writes about. I started going to the drags before I had either a car or the money to get into the track. I must of been about twelve when I first rode my bike up the long hill to the Pomona fairgrounds and clung to the fence along the road, peering through the holes at what was going on. I was in love. My folks didn't have a lot of money, but I was lucky. My birthday almost perfectly coincided with Winternationals weekend! I had a standing request for a birthday present, and my parents never failed me. I always had my Winternationals ticket. Then I got a car, and enough money to hit all the local strips. Fontana. Lions. Irwindale. Orange County. Man-o-man. I took tons of pictures, but through the carelessness of youth and the normal attrition of many moves, all have been lost. Post's many pictures at least partially makes up for that. More important than the pictures, however, are the memories. The many intervening years have taken quite a toll on mine, at least. Post tells his story so clearly, and with such detail, that it can cause the fog to lift. You will be reading about a match race with Stone, Woods and Cook against Big John Mazmanian and suddenly remember that you were at that race, and remember it as if it had been run last weekend. Unfortunately, Post pulls no punches, and you will also remember that you were there when Lefty Mudersbach died, after his parachute failed. This is a very good book, but I have one minor quibble. Post keeps his focus firmly on the top rank of racers. This is understandable, since what he wants to teach us is what it took to get from going 150 mph in 11 seconds to going over 300 mph in far less than 5 seconds. But if he would let his gaze drift down a level or two, he may find that the little guy is still there and still innovating. Most often, this happens outside the formal, second-tier, "sportsman", categories of the larger sanctioning bodies, where costs are still quite prohibitive. But at places like the increasingly popular muscle car or nostalgia meets, a racer with tools and time can still run a unique and competitive car for a few thousand dollars and a lot of work. He'll only be going about 150 mph in about 11 seconds. He'll be, in other words, just about where we were in the beginning. Perhaps if Post would give us a history of this static drag racing he wouldn't yearn for the old days, for in many ways the old days of drag racing are still here.

This is by far the best book on drag racing I have ever come across. My first season was 1961 at the track of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and to varying degrees I have followed the sport ever since.

This book has an incredible amount of detail on who did what, and includes many important historical events, and other oddities that have happened in the forty years covered. He even includes one of the weirdest accidents I ever saw, which was the time Paula Murphy's rocket car had a stuck throttle, and sent her off the end of the track at Sears Point Raceway, and literally over the rolling hills of Sonoma County at well over 200 mph, like a real-life Whiley Cayote.

But even more to his credit the author attempts to get at the heart of drag racing, what drives the participants. And he writes with a fine balance of scholarly objectivity and insider's appreciation. A very nice piece of work and a "must-read" for anyone seriously interested in how drag racing got to be what it is today.

Richard Fay

The book HIGH PERFORMANCE allowed us a view into the formative and early years of our sport, complete with the games, politics and personality clashes that were in existence. There were a lot of politics by the sanctioning groups who have come and gone over the years(UDRA,AHRA,PRO), as well as those who continue with us (NHRA, IHRA). The fuel ban years are covered, the promoters clashes with the sanctioning groups were covered, and the evolution of the sport is pretty well documented with accuracy. Several people I have spoken to who were running in these early days have confirmed a lot of this books content. This book removes the lustre from the logo of the sanctioning bodies, instead exposing ulterior motives within their organization for all to see.

I think the book is incredibly accurate and deserves high marks for bringing the facts out, in a non-judgemental way, for the fans to absorb.

No doubt this is a very good book on horse racing. I have read this book twice and everytime I read it, I got something out of it. It tells you various ways to find the best horse in a race. Notwithstanding finding the best horse in a race, this books also tells you how to find the best bet in a race (the best horse does not necessarily be the best bet in a race because of the factor of odds) and how to manage your money and your inner struggle.

This book is also systematic and very easy to read. It is especially good for serious horse racing starters. For experienced players, this book is also worth reading.

I am full of confidence on horse racing again after I read this book. I believe I will read this book the third time after the end of the Hong Kong racing season in next summer.

I highly recommend you to read this book.

This book is very interesting it covers all the subjects you would most commonly want to know and more! The author is obviously experienced at the 'art' of horse-racing and so it makes an enjoyable and in some places humorous guide to the logic of racing-well done!

At last, a book on handicapping horses which doesn't sound like it was written by Ma and Pa Kettle. Mr Jones has tertiary qualifications in Statistics (as I recall) yet manages to not bore. The only problem with the book, as a reader in Australia where all racing is on turf and where sprints require more than just speed, is trying to filter out how much of the speed factor in it is applicable to conditions way down under here. (If other readers want to email me to discuss the ideas/problems with the book, please do so.)

After using some of the strategies in this book I was able to maximize my winnings and minimize my losses. It was easy to read and follow and the author has managed to make some sense of underlays and overlays. Worth the small cost for such a useful book.

This is probably one of the most under-rated books on handicapping. I have many books on horse racing and have yet read any reference to this book. In fact, the first time I read it, I wasn't at all impressed. However, as I become a better and better player, I begin to appreciate how deep the book is. I have read the book many many times. Every time I read it, I get something out of it. The first chapter on the racing public and the fourth chapter on form factor overbets/underbets are particularly important. If you don't have a thorough understanding of the ideas presented, you'll likely find that even you are good at picking winners, you still lose money. If you are willing to spend the time to read the book at least 10 times to make sure you have internalise the ideas (I have read it more times than that), I can guarantee you that your skills will be elevated to a different level.