Racing Books

In photographs and words, Lucy Zeh captures the often beautiful monuments and sometimes the very simple graves of Thoroughbreds, some who are immortal & others who have been forgotten with the passage of many years.

There should be a special link between the breeder/owner of the racers who give so much in the oftentimes difficult life at the track. How the champions - and a runner did not have to be a graded stakes winner for the accolade - are treated in death speaks volumes about their handlers.

Etched In Stone reminds each reader that the Thoroughbred should be treated well in life and with dignity at death.

I just got my copy of Etched In Stone and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful book. It is not the slightest bit morbid but rather a fond look back at those equines who have made an impact on racing. Seeing the graves and reading about (for many) forgotten Thoroughbreds brings these long-ago champions back to life. I hope to some day be able to visit these memorials myself. This is a must have book for the racing or horse fan!

This book, paying tribute to some of our nation's greatest athletes, has been long awaited and greatly overdue! Thoroughbreds, especially those from Kentucky (the horse capitol of the nation) have always been admired by all and this book only makes their legends live on more vivedly. With it's pictures and stories of the headstones and the great athletes that lie beneath, the author takes a vivid look at these magnificent beasts. I cannot wait to explore the graves highlighted!

I found this book interesting and fun to read! It was exciting (right from the opening hurricane scene!) And it easily carried me along on the back of beautiful Arabian stallion, (right behind Dan Marshall.) The books character's are colorful, crafty, humorous and warm. I especially liked the mystical spirit of Walter Farley, who appears throughout the story with wonderful philosophical input. This book is insightful and important with some surprising twists! Especially at the end! I hightly reccomend it! *****

A classic for every family, "Fate Of The Stallion!" is every
bit as wonderful as everyone's favorite, "The Black
Stallion". It is an EXCEPTIONAL book of hope and inspiration for
readers of all ages ... It's written with highly intense personal
emotions and is full of very valuable messages. Hang on tight! Once
you start reading this masterpiece, you'll be caught up in the race
and won't stop until you reach the finish line. You will be captivated
by the drama of Arabian horse racing, intrigued by the presence and
advice of Mr. Farley, motivated by Dan's great courage, inspired on an
individual level to "FOLLOW YOUR DREAM!"..."FIND A
WAY!". No matter what! Mr. Hevener tells us that having hope in
our eyes and love in our heart *IS* "the way".

On the surface, "Fate of the Stallion!" is an exciting page-turner of a novel...and a story of horses and horseracing. On this level, Ron Hevener has given us a superior book for anyone 12 years old ...to 112. "Fate of the Stallion!" however, is a great book, and thus is written on several levels. Intertwining throughout is a metaphysical message that points the way to fulfillment through love and the beauty and nature of the mystical and magical. Nahgua is an Arabian stallion who runs as fast as the wind... and is worth his weight in gold. His unscrupulous owner will stop at nothing, including the health and safty of this magnificent animal, to win as many purses as possible, as quickly as possible. When Nahgua was injured, his owner was ready to put him down. Now enter Dan Marshall who becomes Nahgua's savior and protector. Why? What hidden meaning is uncovered? What does an Arabian stallion have to do with Dan's long, lost daughter? "Fate of the Stallion!" winds it's way, effortlessly, to its conclusion, and Dan's fate. Along the way, the reader is captivated, energized and drawn into a story that teaches that dreams can and do, come true. This is a magical book the whole family can enjoy and discover that,"You'll find the right help when you have to."

First rate photography and art direction...great stories...passionate machinery and people..an absorbing read....the only thing better would be the pictured cars to exist in my garage!

For anyone interested in cars, photography, and interesting stories this book is a treasure. Of the several Ferrari books I own this one stands out as both artfully done and a good read.
Well worth the price.

A great book. Maybe I'm just partial because of the vivid five page stretch devoted to the Comp Daytona.

There are lots of Ferrari books out there, good books, filled with well researched bore-n-stroke, nuts-n-bolts facts, but I've always hungered for something a little more subjective, a little more visceral.

With this one you get visceral.

The cover doesn't look very promising, does it? With its distinctly unhistorical 599 and convoluted invocation of "The Ferrari Legend" I was expecting a bland model-by-model, race-by-race statistical history. But John Lamm's discriminating compilation does Ferrari history justice; it is told in first hand accounts by those who, (as honestly stated in the title), "lived the legend."

The number of anecdotes, photos and especially voices contained in here is staggering: you get the ubiquitous Phil Hill, but also Enzo Ferrari's personal secretary Brenda Vernor; you hear Mauro Forghieri's thoughts on Villeneuve; Andretti's on Forghieri; you get Sam Posey describing in detail his 1971 Le Mans drive in a 512M; Surtees talking about Dragoni and team politics; Gurney on going to Italy in `58 to try out for the Ferrari team in front of Mr. Ferrari; Dario Franchitti on why he loves his F40 and F355, not so much the more recent cars.

This is not another competent but impersonal coffee-table book, (Ferrari 1947-1997, Ferrari 60 Years, etc.).

Here's Steve Earle describing his experience as a teenager watching Phil Hill in the glorious 412 MI at Riverside in `58: "...you were standing in the pits, you could hear that car around the whole track...You thought, `Oh my God,! This is the most amazing car in the world.'" Then Earle describes what it was like to OWN this one-off car, and use it at the very first Monterey Historic Races, (which he organized). The book has similar interviews with a number of enthusiasts that really help flesh-out the non-competition aspect of the legend. Everyone from the life-long collector who bought his first Ferrari off the New York Motor Show stand in 1956 to the dude that crashed his Enzo on a public road in Colorado while doing 206 mph gets a chance to tell his tale.

Many of the iconic photos are from the Road & Track archives, which is great for American readers whose first introduction to the marque came via these images; they are reproduced in gorgeous detail far surpassing their news-stand quality. My favorite shot is used as the splash-page that introduces us to the decade of the 70's: Bob Bondurant four-wheel-drifting a 308 at Sears Point --you can even see Bobby's hipster sideburns flaring under the G-load.

Also, the book tastefully avoids over-emphasizing the recent decade of F1 domination. Attention is paid to the latest road cars, like the 599 Fiorano that makes the cover (wouldn't you have preferred to see a Comp Daytona?). But these post-Commendatore chapters are not the main meat of the book. The Schumacher years are dutifully recorded, di Montezemolo speaks, but you can sense the author's disinterest in Schumacher the man, whose words are nowhere to be found. And that's fine by me.

INCREDIBLE! As a relatively new fan to NASCAR I feel like I have been brought up to speed! This book is a must buy. I love the stories. They made me laugh and get a little choked up at times. It's a very easy read and the cd that comes with it is amazing. Dale Jr.'s tribute to his dad is incredible and the Petty's are amazing. I want more!

This book is great and the CD on the Petty's is just awesome. It will make you cry all the way through it. I loved it and would recommend it to all. God Bless the Petty family and Adam.

This is an excellent book, with stories from various drivers, fans, writers, and other motorsports personalities! Many will make you think, laugh, or even cry. Inspiring images of faith along with a true look at the NASCAR personalities you thought you knew, make this a must-buy!

This book will be a great addition to any F1 fans collection. I personally am a huge Gilles fan to this day, and continue to be saddened that we never got to see more of this most unique racer. I started watching him race Alouette snowmobiles and followed him with great interest throughout his auto racing career, and believe we will never see the likes of such a talent again. He certainly was a once in a lifetime thing. I believe I have every book that has ever been published about Gilles, and rank this right up near the top of my collection. There are some pictures in this book that I have never seen before, which to me makes it worth the price all by it self. Nigel Roebuck is a great writer of F1, and does a great job on this book of bringing the history back to life. I really enjoyed it, and am sure you will too.

It's already 26 years since Gilles died in action but he is still remembered depite the fact that he never was a world champion.He just didn't lived long enough to do so. Villeneuve is the living proof that numbers don't really matter when it came to the greatness of a driver. I remembered very well a visit at Maranello, the Ferrari factory near Modena in 1999. Michael Schumacher was the new god for Ferrari but as I strolled through the town,all I saw was pictures of Gilles Villeneuve and very few of Schumacher. Gilles Villeneuve is a living legend in Italy, a sort of icon with his scarlett Ferrari No 27.His famous battle with René Arnoux during the French Grand prix of 1979 in Dijon is probably the most spectacular piece of driving exitement ever !So, if you are a fan of Gilles Villeneuve, this is just the best photographic book done about his racing career that I ever saw. Rush for it ! Long live Gilles !

If you believe, as I do, that Gilles Villeneuve was the greatest driver of all time, then this book is a must. The photos are all of excellent quality, and there is just enough written information to keep you informed. This book, however, is aimed at those of us who know of Gilles exploits already, and of the tragedy of his untimely passing. Therefore it is all about enjoying the visual aspect of his exploits behind the wheel of racing cars, and remebering his brilliance.

This well-written biography of Rex White, one of NASCAR's Fifty Living Legends, will keep you reading to the end to find out the outcome of all White's adventures in the 1950s and 60s on the early NASCAR circuit. White drove before the ovals were paved, and seems as comfortable on dirt tracks and on the road to the next race as anywhere in the world. Along the way, readers will learn as much about the stock car racing sport as readers of "Seabiscuit" found out about the life of the jockey and the history of the horse racing sport. This is a very enjoyable book with delightful accounts of team high jinks throughout the story and enough historical material to keep NASCAR fans arguing for years.

This book is wonderful! I don't know how to describe it. I'm not into sports and all that, but this was a riveting read.

In many autobiographies, it seems obvious that someone wrote the book for that person. But in Gold Thunder, Rex's no-punches-pulled account blends with Anne's seamless strorytelling to the point that one can almost imagine Rex sitting next to you.

Gold Thunder is very fast paced. You put the key in the ignition, rev it up a few times, and then watch it go. As the motor purrs to a stop and you turn the last page, you'll wonder where all the time went

Anyone will enjoy this book,including non race fans like myself. I'm sure that many aspects of it make more sense to race fans, but the book itself is a wonderful introduction to racing. I had no idea that NASCAR had such a colorful history. What a cast of characters! It's enough to make even the newest fans feel a bit of nostalgia.

Here's another great auto racing book that will not only let you into the life of Rex White, it will teach you along the way. Stricken with polio at a young age, growing up in poverty and working countless hours on a farm never hindered little Rex White's passion to get behind the wheel of a race car. You'll find out why his father played a major role in his "race to finish, race to win" atttitude, and you'll meet all of the people who impacted Rex's life on his way to becoming a NASCAR champion. People like modified great Frankie Schneider, who became White's mentor, to partner Louie Clements are all given prime space in this book. Rex tells what racing was really like in the good old days, his love of Chevrolet, and the countless hours on the road traveling on nickles and dimes to get to the next race. A regular dinner was a package of Lance crackers. You'll also attend several wild parties honchoed by Clown Prince Joe Weatherly.
The best part of this book are the lessons learned thanks to a great work ethic. You'll laugh at the loads of funny characters that come into Rex's life, and then also deal with racing's dangers and the many tragic events that happened on the track. It's loaded with photos, tells of the great/not so great 1963 year at Daytona with his Mystery Motor 427 Chevy, GM's "on again, off again" policies on racing and becoming a member of the official Chevy racing teams.
Another can't miss book on the great sport of auto racing from the eyes of one of NASCAR's all-time best 50 drivers. He may have stood only 5'4" in stature, but this is a giant of a man when it comes to racing and winning in life.

Never will a book import the reader into the stories as Hal Roth's "Seafaring Trilogy". This read has been nothing short of mesmerizing with astute tesimonials of culture, travel, geology, biology, history and of course, sailing. Any sailor will enjoy this book and the purest sailor will surely love it's teachings. Cheers to Hal Roth for this beautiful account.

Hal Roth is by far one of the best storywriters I have had the pleasure of reading. He keeps his audience captivated by discriptions and background information from each place he visits. This trilogy comes highly recommended from my point of view.

Another great Hal Roth book. It contains 3 of his books "Two on a Big Ocean," "Two Against Cape Horn" and "The Longest Race." I really liked the first two books, but wasn't so much into the "the Longest Race" as I have read about it before. Donald Crowhurst is just not my cup of tea :-(

Anyway, this is a great book and the shipwreck part of "Two Against Cape Horn" is quite engaging -- his descriptions of the people of Chile are also great to read. I wonder how much it has changed there since he wrote the book?

Anyway, if you like sailing, if you like these kinds of accounts, buy this book!

Peter Nye has brilliantly captured the almost forgotten past of the Bicycle. From crazy invention to America's most popular sport (at the turn of the century), Nye shares the stories and experiences that vividly illustrate the evolution of bicycling. Today the sport is growing and the book captures the stout spirit of those with "hearts of lions" both past and present.

Probably the best book on American bicycle racing. Every sports journalist should read this one. Since the history of bicyle racing is one of the most forgotten sports in American history, anyone reading this book will learn about the characters and nuances that shaped the sport. A must read for any cyclist and those interested in the sport. If journalists read this one (particularly TV reporters) they would not come across so ignorant when reporting on a cycling related event.

Without question the best book ever written about the history of American cycling! If you could only own one book on the subject, this is it. Readers will be so amazed and proud of those early racers who laid the path for those that followed. Peter Nye makes this history come alive.

The author, Glenye Cain, has been covering Barbaro for The Daily Racing Form. She sent me her book after I had had a few conversations with her about Barbaro, a horse she adopted (indirectly) off the racetrack that had at one time been trained by Graham Motion, and horse related issues such as horse-slaughter. As someone closely involved in racing I enjoyed the book as it shed light on aspects of our industry in which I was less familiar (breeding / auctions etc). I do think, however, the book best serves those first learning about the thoroughbred industry and wanting to get a solid base of knowledge from which to then build. It is excellent.

Anyone with an interest in horseracing will enjoy Glenye Cain's behind-the-scenes look at the thoroughbred industry; and newcomers to the sport will find plenty to entertain them in these pages too. Cain has an eye for the details that make vivid this self-contained and expensive world: the quirks of the owners, breeders, trainers and horses. She conveys the atmosphere of the sales ring as wealthy owners do battle, of a stud farm late at night as a mare gives birth, of Churchill Downs racecourse as trainers prepare their expensive and fragile charges for the Kentucky Derby. In love with the industry, she does not neglect its darker side. After reading The Home Run Horse, you'll watch horseracing with new insight and enthusiasm.

A most interesting and arresting view of the Thoroughbred Horse Industry. Equally facinating to novice and experienced horsemen(women)alike. Horse racing at it's highest and lowest.

I think Sam Lewin knew all there was to know about horse racing and tells it all in his book. All that you'll ever need to know about the race track is in his book. You need read no further. I knew his son Gregg and he too had such an extremly high IQ that I think he should have been called Gregg "the genius's son" Lewin. Gregg loved the track just as his father did and they are both in heaven now and I BET they are at the track there!

Sam lewin lays out in his book,the way to leave the track educated and with winning tickets to show for your betting on horses. This book should be in every serious horse players library for reference over and over.

The original title of this book says it best: the education of a horseplayer. Simply put, the more educated a handicapper you are, the better your chances at winning at the track. Learn the racing game from one of the legends of the sport: Sam "The Genius" Lewin, and walk away from the track with a fatter wallet too!