Racing Books

Trever Arnason
Wide Open: A Life in Supercross
Jeremy McGrath
HarperCollins
© 2004
Pages 320


Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a professional motocross rider, or what it feels like? This book is an autobiography about Jeremy McGrath's life. It starts off when he is young and is first racing BMX bikes. He races in the local races in California, but these become too easy. As he gets older he gets better at racing and moves on to riding motocross. As the book goes on it goes through his adult life as a motocross racer.
My favorite part of this book was when he was telling about the parties that he would have at his lake house. The house would be crammed full of people and outside would be more people. He wouldn't even know half the people because they would just show up on their boats and get off at his house. His parties sounded like a lot of fun. The theme of this book was to not give up. McGrath had many struggles, which made it hard for him to go pro. Such as people telling him that he wasn't good enough, and not being able to get sponsors. But he never gave up and he was very successful.
I think that this book was really good. It had a lot of interesting stuff about the industry. Even though it was an autobiography and I thought that it would be boring, I really liked this book.

this book is great. this book will give you some helpfull tips in between the chapters. they've got some of his worst injeries ever. this book is great i think everybodey to read this book

Jeremy McGrath has been my favorite rider for a long time, and I was pretty excited to find out that he had put out an autobiography.

I thought the narration and sequencing of the book were solid. They covered all the major events of Jeremy's life and career. It is a very simple book, seemingly targeted for a young audience.

I had issues with the placement of some of the pictures, as well as a couple of typos. For example, a picture of McGrath with the caption identifying it from 2001, while the chapter the picture is located in talks about the 1999 season. Seems like the could have made room for that picture somewhere in the chapter that talks about 2001.

One picture was identified as Jeremy after winning the 1993 championship, when it was actually a picture from the 1998 championship, which was described on that page.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the pace of the book. I read it cover to cover in about 4 hours. I didn't really find any of it boring. The way the book is written makes it feel very down to earth and easy to relate to.

The book seems to be geared towards a younger audience, which is why I found it curious that there were a few swear words included. Not alot, maybe 4-5 in the entire book, but when I read those parts, the wording seemed very unnecessary.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I didn't find McGrath to be bitter or morally bankrupt. He worked hard for what he has achieved.

Seeing as how the book came out at the beginning of 2004, only shortly after his retirement from competition, it would have been rather difficult to include things that he has done since retiring.

One thing I know he did after retirement was to write a book... and it was a pretty good read. At least for somebody who has followed Jeremy relatively closely for his entire career...

Jermey Mcgrath grew up in southern Califorina. When he was 4 years old he started racing bicycles. He was very good and competitive. he moved up to 80 cc mini bikes when he was 8. He made his way up to the 125 cc. For a while he didn't have a factory ride, which is when you have a dirt bike company supporting you. Then, Kawasake signed him. Win he moved up to the 250 class, he went to Honda. He won 4 titles with Honda. Then, he went to Suzuki for a year and did really bad with them. He went to Yamaha and got 2 titles with them. He created a team called Team McGrath/Mazda/Yamaha when he was 30 years old.

It was a very interesting book. I could never guess what was going to happen next. I would have never guessed that he won as many titles as he did. I didn't know if he was going to get the win or not ot get the lead by the first turn. The races thatthey had in the book were exciting. Thje races were exciting because he won most of them. They were close, and i didn't know who would win untill the end of the race.

It was boring at times, like when he talked about his parents. It was also boring at the end because there was no activity. It would of been better if there would have been more ezcitment like races at the end of the book.

Over all , it was a pretty good book despite of all of the boring partsand the injuries. I learned several things that I didn't know about Jermey McGrath and about supercross and motocross. A lot of them were interesting to me.

Genre: Biograph
Three sentece sumary : The king of super cross tells the story of how he started as a privater with nothing; and endend up as a legend.
What i liked most about this book: the book told the story of a profesinall supercross racer.
What i didnt like and why:The book didnt say much about what happend after his mx carrer ended.
My fariot charecter and why: Well jeremy mcgrath of coarse.
My favriot line or scene: when MC was battiling for fist with RC.
What would i say about this book to some one else: Its a great book to see how mc followed his dream and became a legend.
One question i have after reading this book: What did he do after he retiered.
My strongest resone for rerading this book : Its about the king of super cross and how he started out with nothing and got every thing.

A young girl named Katie Durham is born with one leg that is shorter than the other. She feels unhappy all the time until a foal with twisted legs is born. He's named Willow King and Katie feels a connection to him due to their disabilities. Katie begins working with Willow King to help his legs straighten and turn him into a champion.

This is an excellent book for all horse lovers.

Ok all I have to say is this is the best book I have ever read in my life. It's a great story that part of it made me cry and some of it made me laugh and smile. I highly suggest this book to EVERYONE!!! I gotta go buy the sequal to it now. Chris Platt is a great author. I couldn't stop reading this book it took me only a day to read the whole book. So buy it, read it, and love it!

This book was one of the best books I've ever read and if you read about horses and haven't read this book, you're missing out on something special. This girl Katie is born with one leg shorter than the other, so she's imeadiately touched by Willow King who was born with crooked legs. When the owner decides he should be put down, Katie begs to be the one to own him. Finally, Willow King is hers! Together Katie feels that they will be able to reach the top. But there are more bumps on the way then she expected including, teaching this foal. I absolutely loved this book and Chris Platt is at her best when she writes!

I borrowed Willow King from my local library and liked it alot. i personaly think that horse racing is rather mean, but this book was good. I reccomend it for kids 8 to 12. Enjoy!

This a awesome book that I absolutly have to reccomend. It is about a girl named Katie who saves a foal who is about to be put down because he has crooked legs. She feels a strong bond between her and the foal because she was born with one leg shorter than the other, similar to the foal. Katie trains Willow King, the foal, and straightens his legs. Along the way, ahe has to deal with her enemy, Cindy because Cindy is using Katie's beloved show horse, Jester so Katie can train Willow. She also has to deal with a boy named Jason, whom she befriends. I strongly recomend this book to anyone who would like a good read. Even if you are not a horse fanatic like me, I think you will like it.

As an adventure racer who recalls when Don Mann owned Odyssey AR, I recall his midnight encouragement at CPs. At Primal Quest in Moab in 2006 Don was just as enthusiastic. This books carries some of that sincere, enthusiastic voice. His energy kept me running for years. I recall running together on the backstretch of the JFK 50 mile ultramarathon. We talked about books. Some time later, Don shared his enthusiasm for me by writing a testimonial for my book. For anyone interested in learning about our sport I strongly encourage you to read this book. Doug Gray, PCC, and author of Passionate Action: 5 Steps to Extraordinary Success in Life and Work

I new to AR (3 races to date) and was looking for a good reference book on the subject. This book exceeded my expectations. It is well organized and filled with practical information and detail. It has section with tips and advice from experienced racers, there is also first person accounts of races and experiences. It is also a great price for all the information you get.

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

firstly this reviewer is a racer and has quite some experience in the various disciplines of AR (adventure racing) so bear that in mind.

The book is quite well laid out covering most things you might expect in AR. The exciting glossy cover belies the lower quality paper and pictures used within- no smart glossies inside, rather some average b/w photos.

The information inside is fine but can largely be found elsewhere with a quick google search. Still a good repository of information.

If you are looking for some guidance re AR equipment, training, techniques, tips and have not looed for the same on the web, this will be a useful book, if you have looked then it is something to have on the bookshelf. It is not of sufficient quality to have out on the coffee table as a conversation piece!
My 2cents.

The Unfair Advantage is one of the seminal books on motor racing in the United States as it developed in the sixties and seventies. Hugely interesting and important as an in depth view of the developmant of racing as seen through the eyes of Mark Donohue, one of the early technicians of motor racing. The simple solutions that were created from basic trial, error, retrial and success are at once astounding and nas plain as the nose on your face. Things that we take for granted in racing now were developed as 'unfair advantages' by Donohue and Penske as they struggled to develop winning cars in TransAm, CanAm, Formula 1, Usac Champ cars, and a variety of other venues. The lessons learned here have served many racers well over the years and the inside takes by Donohue on the movers and shakers of that time period are enlightening to say the least. Unfortunately, we lost Mark to a racing accident years ago, but we have these words to remember him by as well as his great record of on track success. A great read. I highly recommend it.

Donohue's very enjoyable autobiography goes into considerable detail about his racing career while understandably ignoring his personal life. His descriptions of the early days, when engine dynos were uncommon, and suspension setup was by guess and by God, are eye-opening.

It would have been nice to have some more technical details, but as he points out, they are a part of his team's "Unfair Advantage".

If you are a fan of Mark Donohue, or a racing fan from the era of the CanAm series, I believe you will enjoy this biography. It has enlightened me to the complications and hardships in preparing and maintaining a proper race care. There is much insight into the business side off the sport as well, and demonstrates Roger Penske's determination and acuity in running a top flight team.

I saw this book last weekend at a Vintage Race being held ther by HSR-West and figured it would be a great collectos item. But it is a lot more than that; it is a real insight to the trials and tribulations of racing and race car development. Donohue comes out as a very humble driver and he is not afraid to admit his mistakes and that of the team. This is a book that you don;t to put down but you also don;t want to be finished with it. I did see Mark Donohue at one of the Riverside Trans-Ams in 1968. I was always wondering what really happened at the end of the 69 season to make Penske swith to that AMC junk and now I know.. Do not miss this book.

This book is easily one of the best narratives about racing I've ever come across. It is a personal and honest account of the late Mark Donahue's racing career from his impromptu start to the zenith of his career in Formula 1, Indy Racing, and Can Am to his retirement.

Anyone who races or aspires to race will delight in his firsthand recollections of his racing exploits and his perspective on one of the great programs in motorsport history (the Can Am Porsche 917).

Highly recommended.

the book was great son and husband read it fast shipping and in good shape

this is a must read for the bill elliot fan and nascar fans

i am reading the book and so for i have enjoyed it very much and i am finding out what a hard time bill had in his racing career

It was very interesting to read Bill's own story on NASCAR racing and his career. He has not ordinarily been to loose with his words in the past, so it was refreshing to get his views and opinions first hand. He was generally very complimentary towards his fellow competitiors, but was quite critical of NASCAR concerning the safety issue and the death of Earnhardt. A good read from one of racings finest and classiest drivers.

All I can say is...AWESOME BOOK. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 15.

Abu Ishak died! Alec inherits the Black! Now he has both the Black and Satan, his son!
The two horses are to run in the same race, the Black ridden by Alec and Satan ridden by another jockey Alec trusts. But when one of the horses at the race comes down with a deadly disease and must be put down, all the horses are quarantined will the race even go on?
At the end of the book it's not just a race for fun but more for survival.
AMAZING BOOK!

Walter Farley is a fantastic author about horses. He knows his stuff.

This book is extrodinary.While you're reading this book El Dorado gets swamp fever.The other horses are checked for swamp fever.There's a wildfire and Alec tries to save the horses.Any girl that loves horses I recommend this book.

This book is extrodinary.While you're reading this book El Dorado gets swamp fever.The other horses are checked for swamp fever.There's a wildfire and Alec tries to save the horses.Any girl that loves horses I recommend this book.

The Black Stallion and Satan is a great book by Walter Farley. It is the 3rd book in the Black Stallion series. This 178 page book was just as amazing as all the other Black Stallion books, so if you enjoyed the other book I suggest you read this one as well.

Right from the begining this book is exciting and suspensfull, you wont want to put it down. Alex gets a letter from Abu's daughter, telling him that her father has died, when he was thrown from the black. In his will Abu has left the Black to Alec. Abu has entered the black in a race. So Alec decided to let the Black run in that last race before his retirment, instead the Black and Satan end up in a race for there lives!

This is a great book that you will love just as much as the other Black Stallion books, but if you haven't read the other books I suggest that you read them before this one. This book would be good for anyone in there teens to adult.

The depth and breadth of this book are astonishing. I just started reading it seriously a few days ago, and rather like the car, it goes quickly. The tone is stiff-British and humorless, although I'm glad it avoids so many of the exclamations and hyperbole usually seen in books of this type.

Much of the text is made up of quotes from the main players involved with the F1 project, but Doug Nye adds much from his knowledge of racing and cars in general. Near the end the author wisely lets Rowan Atkinson, better known as Mr. Bean, give his impressions of the project. The hundreds of captioned pictures, sketches, and notes make for a revealing peek into the car's gestation. Many times I felt as if I were seeing privileged information, to be kept within the company, although its obviously not as sensitive as it once was.

If anything, this book outlines what a torturous and exhaustive process creating a road car from the ground up really is. So much has to come together to make the finished product, and not one of the problems presented an obvious solution. One bit of irony concerns how McLaren were searching for a specialized facility to construct prototypes. By coincidence, such a building was owned by Ferrari, who were looking to sell. McLaren boss Ron Dennis pounced on the deal, avoiding a delay of months or maybe years to the project. Ferrari were perhaps less than pleased by the acquisition... Other than that, there was no luck involved in the McLaren F1 process, just slavish testing, sleepless nights, and an obsessive refusal to compromise anything. The total budget is never given, but it's hard to believe the McLaren F1 ever made any money.

The book also includes a large poster/chart with the F1 GTR's full racing record, as well as the number and body color of each chassis. Not to be missed.

An excellent detailed review of how the McLaren F1 came about. From the basic concept test platforms to the engine design by BMW to the final long tailed race version. Gives a clear presentation of Gordon Murray's philosophies in putting this amazing vehicle together, even shows sketches that go back to his college years. The three seater concept with the driver in the middle was not new to Gordon's mind.

More than a decade have past since the McLaren F1 was on the street. No one has ever surpassed it. Not even themselves, with the new Mercedes SLR Mc Laren. So if you really want automotive history on your house, this is it

This book is a 'must have' for anyone interested in the McLaren road car. It is one the best books to cover a single model that I have ever read.

The 'insiders' view of documents and photographs could never be possible without the help given from the factory.

By reading the book, and seeing the photos, one can truely get into the mind of Gordon Murray and his team.

The comprehensibe book on the Mclaren F1 supercar in great detail.From the ideas,designs,testing right through to the racing models this book covers everything you wanted to know.
Colour photos,diagrams and a story of this unique car make this book everything enthusiasts want.A huge book that belongs on ever car lovers book shelf.

If you love the Mclaren F1 supercar this book is for you.

Its Christmas 2007 and I am a big Tony Stewart fan. I received this book from family and wasnt all that thrilled since it only goes up to 2002 and to be honest I know absolutely nothing about dirt racing, sprint cars, midget cars, USAC, IRL, or Kart racing.
Well I do now.
I started glancing through the book and got hooked. Its written by Tony (with another writer Mark Bourcier ) so its in his own words. Its Tonys thoughts and memories. It gave me a huge insight into a racer I thought I already knew a lot about. I really enjoyed reading it, from his start as a child up to his NASCAR career. It has a lot of comments from a lot of people he has met in his life as a racer and a regular guy. If you are a Tony fan or a racing fan, this is really a good read. I doubt if hes this open now but he is just as honest and he hasnt changed his feelings.He discusses his honesty and troubles and fans and lots and lots of racing. I knew he was good but after reading this I came away more impressed than ever. I plan on checking through Amazon for more. more. more.

this book is a great tool for those wanting to know just how someone as talented as Tony Stewart got where he is. Its a book on racing and stays out of being too personal.

That's a question that race fans have either heard or wondered a good deal over the past few years. To anyone who's followed the sport of NASCAR for a few months two things become obvious: Tony has an unbelievable amount of talent and he seems to attract trouble. Some are his doing and some is not.

In "True Speed" you'll get a lot of background information on Tony the person and Tony the racer straight from himself. There are certain things in life that motivate us all. Tony explains his desire to succeed and attempts (successfully if you ask me) to explain what motivates him. If you've ever wondered why Tony acts the way he does, read this book and find out.

I loved this book. It was very entertaining. It really held my attention. As a matter of fact it only took me a week to read it all. That is pretty good for me and always a sign of a good book. I highly recommend it. It had some pretty funny stuff in it.

Well, I would think it would be a great book, however, I have been waiting for more than two (2) months for Amazon to sent it to me. I hope those of you who order it have months to wait for it to be shipped to you. Good luck and happy racing!

THis is a beautifullly designed book, with a very cute story. My Granddaughter loves books and unicorns, so it is just right for her. Actually I love it for myself!

This is Stephen J. Brooks's fifth published title and it's one your children will cherish and love. The illustrations are brilliantly done with what look like water color backgrounds that offset the vivid illustrations of the characters by Linda Crockett, who has received several awards and honors for her illustrations in children's books.

Unicorn Races takes children into the magical world of Abigail's imagination as she travels to a marvelous feast for a princess. Abigail watches the elves and fairies make preparations for the Unicorn Races as unicorns in every color of the rainbow come to compete before the royal princess Abigail. When the race begins, unicorns fly through the night sky, circle around the moon, dance on the stars, travel to the ocean, glide inches above the waves, and zip around a lighthouse before returning to the magical clearing where Princess Abigail waits to announce the winner. After the feast, Abigail rides home on one of the magical unicorns and falls fast asleep until the next Unicorn Races.

UNICORN RACES is the sweet story of young Abigail, princess to the elves, fairies, and unicorns.

After arriving amidst the dark woods, Princess Abigail presides over the Unicorn Races, in which six beautifully colored unicorns will participate. To the second bright star, around the moon, among the waves, to the lighthouse -- the unicorns race happily, and Blue is declared the winner.

All enjoy a feast of cookies, cakes, and sundaes, but it is soon time for Abigail to return home upon her unicorn steed, Lord William.

The story is one that will appeal to young girls, with it's magical creatures and a girl who yearns to be a princess. It's the wonderful illustrations by Linda Crockett, however, that make this a true winner, to be enjoyed by children and parents alike.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Each page of this exceptional book is magic. Along with colorful unicorns, your child will love the elves, fairies, and the pixies. The story is enchanting; the illustrations are sprinkled with stardust.

This book is a wonderful story of a little girl whose imagination whisks her away to a fantasy land full of adventure and promise. The illistrations are terrific and full of detail. My grandaughters keep asking me to read it againg and again to them at night. The middle grandaughter,(5) "reads" it to her favorite stuffed animals. This book makes a wonderful present or just an anytime gift for your favorite princes.

This is a very well written book of the Barbaro story told with insight and compassion, without being maudlin. Of course when he wrote the book he thought Barbaro would live, as most of us who were rooting for him, did. So the tone is positive and the pictures are worth the price of the book. A great horse and a great story - worth every penny!

As someone who followed Barbaro even before his Kentucky Derby win, I craved information about him, especially after he passed away. Of all of the books written about this remarkable racehorse, none does him justice as this one does. The pictures are brilliant and glossy and the writing is comprehensive and well done. I still can not look at this book and not get emotional at seeing all the beautiful photos of Barbaro. It is well worth the price to own this book.

Sean Clancy did a marvelous job with this book. I laughed, I cried (a lot). If anyone followed what happened to Barbaro this book is a must. Thank you Mr. Clancy for writing such a glowing story about this beautiful animal.

What a gift this is. Wonderful pictures and step by step story of this incredible horse. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

This book was beautifully written and I enjoyed every page. Barbaro touched the lives of so many of us and I still feel the sorrow of his tragic injury and ultimate death. What a courageous animal! I also want to give praise to Edgar Prado who wept for Barbaro and probably still does.

This strong, tough as nails jockey has a heart and lots of soul and I admire him tremendously. Barbaro meant much more than a paycheck to Mr. Prado. I am a fan and admirer of this man who felt so much for Barbaro mand who grieved with the rest of the world at his loss.

No praise and no words could pay proper tribute to Dr. Dean Richardson and all the staff who fought so hard to keep Barbaro alive and whose main objective was that he live a life free from pain. What a valient struggle!

It's wonderful knowing there are still professionals who truly care, and human beings who aren't afraid of having a heart and aren't afraid of allowing the world to see it.