Racing Books

Jack Dempsey has always been my favorite boxer, , Randy Roberts did his home work before writing this wonderful book. He went into great detail, when Dempsey fought Firpo ,and when he lost his title to Gene Tunney.Anyone who enjoys reading about heavyweight champions from the past, will really love this book. i still go back and read my favorite chapters over again. Kenny Hetrick

Jack Dempsy: The Manassa Mauler by Randy Roberts (Professor of History, Purdue University) is a solidly written biography of the famous Heavyweight Champion of the World who held that title from 1919 to 1926. From Jack Dempsy's childhood and his rough-and-tumble beginning of a boxing career at 16; to his rise to the top -- and eventual defeat; to his retirement from boxing in 1940 with sixty-four victories (forty-nine of them by knockout), and more, Jack Dempsy: The Manassa Mauler is an excellent and very highly recommended contribution to Professional Boxing History, and a "must read" biography for dedicated fans of "the sweet science".

This is an excellent source of information. Granted, you have to be a true fan of Jaguar racing cars, Le Mans, but it is a rich publication. As a lifelong model car builder, this is a wonderful source of photos and details that I use regularly.

To any lifelong Jaguar buff, the name LeMans has magical connotations and Paul Parker's book is quite simply the best that is currently available on Jaguar's legendary association with that hallowed race.
One particularly welcome feature of the book is how each year and it's events have their own individual chapters, from 1950 all the way to 1995. The two appendixes listing Jaguar's drivers and the second listing the cars and their drivers by year are also most welcome.
My only regret about "Jaguar at Le Mans" is that there were not any more color photos to illustrate the 1850s and 60s, instead of just the 80s and 90s races, this however is only a minor complaint in an otherwise superlative book. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it an 8 or 9 and only the lack of more color photography keeps it from being a 10. Despite this, "Jaguar at Le Mans" is a must -have for any Jguar racing buff. I heartily recomend it. Peter A. Marshall

This 624 page volume 2 is a most worthy companion to volume 1. Jaguar and historic racing fans can enjoy the authoritative, detailed text, along with hundreds
of photographs (some never seen before in print). Extensive coverage is given to
Jaguar D-types, the XKSS, E1A & E2A prototypes, early E-types, Jaguar and private
owner involvment in motor racing...and more! This is a book to be treasured and
enjoyed again and again.

This book is huge! If you like the E-types,D-types,XJS,
Group A,group C this book is for you.Superb color and B&W photos and detailed text will impress any Jaguar lover.
Published by "Hayne's" books and the Author,the Late Andrew Whyte.Add this book to your collection.

It is not a large book by any means, but it does roughly go over Jeff Gordons racing career, starting from the age of five up until his 1998 Winston Cup Championship. It's great for people who have little knowledge about Jeff's life on and off the track, and it's also a fine book for people who like full color photos. If you live in an area like I do where Nascar is not really considered a sport and you have heard of the name Jeff Gordon, and you would like to know more about him, try this book.

This is a beautiful book for fans of NASCAR and esp. fans of Jeff Gordon. It is well written and the photography is very outstanding. It would be a great addition to any library.

This is an awesome book for any Jeff Gordon fan. It is a post Evernham book which gives fans an up-to-date account of the Rainbow Warriors. The color pictures are beautiful. My favorite part of the book is the chapters written by Dale Earnhardt, Ray Evernham, Bobby Allisona and Kenny Wallace just to name a few. It is cool to hear their views on Jeff and his rise to the top. I highly recommend this book!

Beckett's Jeff Gordon presents the notable young race car driver as observed through the words of Dale Earnhardt and fellow racers, packing in color photos of Gordon, his team, and race events.

This was a great book. Excellent information. A must read for a Jeff Gordon fan. Easy reading.

I bought this book for my son, and I ended up reading it first. I found it very informative in both aspects (Jeff's personal endeavor and the world of racing as a whole)and would highly recommend it to all.

This small-format lavishly-illustrated book accomplishes everything it attempts. The posters are reproduced nicely, although in postcard size. To readers with questions about the actual canine work of a race, this book explains quite a lot. Siberian huskies are the stars of "the last great race," and there are many modern-day improvements to their lot - food-warmers, airlifted straw drops (for their sleeping comfort) and more. The Van Zyles' dogs are varied and gorgeous. Jon Van Zyle is a handsome bearded man who appears - with great success - in some of the posters. Jona Van Zyle offers a wealth of information. The drawings are romantic and even heroic - without being kitschy. For example, the piercing blue eyes of a Siberian husky are actually hauntingly beautiful in real life - and a Van Zyle painting might confirms that. A great look at beautiful, hardworking dogs by two people who love them.

Jon Van Zyle's Iditarod Memories, Alaskan artist Jon Van Zyle has captured the twenty-five years of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race year by year with his commemorative posters celebrating the triumph, heroes, historic tales, and spirit of this classic dog sledding event. With true-life Iditarod stories by Jona Van Zyle, this 64-page book is a fitting memorial testament and celebration of human and canine endurance, courage, perseverance, and accomplishment, as well as "must" reading for anyone who has ever thrilled to an Iditarod event.

All Juan's life. His ups and downs and how he is becoming one among the best!

Excellent book with all the history about Juan Pablo Montoya's carrer. Testimonies of the people who worked with him in F3, F3000, Cart, etc.

Includes a lot of pictures.

Great Book !!

A friend bought me a copy of this book and caused me to lose the better part of a day's sleep because I didn't want to put it down. It's not only a biography of one of America's icons, but a glimpse into an America that has been bulldozed under, leaving us all poorer. Richard's stories, even those about his childhood and his stint as poppa Lee's crewchief absolutely make the book, but the racing memories are fantastic also.

IF YOU'RE A NASCAR FAN OR BETTER YET A RICHARD PETTY FAN, THIS IS A MUST-READ BOOK. IT CONTAINS MOST OF THE HISTORY OF THIS NASCAR LEGEND. IT'S CONTENTS LEADS YOU THROUGH HIS CHILDHOOD ON INTO HIS ADULT RACING LIFE. HE SHARES HIS FAMILY AND RACING ASPIRATIONS WITH US AND LEAVES YOU WANTING FOR MORE. THIS BOOK OFFERS YOU HUMOR AND HEARTFELT EMOTIONS THAT ENTICE YOU TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH HIM IN HIS EXCITING CAREER OF BECOMING A LEGEND IN NASCAR RACING.

Ms. Hubbard has taken her passion for sports and made a wonderful connection to youth. This second book of a famous black athlete is no exception. Wink's accomplishments occurred in the past century but his method to success is still the same: Dream it, be a part of it and never give up! This wonderful story about the first black horse racing jockey to win two Kentucky Derby's as well as International Horse Racing is accompanied by the beautiful artistry of Robert McGuire.

The rich art work is accompanied by a very detailed story of a young boy - the youngest of 17 children in 1882 in Kentucky. Jimmy 'Wink' Winkfield took his passion and love of horses and followed his dreams of becoming a jockey and to race. Young Jimmy had to earn what he wanted and this story does not glamorize at all. The struggle is present along with the downfalls and inspiring comebacks. Jimmy 'Wink" Winkfield did not let racism hold him back from his dreams and successes.

This book is inspiring to both adults and children alike to pursue a dream/goal no matter what obstacle is in one's path. I am inspired by Ms. Hubbard's dream and goal of writing children's books. It is my hope that this wonderful and talented author is recognized by the NAACP, The National Urban League and the National Association of Black Journalists!
I simply cannot wait to see which athlete Ms. Hubbard will choose next! This book is a wonderful gift to any child or adult and belongs in every library and personal book shelf! Black History is not just one month out of a year but 365 days a year! Cheers to Ms. Hubbard!

Jimmy "Wink" Winkfield already showed signs of his special bond with horses as a young child growing up on a Kentucky farm in a large sharecropping family. He may have been the smallest child, but he knew how to dream big, and he enjoyed nothing more than hopping up on the workhorses and letting his imagination carry him away as a great jockey. At the age of 16 while working as a stable hand and exercise rider, Wink attracted notice from a horse trainer who asked him to race one of his horses in Illinois. Unfortunately Wink's first race resulted in a collision involving multiple horses and jockeys, and he was suspended from racing for a year.

Wink returned to the race circuit to earn a long string of victories and four consecutive opportunities to race in the prestigious Kentucky Derby. He earned third place in the Kentucky Derby his first year, then won first place two times (in 1901 and 1902), and the fourth year he placed a heart-wrenching second. Wink went on to race in Europe for the remainder of his career, largely because racial discrimination and the closure of numerous racetracks in the United States led to the virtual disappearance of jobs for black jockeys. With all his racing victories, Wink left a legacy as one of history's greatest jockeys and the last African American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.

The thrilling text and dramatic oil paintings make it exceedingly difficult to put this book down before reaching the very last page. Carefully intertwined in the tales of Wink's triumphs and defeats are important lessons about discrimination and job opportunities that had a profound impact on his career progression. The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby makes a valuable contribution to children's literature by bringing to life the story of an African American hero whose rightful place in sports history has only recently gained recognition and appreciation.