Racing Books

Buy this and Simon Moore's new book and you will have the best works written on Alfa Romeo since Griffith Borgesson's "Alfa Romeo Tradition" many years ago. Authoritatively written and including many photos previously never published,it is a highly entertaining read.

This is an amazing account of how NASCAR began and grew into the huge sport it is today. It is written in a very entertaining and informative way and the author has uncovered many details that are presented as sidebars. There are several in-depth interviews and wonderful photos from the days when they first raced on the beach at Daytona up to the modern era. Anyone interested in NASCAR racing should own this book.

This is a great book with Native American stories from all over America. It has many stories and about four sections with about five stories in each section. I have some Native American blood and this book has stories from my ancestors. You should really read this book.

Todd Gould has written a number of articles and books on Indiana business and history. With this book he has addressed a fascinating time in racing history and Indiana history as well.

The main focus is Charlie Wiggins, an African-American auto mechanic originally from Evansville, Indiana who moved to Indianapolis in 1922 to take advantage of the bustling (yet segregated) cultural and business climate around Indiana Avenue. At the same time, several Indianapolis businessmen (both black and white) are looking into starting up the Colored Speedway Association, a racing division for Blacks that was to be modeled after Negro League Baseball. The hope was to demonstrate that African-Americans were fully capable of driving high-performance racecars and create a groundswell that would cause the American Automobile Association, the main sanctioning body of most races back then, to de-segregate big-time auto racing. Their main goal would be to race in the hometown Indy 500.

The title, 'Gold and Glory', comes from the name of an annual race started by the CSA at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. This one mile dirt track hosted 10 'Gold and Glory' 100 mile races. Charlie Wiggins won 4 of them and earned the nickname 'Negro Speed King' in race cars of his own design and manufacture.

Gould tells about the active role the KKK played in Indiana politics in the 1920s and does a nice bit of 'parrallel lives' biography with Klan leader D.C. Stephenson and Charlie Wiggins for about 50 pages in the book. He also tells about the mini-Harlem Renaissance that occurred in Indianapolis in the 1920s and the cultural life of Indy's near west-side. He also ties in a lot of basic history of the early days of auto racing - of the dangers and pitfalls of dirt track racing, of mechanics building cars in their garages, of having to tow your race car with a rope and having a young apprentice steer it while it was being towed, of race tracks being built in the middle of a cornfield for a one day event, and so on.

Gould tells the story of the CSA, Charlie Wiggins and the racial politics of the time in a near-seamless fashion. He ties it all together and leaves the reader a bit amazed. Amazed at how far we have come politcally, amazed at the changes that have taken place in racing (long gone are the days of a big-time racer building his own car in his spare time) and heartened by the fact that racing really knows no color. While the sport was strictly segregated by rule, every racer and race fan knows that every advantage has to be pursued in order to win - white teams helped black teams and black teams helped white teams. Why? Because regardless of color, racers are a group unto themselves.

This is a must read for all auto racing fans, but especially for fans of the Indy 500.

I give this one a grade of A-.

very informative, lots of great photos covering the lineage of the ford racing cars, including the ford super vans.if you love touring cars, regardless of brand, you should own this book.

This is a big book measuring 10+ 1/4 inches x 10 +1/2 inches and almost 1 + 1/2 inches thick.It covers Ford racing history where Ford Motor company have participated.Not so much as a detailed reference but a photgraphic reference with colour and b&w photos throughout.From Daytona beach,to drag racing,land speed records,Le Mans,Indy 500,Grand Prix and much more.

Highly recommended.

This book is truly astonishing for anyone who has an interest in the Ford GT40 or for racing in the '60's in general. The book has superb photos in both color and black-and-white of almost every detail of these cars as well as the mulitude of variations each car experienced. A history of each car is also included.
And of course, this particular edition is autographed by the incomparable Jackie Ickx. A "gotta have" for the serious fan.
Bob

Gerald Donaldson has a reputation for penning Formula One books that are exaustively researched, beautifully written, and a pleasure to read. His biographies of the late Gilles Villeneuve and James Hunt fleshed out a very thorough, and human story of these extraordinary men. His 1990 release, "Grand Prix People" gave an incomparable snapshot of the F1 "circus", with remarkably candid interviews with all the principals of the sport at that time, from the drivers and engineers to the caterers and members of the governing body.

In this latest book, Mr. Donaldson has co-ordinated and edited a massive tome, with various chapters being penned by some of Formula One's best journalists. It attempts what many have tried, but few have succeeded - a complete and compelling history of grand prix racing, from the late 1800s to the present day. Produced by the same publishing team that produced last year's "Beatles Anthology", this heavy coffee table book is packed with stellar photos, and tells the story of F1 through the words/quotes of the principal players of every era. It is an awesome achievement, and a treasure to all true lovers of the sport. Highly recommended.

Like the tittle: If you are a formula 1 fan or simple you like the racing world,this book is for you, a great Alain Prost Life's review, since his birthplace until the actual time. Really a good book.

It makes me wonder when will Alan Henry stop suprising me with his excellent desscription of the sport. In this book, Alan has gone out to outline the events of Formula 1 racing which as taken this particular sport to the pinnacle of Motor Sport. It is a must read book for any person who has even uttered the word "Formula 1" ever in his/her life.