Racing Books

"March - The Rise and Fall of a Motor Racing Legend" is the expanded and updated edition of Mike Lawrence's original "The Story of March - 4 guys and a telephone", which was originally in 1989. This update dates from 2001, and really only consists of an additional chapter which take into account the events after 1989 up to the winding up of March in 1994, plus a new introduction from Mike Lawrence. Otherwise there appears to be little or no difference from "4 guys and a telephone".

The author gained unparalleled access to the archives of March, plus extensive interviews with all the key members of the team, and customers, including Max Mosely, Ron Tauranac, and John MacDonald to name just a few. In the introduction, it is emphasized by the author, and Robin Herd who wrote the foreword, that this was to be a "warts and all" history of the team, with a focus on the people of March. Amusing ancedotes and stories are related all the way through the book, and I should point out the March story is not just about Formula One. March were prolific manufacturers of chassis for the junior formulae F2, F3000 and F3, as well as for Indycar. The text is well illustrated throughout, with many black and white photographs, and there are also 2 inserts of colour photography. There is also a detailed appendix of results for March chassis, of which around 1500 were made - for the lower formulae the results are limited to race wins and top 6 in the championship due to the sheer number of chassis that were built. By and large the appendix is formed from March's own chassis logbooks.

If I was to have a gripe with the book, it would be the formatting of the text, which is arranged in 2 columns per page. I have no idea why this is the case, and if the original "4 guys and a telephone" was formatted this way. Despite this, the re-release of the book is to be credited - I note that prices for copies of "4 guys and a telephone", which is pretty scarce these days, are pretty steep. The price of this edition makes the story much more accessible to newer fans of the sport. I heartily recommend this book to all enthuasists of single seater motorsport.

Although written for the younger reader, this is a great book for people of all ages. Has a lot of information on Andretti but I really enjoyed the part of the book that focused on: Statistics, Chronology and Further Reading. A must for Andretti fans.

I have read many books on Mario Andretti and each one is different. This one contains never seen before photos of Mario in action over four decades. It also contains a detailed history of all his races. If you are a fan of the greatest American race car driver of all-time, this book is a must read for you.

this book is of great detail and it helped me beat the game. but it doesn't leave anything secret, so don't get it if you like finding things out on your own/.

This was a wonderfully crafted history of Maryland horseracing. The archival photographic images are extensive and spectacular, as are the stories that accompany the photos. Anyone interested in horses, Maryland history or the racing community will enjoy and be informed by this book. Bravo!

I purchased the book with the intent of building a replica of the car. Through reading descriptions of the systems breakdowns of the vehicle, I was able to get a very good idea of how the original vehicles were designed and manufactured. Although few were actually produced over the limited production run (34), the information proved to be very helpful. With the addition of the pictures, the book provided enough information to accurately reproduce a car that will resemble the original. Granted, an exact chassis and body recreation would not be possible from this book, I will be able to get very close based on the exploded and body transparent views. I do not have an original engine or drivetrain, so the vehicle will not be exact either way. Should I desire to get more information, the book did give information as to the locations and owners of the remaining cars.

I was very happy with the book and am glad I was able to get one of the few copies still available.

Brian Barnett

Thoroughbred historian Edward L. Bowen chronicles the life and times of the most famous trainers in the "Golden Age of Racing," when the exploits of champions like Man o' War, Equipose and Exterminator were major news events from coast-to-coast.

But - as in any sport - the great athlete has optimum conditioning, which opens the door to performing at grand levels. The trainers who are covered in words and photographs are James G. Rowe, Sr., Sam Hildreth, H. Guy Bedwell, John E. Madden, Max Hirsch, "Sunny" Jim Fitzsimmons, Herbert J. Thompson, Preston Birch, the father-and-son team of Ben A. Jones & Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones and Hirsch Jacobs.

Some of the names may have been lost in the dusty pages of turf history, but Bowen brings these legends to life, while depicting the long hours and sacrifices a trainer makes for those few minutes of fleeting glory in the afternoon.

While the winners of such prestigious races as the Kentucky Derby, Breeders' Cup Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes oftentimes retire to iconic status, there are thousands of racers who are on tracks nationwide battling for much smaller purses and - at best - a line or two in the daily newspaper.

But these racers can often do extraordinary things that even the greatest hall-of-famers would not venture out of their cozy barns to attempt. One of those blue-collar heroes was Maxwell G.

In an astonishing racing career from 1965 - at age four - to 1977, Maxwell G. entered the starting gate 233 times and crossed under the finish wire with 47 victories. He placed 52 times and notched the show slot 39 times while winning nearly $200,000 in purse money.

Author L.M. Schorsch pens a delightful story - with ample pictures - that traces Maxwell G. from his early home in Washington to the racing exploits in tracks mostly in the west and midwest, with his fame being found at Turf Paradise in Arizona and the Chicago cicuit of Hawthorne Race Track, Sportman's Park and Arlington Park.

And what a favorite Maxwell G. was at his "home" tracks; Sportsman's Park, for example, held a fan appreciation day for the gelding in 1976.

Maxwell G. raced for a variety of owners and trainers, but achieved most of his glory for owner/trainer Richard Hazelton. The gelding actually won a race in January of his last season of racing - at age 16 - but was retired several months later as the many years of matching strides with runners, at times 10 or more years younger, finally took its toll.

An interesting chapter concerns the failed push that was made for Maxwell G. to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

Racers like Maxwell G. aren't immortalized in movies, cable-TV specials or best-selling hardbound books. But it seems fitting for such a career to be chronicled as a labor of love in an oversize, softbound book.

mazda famili

I just finished reading this book yesterday. I wanted to go slow and absorb everything everyone said about Ayrton Senna. It's a really great book. If you buy it I don't think you'll be disappointed.