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Post by clowncar on Jun 14, 2019 13:10:39 GMT -8
I’m very much an armchair race car modeller at the moment, so don’t have much to contribute here, though I aim to take a crack at a little German car or two during my vacation and weekends this summer. But I read a lot of books, on many topics. Here are a few motorsport standouts I’ve devoured over the years:
”The Red Car,” by Don Stanford. It’s a children’s book. Read it in sixth grade when they accidentally let me loose in the school’s book repository one afternoon. Wasn’t even into cars (was into WWII tanks), but it set some kind of philosophical hook about small cars and good handling. Probably a big reason why I had an MR2 for a few years.
“Fangio,” by Stirling Moss. Made me appreciate Fangio, open-wheel, and the general 1950s racing scene all at once. On the re-read list for summer vacation.
”A French Kiss With Death,” by Michael Keyser. About Steve McQueen and the Le Mans film. Had to get it, because I love the film, 917s, and endurance racing from the days before sanity and diesels.
Vic Elford’s autobiography. The guy would drive anything you threw him the keys to.
”Go Like Hell,” by A.J. Baime. Origin story of the Ford GT40. I happen to admire GT40s. Was not disappointed.
”The Unfair Advantage,” by Mark Donohue. I knew of him from his association with Can-Am 917s, but hadn’t realized he’d won the bloody Indianapolis 500!! Nor had I known he was such a technical gearhead. And that one-off, re-bodied Ferrari 512 painted in Sunoco livery.... Glad I bought that one.
Duncan Hamilton’s fine memoir, “Touch Wood.” So. Very. British. Talbot-Lagos and Jaguar C-Types and schoolboy pranks and rivers of distilled beverages. Postcards from a gone world.
What are yours?
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Post by 4wheels on Jun 14, 2019 13:38:05 GMT -8
My top 3:
"Faster" by Jackie Stewart & Peter Manso
"From the Cockpit" by Bruce McLaren
"Speed with Style" by Peter Revson & L. Mandel
I have read many more and my top three can fluctuate occasionally!
Brian
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Post by robhart on Jun 14, 2019 17:52:07 GMT -8
"Speed with Style" is a superb read. The best book on F1 that I have seen. I also enjoyed:
"Ford, the Dust and the Glory" by Leo Levine
"Black Noon: The year they Stopped the Indy 500" by Art Garner
"Inside Shelby American: Wrenching and Racing with Carroll Shelby in the 1960s" by John Morton
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Post by Bernard Kron on Jun 14, 2019 22:19:44 GMT -8
I collect motorbooks and probably my most treasured and yet most obscure book is "American Road Racing: The Automobile Racing Club of America in the 1930s" by John C Rueter. It's a history of the precursor to the SCCA, ARCA, founded by the Collier brothers (Miles, Sam and Barron,Jr.) and their friends in Pocantico Hills, Westchester County, New York. It was originally called the Overlook Automobile Racing Club because all the earliest speed contests were on the roads on the grounds of the Collier's estate, Overlook. In 1933 they changed the name and began publishing the ARCA journal. The club expanded along the Eastern seaboard and as far West as Chicago. The organized road races on both private estates and public roads. ARCA reached it's peak with the road race they organized on the grounds of the New York City World's Fair in 1940. This was also their last event as their members went off to war. Besides Miles Collier, their most famous member was Briggs Cunningham. The book is totally unique and I have found nothing so complete and detailed about the pre-history of American sports car racing as this slim 133 page volume. Miles and Sam Collier and Cunningham were among the founders of the SCCA after the war.
I'm currently re-reading Griff Borgeson's "The Golden Age of the American Racing Car" for the umpteenth time. Along with his Harry Miller biography "Miller" and "The Miller Dynasty" by Mark Dees, all you need to know about the glory days of pre-war American speedway racing. For the rest of the front engine saga before Jack Brabham and Colin Chapman started the rear-engine revolution, I turn to "Offenhauser" by Gordon Eliot White and Ken Whalton and Gordon Eliot White's "Kurtis-Kraft: Masterworks of Speed and Style".
Speaking of Chapman, a wonderful period piece written by two guys who were there as Chapman sprang the Lotus 25 on an unsuspecting world while he calmly sold them 24s, is "Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design" by Mike Costin (yes that Mike Costin) and David Phipps. I have had the 1st edition since I was a boy and re-read it every 10 years or so. It is absolute up-to-the-moment state-of-the-art for 1962. Like stepping into a time machine. Despite its thoroughly technical orientation, with plenty of glorious engineering drawings and even the occasional math formula, it is totally entertaining and highly readable. In the 1st edition there's a chapter on semi-monocoque (Jaguar D-Type) and true monocoque structures, and unable to discuss the forthcoming Lotus 25 which Costin was working on at the time, they use the AH Sprite as their example of a true monocoque.
As far as pre-war German grand prix iron my faves include "Motor Racing with Mercedes-Benz" by George Monkhouse. Monkhouse was a fine racing photographer and a Kodak technical representative in Europe. He traveled with the Mercedes Benz team throughout 1937 and first published his account in Britain in 1938. I have the American 1st edition from 1945, a Floyd Clymer paperback which I treasure. Monkhouse's observations are insightful and his photography groundbreaking. The book is the very foundation of the Silver Arrows legend.
The other fave is "Quick Silver", Karl Ludvigsen's 1996 facsimile reprint of the 1948 British Intelligence report "Investigation Into The Development of German Grand Prix Racing Cars Between 1934 and 1939 (Including a Description of the Mercedes World Land Speed Contender)" by Cameron C. Earl. Chock full of highly detailed blueprints, charts, and photographs of all the major Auto Union and Mercedes Benz grand prix cars of the 1930s, the report is based on the archives of both teams and extensive interviews with team management. When it was first made public in 1948 it became the bible for aspiring British race car engineers and managers. A truly magical document.
And finally, my Number One racing history of any genre is a remarkable tome, "High Performance - The Culture and Technology of Drag Racing, 1950-2000" by Robert C. Post. Post is a history professor at the University of Maryland and an ex-drag racer. He managed to gain the trust and interest of Don Garlits, a highly intelligent man who doesn't suffer fools lightly, and with Garlits' encyclopedic knowledge and guidance, Post has created an epic, thorough and true to life account of the development of this quintessentially American form of racing. Whether you are interested in straight line racing or not, if you appreciate motor sport historical writing and research at its finest this is a must read.
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Post by clowncar on Jun 15, 2019 12:22:52 GMT -8
Geez, Mr. Kron, thank you for the “Russian novel” reply!
But concision can be as equally eloquent. I’ve just ordered summer reading based on all of your recommendations. Something from everybody, Thank you, gents.
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Post by vintagerpm on Jun 22, 2019 9:53:32 GMT -8
Guess I'm a week late to the show, but here a few of my favorites:
"Hitler's Motor Racing Battles" by Eberhard Reuss. Story of Auto Union & Mercedes racing in the '30s.
"Racing In The Rain" by John Horseman. Must read for fans of Gulf Racing by John Wyer's right-hand man.
"Can-Am Challenger" by Peter Bryant. The man behind the Ti-22 and Shadow MkII & MkIII.
"Hobbo" by David Hobbs. Written just the way you'd expect David to speak.
Mike
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Post by Joel_W on Jun 25, 2019 12:01:47 GMT -8
I've only got a few books on racing, as I stopped collecting books when I started racing., Shelby's Wildlife-The Cobras & Mustangs by Wallace Wyss, The Bruce McLaren Story, & the Biography of Jim Clark, were my favorites by far.
CC, I was lucky enough to have met both Mark Donahue and Roger Penske for the 1st time at the 1967 USRRC race at Bridgehampton. Donahue was truly amazing, as he was equally at home as a mechanical engineer, which he had a degree in from Brown University if I remember correctly. There really wasn't anyone faster in a sports car then he was. As Penske Racing grew, Mark was always his driver. Sports prototypes, Trans Am Camaro's, The Indy 500, and F1, where he lost his life from an accident that he actually walked away from, but died in his sleep from a blood clot in his brain. I was never sure who actually coined the phrase: The Unfair Advantage, either Donahue or Penske. But that's how they ran the team. When some thing broke, they didn't just replace the part, they found out why, then made it better.
Joel
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Post by clowncar on Jun 25, 2019 17:41:39 GMT -8
It”s never too late, gents. I have lots of time to spend in the porch this summer, reading actual paper books in front of an actual Boreal lake. Thank you for the new recs, and do keep ‘em coming.
“Inside Shelby American” got knocked-off this past weekend. Good read. And there’s a color photo of what I think is the prototype GT40 in it that makes me want to build its model. Badly.
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jun 26, 2019 6:17:37 GMT -8
I have a very favorite book among so many that I thoroughly enjoyed, Fast Lane Summer by Leon Mandel Its about the Single Seat Can Am racing of Danny Sullivan with Garvin Brown Racing, for some reason I just had a great time reading this 96 page book , it made Danny Sullivan one of my heros... Big Daddy, the Don Garlits story was great as was the AJ Foyt Story both books provided some rare insights into two Giants in Motorsports.. I have read so many of the books above that others have listed but these stand out.. Chris
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jun 26, 2019 8:57:46 GMT -8
I have another Big Fav, " California Dreaming" " the history of early Cal Club and SCCA Corvette racing, covering all the greats, Dr. Dick Thompson, my friend Dick Guldstrand (RIP) and so many early racers and races, in California It will prompt you to Build a SCCA style race car and get those juices flowing...Chris
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Post by gramps46 on Jun 27, 2019 6:29:22 GMT -8
Like the others here I have been a book collector over the years. Here are a few of my top picks:
Zora the Legend Behind Corvettes - Jerry Barton
Remembering the Shelby Years - Dave Freidman
The Cobra Ferrari Wars - Michael Shoen
The Certain Sound - John Wyer
Americans at Le Mans - Albert Bochroch
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Post by clowncar on Jun 27, 2019 15:24:44 GMT -8
I’m loving the replies. Ordered “Cobra-Ferrari Wars” a few weeks ago, based on a strong recommendation from a petrolhead friend on another forum; it’s in the mail. Have heard of Mr. Guldstrand. John Wyer wrote a book? I probably need it. “Americans at Le Mans” has been on my radar for a while, but I’ve never pressed the button. Perhaps I shall.
@mr. Hale: Am so into building something SCCA-centric. But something small and European with overhead cams. Wish they made more Etceterinis in 1/24th. I’d kill for a little 1950s OSCA for my office table. (Op. cit.: “The Red Car.”)
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Post by Chris K. Hale on Jun 27, 2019 16:05:45 GMT -8
Dick and I met many years back, years later I put on a series of once a month model shows at Autobooks in Burbank Ca,an Dick would come, I remember on Sunday afternoon sitting at a table with Dick Guldstrand,noted Corvette builder & Racer, Joe Iskandarian( Isky Cams ) Pete Lyons , My buddy, the author and Jay Leno just having a subtle Sunday afternoon conversation while the general public went GaGa.. We were talking about the car Leno drove, 1927 Bugatti Roadster, ex Audry Hepburn.. and a few comments about the actions/reactions of the people there .. Despite their notoriety they are/were all big gearheads and a bunch of cool guys. I was the youngest of course... Chris
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Post by clowncar on Jun 27, 2019 16:48:58 GMT -8
This story makes me smile, beamingly.
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Post by flashman on Jun 28, 2019 9:36:59 GMT -8
Like many, I'm a huge racing book fan since I became interested in racing and modeling in the early 1970's, and have a still growing collection. Here are my top three:
Formula 1 Racing: The modern era by Jose Rosinski Available here: www.amazon.com/Formula-1-racing-modern-era/dp/044811562X If I could only keep one racing book from my collection, this would be it. For a time, Rosinski wrote the Grand Prix season reviews for the famous Automobile Year annual books, and his talent shines in this book. It covers Formula 1 championships seasons from the late 1950's thru early 1970's. Note in the copy I have, the 1972-73-74 seasons appear to be short add-ons compared to the rest of the seasons in the book, so earlier editions of the book may not have these years. Great photos throughout, and some of the race descriptions still bring shivers up my spine, with special highlights being the 1967 Italian GP, and 1965 German GP. When I just want to peruse a book for a few minutes, this is the one I most frequently pull out.
Not sure if you are interested in fiction, but two of my other all-time favorite racing books (I re-read them at least once a year) are:
Grand Prix Monaco and Grand Prix Germany, both by Jeffrey Ashford Available here: www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&kn=jeffrey%20ashford%20grand%20prix&sts=t More than any other racing book I've read, these two books gave a mental picture of what it takes to be a top road racing driver. They follow fictional driver, Dick Knox, at his first GP at Monaco, and then at the Nürburgring in Germany. Author visited the 1967 Monaco and 1968 German GPs and the books are inspired by those races (i.e. very wet race at Nürburgring). There is a third book in this series (Grand Prix United States) which follows same character, but the above two are standouts.
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