Book Review Thread

[Howard Wood]

Its hard not to look at those photos with a mixture of awe and sadness. What madness possesses people that they have so many toys/ projects that even they know they will never get them all finished?

And does that stop any of us from doing the same? Hell no!

The saddest day of my life was cleaning out the Old Man's workshop after he died. A mad inventor, the place was full of projects, half formed ideas and prototypes the history of each one I knew intimately, but they all had to go.

To get the thread back on topic, one of my most treasured books is a battered copy of "The Design and Behaviour of the Racing Car" by Stirling Moss and Laurence Pomeroy from about 1963 which Sir God was kind enough to sign for me. Precious to me but not a thing of beauty! How many such things get tossed as they appear of no value?

[HDonaldCapps]

Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indy 500, by Charles Leerhsen, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011.

The centennial of the first running of the International 500 Mile Sweepstakes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Decoration Day, 1911, prompted both attention on that event as well as the inclination to cash in on this occasion with a book that with the right marketing could not only celebrate the first running of the race but also provide readers with something of a mystery story. There was also the hope that Blood and Smoke would be the "definitive" book on the race.

If you wish to read the "definitive" book on this race, dear reader, you should realize that your must continue to wait since this is not that book.

Personally promoted by Leerhsen with the interesting approach of directly marketing the book on several of the "nostalgia" racing fora, Blood and Smoke is really not a "bad" book as much as it is really the sort of book that a sports journalist would write to cash in on a "hot" topic. While Leerhsen is a "good" writer, that does not necessarily mean that his writing is "good" history. While two of the best books on sports that I have read concern racing -- horse racing, that is, Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit and Bill Nack's Secretariat, this is not even close to being in their league.

I challenged Leerhsen on a number of the assertions he made when visiting several of the fora earlier this year. This was obviously not what he was expecting. In several cases I manged to draw his ire and cause his temper to boil a bit. In fact, he basically, left in a huff and refused to engage further any more discussion. I would suggest that a historian would have been both willing and able to better support his assertions and have tempered his hype a bit bit more.

That Leerhsen clearly implies that the true winner of the event was Ralph Mulford in a Lozier -- although he takes great pains to avoid saying so outright (the "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" theory of journalism), is not the basic problem with the book. Indeed, one does find much to consider that outcome when the matter is studied, but rather that the less one knows and the less one is interested in the historian's craft, the better the book is. Indeed, for the general public this is probably not a bad read. Often overly melodramatic and not much different than what is too often found in magazines -- sports and otherwise -- as writing these days, it probably suits the crowd it was aimed out -- not automotive historians....

If you find this on the remainder shelf or otherwise deeply discounted, it might be a good buy. I did buy a copy when it came out -- providing Mr. Leerhsen with at least some pocket change and read it several times, noting various points that would be interesting to have seen the references for the source material; no footnotes but "A note on sources" can be found at the end of the book. It begins with, "No truth was injured intentionally in the creation of this work of nonfiction. No quotes are made up, no scenes manufactured." While this might be true, neither does the book do the truth justice.

For the most part, from my perspective, my qualms with the book are as much a matter of interpretation of the material as it is any other issue. As a historian, I take some exception to some of his conclusions as well as how they are presented. However, given that very few with interest in the past of automobile racing are all that terribly concerned with the issue related to a viewing the past as "history," often being more concerned with issues of nostalgia or relatively trivial issues or objects (i.e., the machinery), it is reasonable to assume that the opinion of the majority reading the book would side with Mr. Leerhsen and his view of the event.

Such is Life.

HDC

[bry3500]

Steve..that's a great looking book...amazing photos!!
The first motor racing book I can remember was one in Dads bookshelf..The Green Helmet,,I remember skipping over the "love stuff" and re reading the racing bit's over and over when I was about 9 years old..Left a lasting impression

[Trevor Sheffield]

Earlier I did not consider posting within this thread, as I was concerned that I might be regarded as engaging in a form of self promotion. However I now note that Steve has included details of a book he has coming out, so now am no longer shy.

The book Ralph Watson Special Engineer, has proven quite popular and I have been told that it is a good read. There have been four print runs, but there will be no more and only a dozen or so might still be available. Techbooks in Newmarket may have a few left. Price close to $40.00

The venture was in no way commercially motivated and was specifically undertaken and financed on an amateur basis, in order to lastingly record the efforts of an admired friend. As no profit motive exists, quite some time ago I had the book made available on the internet and it comes across very well in this form. As I am not sure how to record a hot address here, you may possibly have to copy and paste. Whatever, if interested go here for free. ----

P.S. The Contents page enables you to click and jump to individual sections. You will find plenty of photos and illustrations.

http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/

http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/

Trevor.

[bob homewood]

Trevor ,that book is a excellent read and a worthy one to any collection ,if any one has a chance of still getting a written copy ,I would suggest they do so while there is chance

[Malcolm McLeod]

The book I am waiting for, which to be honest I DON'T ever expect to see, is a combined biography/autobiography on Nigel Roebuck, Alan Henry, and Maurice Hamilton, with chapters written about each other by each other! The three of them, along with Eoin Young, must know more about Formula One's skeletons-in-closets then even Bernie - and they could write about them so well, too!!!!

[thunder427]

Steve..that's a great looking book...amazing photos!!
The first motor racing book I can remember was one in Dads bookshelf..The Green Helmet,,I remember skipping over the "love stuff" and re reading the racing bit's over and over when I was about 9 years old..Left a lasting impression

...geat English comedian, Sid James was the Mechanic in the film version......................MJ

[ERC]

I am a far better reader than mechanic (or driver...).

My earliest stirrings about motorsport were generated via Dad's bookshelf with books such as Birkin's "Full Throttle", and "Bits and Pieces" on Bira. I have a substantial book, magazine and memorabilia collection and frightened myself silly when I opted to value one shelf full of the better book offerings, that include all 3 magnificent books on BRM by Doug Nye and 2 copies of David Weguelin's ERA (both bought by me, with one for Dad).

Some are less valuable but a great read - in no particular order:

"Down the Hatch - Tony Lanfranchi" (hilarious at times...)

"Alf Francis, Racing Mechanic" - Stirling Moss' mechanic

"To Finish First, Phil Kerr" - brilliantly written

"The Other Side Of The Hill - by Bette Hill" - Graham Hill was my car hero alongside Moss...

"Back From the Brink - Sir Michael Edwardes" - what really happened to British Leyland

Just about any of Jeremy Clarkson's books. Laugh out loud - and often.

I have just finished Tom Bower's book on Bernie Ecclestone, which is a real eye opener and also "Just Call Me Charlie", by Lord Charles Brocket, the Ferrari collector who ended up in the nick. As a former UK Prison Officer from 1967-1973, I was somewhat disturbed by several aspects of this well written book.

I am currently re-reading a magical story featuring a flying Ford Anglia...

[Grant Ellwood]

I am a far better reader than mechanic (or driver...).

My earliest stirrings about motorsport were generated via Dad's bookshelf with books such as Birkin's "Full Throttle", and "Bits and Pieces" on Bira. I have a substantial book, magazine and memorabilia collection and frightened myself silly when I opted to value one shelf full of the better book offerings, that include all 3 magnificent books on BRM by Doug Nye and 2 copies of David Weguelin's ERA (both bought by me, with one for Dad).

Some are less valuable but a great read - in no particular order:

"Down the Hatch - Tony Lanfranchi" (hilarious at times...)

"Alf Francis, Racing Mechanic" - Stirling Moss' mechanic

"To Finish First, Phil Kerr" - brilliantly written

"The Other Side Of The Hill - by Bette Hill" - Graham Hill was my car hero alongside Moss...

"Back From the Brink - Sir Michael Edwardes" - what really happened to British Leyland

Just about any of Jeremy Clarkson's books. Laugh out loud - and often.

I have just finished Tom Bower's book on Bernie Ecclestone, which is a real eye opener and also "Just Call Me Charlie", by Lord Charles Brocket, the Ferrari collector who ended up in the nick. As a former UK Prison Officer from 1967-1973, I was somewhat disturbed by several aspects of this well written book.

I am currently re-reading a magical story featuring a flying Ford Anglia...

Regarding the flying Anglia, most of the adult population up here isn't familiar with the 105E shape. However there is a whole generation of young 'uns who recognise the Anglia thanks to Ms Rowling's books. A friend of mine who has a road going Anglebox is constantly regaled by Harry Potter fans - 'that's the Weasley car!".

And regarding racing books, I've just read Eoin Young's excellent book Memories of the Bear. Shame I can't make it to the festival but planning for next year....