book reviews:

[chrisb]

Sort of based on Jamie's recent comments and as I have gotten to know all you so much better so has my respect for you and your views has developed and was wondering, I like motor racing books, I have a few, and am pretty sure most of you have as well and hoped to encourage some thoughts of some of the motor racing books you've read and maybe encourage others to pick up and have a look, based on my fellow racers comments I will be looking at a Tazio book next, 

David Tremayne's book on Jochen was mentioned and intrigued I bought it and have read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it but was very surprised by a few things in it. Jochen identified Jimmy as his best friend - until Piers came along that is, and just how many mentions Jimmy got, it really felt the book was at times more about Jimmy than Jochen, not that I am objecting you understand, but I didn't realise that Jochen felt that close to Jimmy. I also didn't realise how much Jochen disliked certain people, [Ickx]  no hold back there! And what an enigma Graham was, 

what the book really conveyed was how sad the tragedies were, I never felt a real bond to Piers but my word after the words in the book I felt moved by the whole tragedy and how Bruce's death affected everything - let alone Jimmy's. 

[charleselan]

Great idea fora thread Chris and I look forward to some interesting comments and reviews.

I am still tempted by the Jochen Rindt book but will leave it for a while as I have spent too much already on this current trip to Blighty, and may spend more tomorrow as I have just seen a very good motor that appeals to me .

Interesting to read that the Tremayne book has so much on Jimmy, but he was sop central to so much in that period so should not be so. I have read that Jochen was almost contemptuous of Jacky Ickx, and for reasons that I have never seen explained. He obviously had his own reasons but whatever they were they seem strange to me.

Conversely he was a great friend of Piers Courage and deeply effected by his accident and death. I liked Piers a lot and followed his career from his F3 days, where in fields of extreme richness of talent he excelled. I do not think that the grids in F3 during the 1960's have ever been surpassed in the talent on display, just look at that grid at Monte Carlo attached by Carl a few days ago. 

[Carl]

This is not a review but an announcement of good news about David Hobbs' autobiography. It has several excellent reviews on amazon.co.uk and the original list price has been dramatically reduced, so I ordered a copy at just over $53 including shipping.

Stay tuned...  

I can't wait to see if he mentions our brief conversation at Road America about the mispronunciation of "Villeneuve" by announcer Paul Page