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Post by chrisb on May 25, 2019 6:20:39 GMT
I baulked at paying something like £120 for a book on Jimmy, and whilst I admire and like Gordon there is no thought whatsoever in my head to dip into my deep pockets for this book, I wanted to buy Mon Ami Mate - a book that is rated highly and a very good author but its prices are far too high for me.
JC, yea I have often wondered if Motor racing is there purely and simply for the elite and we poor fans should be thankful for the small mercies that they bestow upon us,
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Post by robmarsh on May 27, 2019 7:04:44 GMT
I agree with you Chris and Charles. I also don't know where Motor Sport thinks it's readers live and follow racing from, the Paddock Club? The Paddock Club is not a place I would care to spend time in, I think the pretentious of the place and people would piss me off in matter of minutes.
Back in 1985, at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, my wife and I were invited to a tent hired by an accounting firm I had ties to. I arrived expecting a canvass type structure with wooden benches and chairs filled with like minded individuals and a beer tub. Instead there was this beautiful silk canopy with fancy armchairs, white jacketed waiters and women in beautiful dresses, with nary a pair of denims or god forbid overalls in site. Champagne was served in Monaco type glasses and canapés abounded. I hated it. We stayed just long enough to say hello and thank them for inviting us and then made an excuse that we just wanted to walk around and left never to return. We wandered off to the various shops scattered around and had fish and chips instead.
The Michelin Tent at Kyalami, two years previous where I met both Patrase and Piquet after the race was so much more fun.
Chris, I have Mon Ami Mate. I received it for a birthday present from my wife many years ago but it took a lot of deliberating before we brought it. It is a lovely book which they re released in the last year or so.
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Post by charleselan on May 27, 2019 12:17:18 GMT
Yes! Chris Nixon's "Mon Ami Mate" is a lovely book. I bought it soon after initial release from Chaters at Silverstone and signed by Chris Nixon. Got home after the race meeting, and sat at the dinning room table reading chapter after chapter, and followed up the next day to complete the book. Brilliant and very sad but it captures those far off days in the 1950's when motor sport was quite possibly at its very best in so many ways, but not in others.
If you can track down a copy at a reasonable price Chris, buy it.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 12, 2019 4:44:29 GMT
I have managed to get hold of a copy of mon ami mate and it really does live up to its reputation, I had almost forgotten just how highly rated as a driver Mike was and how competitive it all was, and how dreadfully tragic the 1958 season was
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Post by robmarsh on Jun 12, 2019 7:11:41 GMT
I have managed to get hold of a copy of mon ami mate and it really does live up to its reputation, I had almost forgotten just how highly rated as a driver Mike was and how competitive it all was, and how dreadfully tragic the 1958 season was Excellent Chris, enjoy reading it.
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Post by René on Jun 12, 2019 7:33:33 GMT
I have managed to get hold of a copy of mon ami mate and it really does live up to its reputation, I had almost forgotten just how highly rated as a driver Mike was and how competitive it all was, and how dreadfully tragic the 1958 season was For a split second I actually thought you got hold of the $30.000 Ferrari book! Mon ami mate is certainly a book on my ‘must read’ list.
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Post by charleselan on Jun 12, 2019 16:15:46 GMT
Mid fifties to 1958 Britain had four outstanding grand prix drivers in Stirling; Mike; Pete Collins and Tony Brooks, as well as the up and coming Stuart Lewis-Evans. Tragically that amazing 1958 season saw two of them perish and Mike soon afterwards in that surreal road car accident. Mike Hawthorne is often overlooked as great driver these days, but he was phenomenally quick and competitive. Unfortunately his serious health issues made him appear inconsistent which is a totally unfair analysis of his standing.
"Mon Ami Mate" is a superb book that every motor sport enthusiast should have on their shelves, as i mentioned earlier i just could not put the book down when I had purchased it.
1958 was the first motor racing season that I can really remember and recall; I was but 7 years old at the time and the only information that came my way was via the radio and small race reports in the national newspaper (Daily Herald). I think that it was 1959 that I finally managed to persuade my mother to buy me a copy of the monthly magazine "Motor Racing" which featured the French GP. Of course every small boy of that age only ever wanted a Dinky Toy of the Vanwall.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 12, 2019 21:05:43 GMT
lovely stories and does make me think, how did we all 'get into motor racing' mine was curtesy of a Grandfather and an elder brother - something I am eternally grateful for, although I cannot admit my bank manager seems less than keen on my enthusiasm, well, there you go- just heard that a copy of Ian Walker's book s for sale at a reasonable price.... mon ami mate is a really good read and I enjoy Chris Dixon's style and will seek others according to Chris Mike was thought the quicker initially and I guess he was, but what a fantastic bunch of racers, amongst others such as Jackie's elder brother, Archie SB, but the controversy that surrounded Mike, his national service, although he wouldn't have done it because of his health, Le Mans and his lifestyle and prejudice towards all things German, but not Italian which was quite interesting, I'm up to 1955 and the tragedy of Ascari's accident - Mike seemed to have been really upset about this and feels that Ascari was the better of Fangio, something jenks always maintained - but the tragedy that was 1958 was just dreadful, I actually think the most underrated was Tony, who would have been in Stirling's dream team alongside a quiet champion, but not Fangio, which I was puzzled by, as Stirling always insisted that Fangio was number 1 of all time
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Post by charleselan on Jun 13, 2019 11:45:14 GMT
Ah! Chris some names to conjure with there. The wonderful Archie Scott-Brown who was one I heard of on the many radio commentaries that were broadcast on the BBC Light Program Saturday afternoon Sport. It seems strange today that there were in fact many national race meetings aired live back then, not the full race but usually the beginning and end with maybe a bit in the middle, all interspersed by the dreaded horse racing which predominated.
We must not also forget Roy Salvadori an excellent driver in all classes and Le Mans winner with Carroll Shelby in 1959 driving the beautiful Aston Martin DBRI 300. Also Ivor Bueb; Ron Flockhart and the ebullient Duncan Hamilton.
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Post by chrisb on Jun 15, 2019 6:19:19 GMT
hear hear JC, I did think Roy was very underrated and isn't mentioned as often as he deserves, whereas Ivor is mentioned, obviously, a great deal, and there are some interesting things said about him, this is a fascinating book and delves into the past a great deal and the 1955 disaster in some detail and mentions a very well researched book called 'Death race' which Chris reckons very highly, I've not seen this book and am unsure if I want to go back over something that happened 64 years ago, especially as it is Le Mans this weekend,
and leave us not to forget Tony Rolt, Reg Parnell amongst others,
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