Archive for Items Categorized 'Biography/ Autobiography', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

How Did I Get Here? 

Memories of Six Decades in Motorsport, and Musings on the Future of Formula 1 and the Planet

by Peter Wright

To say that Peter Wright is the guru of ground effect is like saying that Sir Ian McKellen is just the Gandalf guy. And that’s only one of the arrows in his quiver.

Charlie Schwab, President of Carnegie Steel, U.S. Steel and Bethlehem Steel  

by William R. Huber

Somebody who should know (Thomas Edison) called him the “master hustler.” He became one of the very rich men of his time—and died in debt. Still, 2000 people lined the streets. So what sort of fellow was this?

Nieuport 1875–1911: A Biography of Edouard Nieuport

by Gérard Pommier & Bertrand Pommier

Edouard and his brother’s names are writ large in the history of early aviation but try finding a proper full-length biography about them. This isn’t one either but it does contain useful items.

The Four Geniuses of the Battle of Britain: Watson Watt, Henry Royce, Sydney Camm & RJ Mitchell

by David Coles & Peter Sherrard

Radar, airframes, and aero engines played a key role in this predominantly aerial engagement. This book presents bios and work histories of four of the men in the design offices in the years before the war.

I Worked on Spitfires

The Memoirs of a Member of RAF Groundcrew and his Part in the Victory in Europe

by Ronald L. Chapman

Even after all these decades since WWII ended there are still new voices to shed light on increasingly forgotten things, in this case the foreign pilots who fled countries that had fallen to the Germans offering their services to the RAF.

A.J. Foyt: Survivor, Champion, Legend (Vol. 1)

by Art Garner

He got his start in a car that had a lawnmower engine—and went on to become the only driver to win the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Daytona 500, and the 24 Hours of Daytona. This is a big book and it can fit only half that story, which is why there will be a second volume.

Both Sides of the Barrier: Images and Memories from a Motor Racing Odyssey; the A-Side (1957–79) 

by Stuart Dent

Follow an amateur motorsports enthusiast in Britain around as he snaps photos and records his impressions. Got your own photos, race programs, ticket stubs? Maybe there’s a book in it.

Ian Fleming, The Complete Man

by Nicholas Shakespeare

After 60 years, could there really still be anything new to say about the man behind James Bond? Lots! And for really compelling reasons. Not least, this biography paints a picture of both characters as archetypally British, and as as more guarded than anything they say or do.

Wild About Racing: My Lotus Years with Clark and Chapman

by Derek Wild

Having cobbled together his own derelict Lotus 7 while still an apprentice, Wild took his first mechanic job with Lotus to get cheap spare parts. Right place, right time—Lotus was on a roll, and he forged a life-long career in motorsports. 

Derek Warwick: Never Look Back

The Racing Life of Britain’s Double Champion 

by Derek Warwick with David Tremayne

Those two world championships were 20 years apart, which right there tells you something about keeping your eyes on the ball—also essential for navigating business (check) and health (check) challenges.

Rising Ground and No Room to Turn, A Biography 

by Vivien Eyers

When you design, build, and fly your own aircraft—especially if they were never certified—you’ll have some stories to tell. While the protagonist really had no inclination to do that he left enough material behind for his sister to give it a whirl.

The Last Enemy

by Richard Hillary

After being shot down in the Battle of Britain this Spitfire pilot endured pioneering plastic surgery to rebuild his face and hands. While recovering, he wrote this memoir, then returned to flying again. Two months later was shot down again, at 23. This time he died.

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