| The Cruel Sport: Grand Prix Racing 1959-1967 | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 173233
Category: Book
Author: Robert Daley
Publisher: Motorbooks
Studio: Motorbooks
Manufacturer: Motorbooks
Label: Motorbooks
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.7
Dimensions (in): 12.1 x 9.1 x 1
ISBN: 0760321000
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.72
EAN: 9780760321003
ASIN: 0760321000
Publication Date: April 23, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-10 of 10 | | « PREV | | |
Amazing Book January 2, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an incredible book for any F1 fan. It is straightforward in its delivery and still conveys the emotions of the author and drivers. The pictures are great and will transport you through time just as the writing does. Amazing!
An Excellent Gift for Any Formula One Fan February 3, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this golden age of Formula One racing. It would also make an excellent gift for the F1 enthusiast. The photos are spectacular and Daley's writing is evocative; reading the book really brings you back to the late-50s/early-60s of Formula One. I wasn't even alive at the time, yet reading the book made me feel as if I was reliving these years.
When even the spectators were brave October 1, 2005
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
A fascinating snapshot of a bygone age, most of "Cruel Sport" is Robert Daley's poetic accounts of 1950s and 60s Grand Prix racing, actually captions to his incredible photos.
Interspersed between photo sections are biographies. Most striking are bios of the great Stirling Moss, the crash prone but likeable Wolfgang von Trips, and the sullen Phil Hill.
Most shocking is that of Formula One kingpin Enzo Ferarri, sending reckless driver after driver to their deaths in a ruthless quest to prove his namesake car to be the fastest in the world- all the while grieving the death of his son Dino at the hands of a crippling disease.
What makes the writing great is the way Daley gives the reader an inside glimpse of the personal lives, thoughts and fears of the drivers. From the chateau of the upper crust wine connoisseur Olivier Gendeblien, to a before and after snapshot of Dan Gurney showing the strains of stress on his face after three years on the circuit, this is a rare look into not only the glories of the racing lifestyle, but the bitter price often paid for that glory.
The copy I read was an original from 1963, and perhaps the idea of picking up a "picture book" about race car drivers may seem juvenile. But this is clearly much more than another picture book, and a true treasure for not only racing fans, but any reader with a casual interest in motorsport.
Unlike today where safety has almost sanitized racing to the point where the human, dangerous element has all been eliminated, the Grand Prix racing covered here is from a truly terrifying era. This is a fine tribute to the heroes of what must seem to race fans of today to be a barbaric age.
A (Slightly) Revised Re-issue of an Auto Racing Classic April 22, 2005
43 out of 43 found this review helpful
This review will have two parts: (1) for those who are familiar with the original book, and (2) for those who are not.
(1) Despite the claim of the title (1959 - 1967), there is little in this book that was not in the original version 40 years ago. This still very much a book about the years 1959-1962. Here is what is new: bios of Jimmy Clark and Jackie Stewart; new Forward and Afterword written by Daley, explaining how he got into motor racing journalism, and why he got out; color photos of Bandini on inside of front and back covers; a few new photos (about half a dozen), replacing a few that were dropped; and a glossy page format which gives much better definition to the black-and-white photos. And that's it. There's nothing here of Rindt or Amon or Courage or Pedro Rodriguez or Siffert or Hulme. If you already have the original book, it's (possibly) a matter of your personal budget whether you'll spring for the new version; I did, and I don't regret it. I enjoyed the new Forward and Afterword because they told me something about Daley himself. I was very surprised to learn that at the time of the original publication of "The Cruel Sport," he was in his early 30s; I had always assumed he was a much older man. And his story of his struggle to establish himself as a writer was fascinating.
(2) If you are a tekkie, this book is not for you. But if you are a romantic - even perhaps a bit of a mystic - about motor racing in the glory days of the early 60s, this book will become a fast favorite. It is basically a photo book supported by text, text which is sparse and almost poetic at times - expressionistic and anecdotal. Daley covers Grand Prix racing thematically: there are sections on the drivers, the factories, practice, accidents, and so forth. There are brief bios of most of the drivers of that era, the longest of which - about 5 pages - is about Stirling Moss. Other drivers who feature prominently are Phil Hill, Count Wolfgang von Trips, and Graham Hill. The photos are wonderful, and are all in black-and-white (except for the inside cover pics, both of Bandini - one of him talking to reporters, the other of his fatal crash at Monaco). Daley is above all preoccupied with the danger of the sport and the qualities of the men who pursue it. The early 60s was an era of great names, great faces, and - all too often - tragedy. This book captures the spirit of the times, and stands alongside the annual F1 reviews of Louis Stanley as the most fascinating glimpses into the pre-commercialized world of Grand Prix racing, an era rapidly receding into the mists of time.
Must read for GP fans April 17, 2005
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
A dramatic, superbly written historical review of Grand Prix auto racing when it was very different than it is today. For anyone who lived through this period of automotive history, or who wants to learn about the history of the GP circuit before it became a circus, this is the book. The photos are great as well. I am delighted to see it back in print as I won't have to loan my cherished original copy out anymore, but can buy copies to send as presents. If you like GP racing, this is the best investment you can make for your bookshelf.
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