John Surtees
John Surtees(Author)
Robert Edwards(Co-Author)
Little, Brown Book Group (Publisher)
Published on 1. January 1960
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-0-316-72987-1 (ISBN)
Description
John Surtees is the only man to have won World Championships on both two wheels and four. When he clinched the 1964 World Drivers' Championship at the wheel of a Formula 1 Ferrari, he already had seven motorcycle titles under his belt, riding for the legendary Italian MV Agusta stable. Enigmatic, publicity-shy and in some quarters controversial, John Surtees has seldom revealed the details of his life - nor of a career that spanned and even triggered some of the most important developments in Grand Prix racing. Now, we are given a full account of the heyday of motorcycling racing and of the emergence of the Grand Prix world we know today. That world was, and is, Surtees' world - his orbit has encompassed the disciplines of mechanic, rider, driver, engineer and constructor. He is part of the Ferrari legend; he knew all the notables from Colin Chapman to Enzo Ferrari and now, still active in the world of racing, he is the team principal of Britain's A1 GP team. Revered in Italy and acclaimed in America he is, in Britain, a pivotal figure in the world of twentieth century sport.
Born in the saddle - he was the son of a Surrey motorcycle rider and dealer - John Surtees was working as a mechanic by the age of 11, won his first race as a teenager and, by the age of 30, was a world champion in two disciplines. Thirty-eight Grand Prix victories followed; so, in 1966, did a near-fatal accident, a sensational decay in his relationship with Ferrari and, in 1970, the forming of his own racing team, which he ran until 1978. No-one else in the racing world has a personal story that so directly echoes - literally - the mechanics of motorsport; from building motorcycles in the 1940s to the brutal economics of running a racing team in the 1970s to, today, his partnership with old friends in A1 Grand Prix.
Born in the saddle - he was the son of a Surrey motorcycle rider and dealer - John Surtees was working as a mechanic by the age of 11, won his first race as a teenager and, by the age of 30, was a world champion in two disciplines. Thirty-eight Grand Prix victories followed; so, in 1966, did a near-fatal accident, a sensational decay in his relationship with Ferrari and, in 1970, the forming of his own racing team, which he ran until 1978. No-one else in the racing world has a personal story that so directly echoes - literally - the mechanics of motorsport; from building motorcycles in the 1940s to the brutal economics of running a racing team in the 1970s to, today, his partnership with old friends in A1 Grand Prix.
Reviews / Votes
For Robert Edwards' backlist: Well written and a damn good read' - DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Edwards' book is the most enjoyable on motor racing I have read in a long time' - Nigel Roebuck, AUTOSPORT 'Superb' - Tiff Needell, TOP GEAR 'Edwards is a sparky, opinionated writer who can produce memorably rich, evocative prose blended with slices of wit' - AmazonMore details
Edition
Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Edition type
Revised edition
Illustrations
16pp of b/w
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-316-72987-1 (9780316729871)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
John Surtees MBE is the only man as yet who has won World Championships on both two wheels and four. Robert Edwards first met John Surtees in 1970. He has written authorised biographies of Stirling Moss and Henry Cooper and a biography of Archie Scott Brown (optioned for film Oct 05).