Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Die Autobiografie des Rennfahrers Innes Ireland

I recently purchased a copy of the German translation of All Arms and Elbows. This was privately published by translator and enthusiast Thilo Figaj back in 2001. For non-German speaking fans of Innes, the book is well worth picking up for the excellent selection of photographs by veteran French journo Bernard Cahier, who also provides an interesting foreword. I'd class one particular shot of Innes, with Jim Clark at the 1961 Syracuse race, as being among the very best ever taken of the Lotus team leader.


Thilo Figaj produced just 500 copies of the book at a cost of 9000 Euros. The right to publish just one photo, the well-known colour shot of Innes pushing his car home uphill at Monaco in 1960 cost an over the top $500. German fans of F1, and there must be a lot of those at the end of an era dominated by Schumacher, could do worse than purchasing this book. They would have, in their own language, one of the true classics of Motor Sport history. I believe that Thilo Figaj ( by the way he was the very first person to sign the guestbook on my Innes Ireland website ) may still have copies available for sale.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Book of the Month

David Tremayne's new book is a must have for followers of Welsh Motor Sport, covering, as it does, the life of Tom Pryce, along with his contemporaries Tony Brise and Roger Williamson.


Published in the same (280x230mm) large format as the recent Piers Courage biography, this book - it has over 200 illustrations, half in colour - cements Haynes reputation as a leading publisher in the field of motor sport history. Available at less than £20 from Viking, the book is a bargain.