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Real Racers

Formula 1 in the 1950s and 1960s; Rare and Classic Images from the Klemantaski Collection
by Stuart Codling
Real Racers: Formula 1 in the 1950s and 1960s; Rare and Classic Images from the Klemantaski Collection. Motorbooks: Quayside. 2011. 208p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780760338919. $40. SPORTS
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In this stunning, oversize volume, Codling takes a trip through Formula 1 (F1) racing's early years, focusing on the people who drove under wildly dangerous conditions. Most F1 drivers died in spectacular crashes, and those who weren't killed suffered horrific injuries. Playboys, royalty, and mechanics' sons pitted their skills and their machines against one another over often hazardous courses. Jackie Stewart, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, and others offer insights into what racing was like in those formative years. There was little in the way of safety equipment, and on-site emergency help was crude. "I was put on a stretcher and left on the floor, which was covered in cigarette ends," recalled Stewart, "All the skin was coming off my body." Photos are from the archives of noted race photographer Louis Klemantaski.
VERDICT The top-notch photography and text that includes history with biographies and just a touch of scandalous gossip will appeal to any reader interested in F1 racing.
Reviewed by Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI , Jul 01, 2011
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