Title/Author:
“Senna
Versus Prost” by Malcolm Foley
Tags:
Auto
racing, Formula 1, biography, rivals
Published:
May 7,
2009
Length:
420 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (Outstanding)
Review:
Auto
racing in all forms has had many fierce rivalries between drivers over the
years, and one of the most bitter rivalries came in the late 1980’s and early
1990’s between Aryton Senna of Brazil and Alain Prost of France in Formula 1
racing. This rivalry is documented in a
book by Malcolm Foley in which he captures the rivalry through research and
personal stories and recollections by many of the personnel involved with the
two drivers as well at Prost himself, the surviving driver of the two rivals as
Senna was killed while on the course in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
The
writing in this book is very good as the reader will learn much about the
workings within the various driving teams in Formula 1. The casual fan may know
that a driver is part of the McLaren or Lotus team, for example, but the
negotiations, contracts, and interaction between the parties is illustrated in
the segments about the two drivers either changing teams or stating that they
wish to do so. There are also other great passages about what took place during
races between the two rivals, what teammates remembered about the drivers and
even some personal moments shared.
Some other
reviewers of this book have been vocal in their opinions that this book was
heavily biased toward Prost, mainly because the author was allegedly grateful
to just be able to speak with the French driver. This review is not going to
state any opinions on this matter as being a casual fan of the sport at best, I
do not have the extensive knowledge of the history of the sport or the two
drivers, so this review is simply one of the book itself. Because I was enjoying these stories and did
know of the fierce rivalry, I wanted to simply read the book for pleasure and
see if I could learn anything new about the drivers – without looking to see
how balanced the stories would be.
The
closest I would come to making any statement toward this would be that I
believe the book would have been better if any of Senna’s surviving family
members would have been willing to share their stories. Most of the stories
that were shared to the author were not complimentary to Senna. Getting more
stories that portrayed Senna in a positive light might have helped avoid some
of this criticism, but the book overall is still one that I enjoyed reading and
would recommend for anyone who wants to learn a little more about the sport or
the drivers. Personally,
I felt it was an outstanding book
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Excellent. The story of both drivers moves along well,
doesn’t drag when personal stories or recollections are written, and the reader
will feel he or she is living the rivalry.
Do I recommend?
Yes, especially
for new or casual F1 fans. I say this
because while the book does give good insight into both drivers and the history
of the sport at that time, long-time or hard-core fans of the sport may feel
the book is tilted too much to show sympathy for Prost. While part of this would simply be because
Senna is no longer with us in order to share his recollections, reviews and
editorials at various book sites and blogs do have some negative reviews
stating the author’s bias toward Prost.
Book Format Read:
E-Book
(Kindle)
Buying Links:
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