Ayrton Senna is arguably the most famous racing driver there has ever been. All over the world, he is revered as a saint and as the greatest driver the sport has ever seen. Indeed, the 2010 film of his life verged on the hagiographic, painting him as a beloved child of God put on Earth to fight injustice and help those less fortunate than him. In reality, he was but a mere mortal, and one who indulged in some very earthly behaviour. So why is he accorded this Godlike status? The romantic notion is that Senna - with his devout Catholic beliefs - was simply too unworldly for this life. But was his reputation disproportionately burnished because he died, aged only 34, in front of millions of TV viewers, thus sealing his reputation as the Messianic martyr of motor racing? This book takes a twofold look at both Ayrton da Silva, the softly-spoken and introspective man, and Senna the aggressive, ruthless and brilliant driver, distinct entities who often struggled to coexist peacefully together, and discusses why, of all the great drivers Formula One has nurtured, Senna attracts the most fervent following, as well as bringing to life the Brazilian's dramatic career.
Ayrton Senna
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About the Author
Journalist Richard Craig blogs under the pseudonym Reverend Frog and has been a Formula One obsessive since the days of countryman Eddie Irvine's success in the mid-1990s. He has worked for the Formula One Black Book and Autosport.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
First off I have to say this book is both hillariously funny inparts,but more importantly:it deconstructs the myth-perpetualized by the movie Senna which had to get the approval of the Senna family to get off the ground-of Senna as some sort of demigod.It brings a soberingly and-to me-an honest (as far as that goes) account of the man.It is a well written,and balanced account which I wholeheartedly recommends to fans and interested in F1 alike.
@settinrecords:I think you read more into annectdotes and exampels than is there.I will congratulate you as a Senna fan as to 1)admitting it openly,and 2)give credit where credit is due.Edit:I think it is to the books strength he didn't go into minutia into his death as there are better books covering that,and that is not the books intentions since it is-to me-an answer or correction to the perceived notion of Senna out there.
@settinrecords:I think you read more into annectdotes and exampels than is there.I will congratulate you as a Senna fan as to 1)admitting it openly,and 2)give credit where credit is due.Edit:I think it is to the books strength he didn't go into minutia into his death as there are better books covering that,and that is not the books intentions since it is-to me-an answer or correction to the perceived notion of Senna out there.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By torque83
Format:Paperback
As a massive F1 fan but being too young to have watched Senna's career, I've always wanted to learn more about him as both a racer and person. I've actually avoided watching the Senna documentary so far because I wanted to read up on him first. Unfortunately I think this book was the wrong choice. The first couple of chapters which discuss his death and then the legend that has followed (and trying to demystify it to some degree) were quite interesting and surprisingly critical. However the book goes down hill after that... It's poorly written and rather all over the place. I'm unfamiliar with any of the F1 seasons prior to 1996, so I didn't have any prior knowledge going into this - unfortunately the author assumes that you do, leaving a lot of cryptic references to other races, seasons etc that are not always explained later on - for example talking about an accident involving Derek Warwick, the author states that " sadly that wasn't to be the end of the Lotus drivers' tribulations for the 1990 season" without going into further detail. Throughout the chapters describing Senna's racing career there's too much padding with a lot of description that seems rather unrelated to Senna himself. For me, it reads too much like a typical season review, and a messy one at that as I found myself having to reread parts to understand what was going on. It's saving grace (almost) is the inclusion of quotes from former F1 drivers, journalists etc, however in the majority of cases it's not explained who they are. It's not a problem for me because I've watched F1 for such a long time, but I'd imagine there's a lot of non-fans or fans new to the sport that would want to read about the legend that is Ayrton Senna and this book unfortunately comes up short.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Laws
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was really pleased with this book as a gift for my boyfriend for Christmas. Definitely a good gift for guys who are into motor racing and historic drivers.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
This was an ok read
I was spoilt by reading The Life of Senna first.
Ayrton Senna the Messiah of Motorsport, was a good read but at times a little hard to keep wanting to pick it up.
Ayrton Senna the Messiah of Motorsport, was a good read but at times a little hard to keep wanting to pick it up.
Published 14 hours ago by mike jacobson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun read
I enjoyed this book, flaws and all, because the author gets the tone right throughout; he's clearly passionate about the subject and it comes through to the reader. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mark Boo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Putting the 'Ayrton' back in 'Senna'
Being a semi -fanatical F1 fan since the late 90s, I obviously have been familiar with the ever present 'Senna' name and legacy. Read more
Published 2 months ago by MrPA
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book about an outstanding person.
If you're an F1 fan, surely its a book not to miss.
It brings Senna back to life through its memoirs of events it relates.
It brings Senna back to life through its memoirs of events it relates.
Published 5 months ago by Anna
2.0 out of 5 stars
Review by a Senna fan:
I looked forward to this book, it being the first new Senna biography for a long while. But overall it was not a fulfilling reading experience, despite my enthusiasm for the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by settinrecords
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ayrton the man, Senna the driver!
I only received this yesterday, but it's worth the wait from Amazon. Already I've gobbled up most of the first half. The author writes with wit and style. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gino Mahna
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read, whitty and intelligent
I am probably one of the first few people who have read this book. I've eagerly waited for it since I started reading the authors' Rev Frog blog. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. W. R. Mcconnell
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