Working the Wheel (Hardcover)

First let me say that I have read a lot of books on motor racing. Among the best I have on my shelf are those where MH is involved - I also enjoy his Radio 5 commentaries on F1 with JL. So in some respects I was a little puzzled was how these two could have got together... they are in effect counterparts, competitors even. Nonetheless, their collaboration is a successful one. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Quite a bit has been written about this kind of high performance racing and not all of it is worth the cover price. This one is IMHO on the pricey side... relecting the sport maybe but not all of us have this sort of cash to spend in speculation.

You don't have to read this book from cover to cover. Maybe you can dip into it - read the chapter on your fave track first etc. It kind of follows the F1 season but only for the older tracks, there's no mention of the new dates in the F1 calendar... well, there couldn't be because it covers only the tracks where MB has raced. Two nice surprises were the inclusion of Le Mans and Brands Hatch.

Some parts of the book had me skimming a bit because the technical detail was a shade too much. But that does not detract from the flow, maybe you simply want to get on to the next bit of action! There is action aplenty here. It could have easily be sub-titled 'Brundle's Big Moments'. As in 'having a big moment'. i.e. crashing. Poor lad has had some near misses just about everywhere... he explains how he gets back behind the wheel but I for one doubt I could have done if I had been knocked about like he has.

He's seen a lot from behind the wheel of lots of great cars. If you are a Mclaren fan then there is much here to savour. He also comments on the other drivers especially Senna and Schumacher - team mates and rivals - and what has happened to them along the way. Maybe it would have been nice to get some more behind the scenes stories but that is not what this book is about. There's plenty of interpretation though and I liked his assessment of how come MS is so much better than nearly everyone else (love him or loathe him).

It was also a revelation as to why the F1 racer does not need a speedometer.... I have seen F1 and GT cars in action and yet even that cannot get across the sheer speed, grip and braking these guys experience. No wonder they are super-fit and appear to be so fearless.

MB is a great guy for sharing this with us (it was overdue!) and when you have finished this book you will also wonder how he never came to take that top step on the podium. Less deserving drivers have had that privilege but it has not embittered him. His passion for motor sport comes across well and you can almost hear him reading it to you like he was on the TV.

Finally, this book fits nicely alongside Perry McCarthy's biography on my bookshelf - contemporaries and rivals, both are Brits who could have been up there with Damon... Reading these books shows that you need a hell of a lot of the right breaks at the right time to get to the top and stay there!