individual sports

The opportunity to view a collection from such a vibrant time in motorsports history, by a noted and aclaimed photographer, should be seized. Any die-hard racing enthusiast is certain to appreciate the many vantage points of the photos in gaining a sense of what the period was truly like.

First, a disclaimer: my desk faces framed prints of Fangio at Monaco, 1956, and Fangio at Reims, 1958 by Jesse Alexander, and my copy of the sadly out-of-print LOOKING BACK is signed by the photographer and Juan Manuel Fangio. But even if names like Jean Behra and Wolfgang von Trips are unfamiliar, anyone with a love of sport and a sense of nostalgia for a less populated and more hopeful late '50's Europe will be enthralled by DRIVEN. Jesse Alexander's timing and composition are peerless, capturing not just the machines, but the souls of the men who risked their lives for sport in the optimistic days between the Second World War and Vietnam. The familiar images of Gurney, Moss, and Fangio brim with vigor and confidence. The images of the great Jimmy Clark verge on the iconic. Perhaps my favorite image is that of the Porsche team's garage at Le Mans in 1959: the French street urchins in the background are right out of the RED BALOON. I could go on, but perhaps the best review of the work in the book is the forward by Sir Stirling Moss, whose eloquent reminiscences and insights stand in stark contrast to the bone-headed comments we see from today's "Karting With Bernie" racing drivers. The layout and printing would be superb at four times the price--this book is a must-have, and the first edition is sure to sell out. If you love racing, buy it!