Racing Reviews

This big beautiful book brings back the magnificence of Big Red like no other. Crammed with photos of everything form his Jockey Club ID photo as a foal (adorable) to workouts and races, grooming and bathing, and of the people around him - Penny (Tweedy) Chenery, Lucian Lauren, Eddie Sweat, Ron Turcotte and others - these alone are worth the price of admission. The photo of him and Turcotte taking off in the Preakness is as close to a flying horse as you'll ever see. The text is an engaging biography of Secretariat's earliest days at Meadow Farm, to his record shattering, history making races, ending with his retirement and success in the breeding barn - including photos and deeds of a few of his most accomplished get. It concludes with his untimely death at only 19 years. This book is also full of the history of, and interviews with, those who surrounded this awesome horse, and well known racing people who witnessed him run. As a horse loving 12 year old I watched history being made in 1973 - though it was only on TV - as Secretariat galloped seemingly effortlessly into history with those three races. I knew even in my youth and naivete that I would never see a feat that magnificent again. It's been 30 years now, and I haven't been wrong yet. This book is a must for those who love, and still love, this horse and racing. And for those who doubt - read the book. You will doubt no more.

I am a huge fan (like most people who know anything about horse racing) of the great Secretariat. As most people know, he was the most OUTSTANDING horse that ever graced the earth, and this book is a great tribute to him. I found it in an old book store and had to buy it. Then Woolfe came out with a 25th anniversary edition which is much better because it talks not only about his race career, but his life as a stallion and as a retired legend. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something about Secretariat. It not only contains a wonderful life story of him, but it also contains many pictures to go along with the history. You will see pictures of him as a yearling at Meadow Stables in Virginia, him winning the races that made him famous, hanging out with Eddie Sweat, and even him retiring at Claiborne Farms. This book has it all and I still get teary-eyed when I read the end.

I got this book primarily because I was told it had all Sec's charts in it. It does, and it has his career log (races, works, etc), terrific beautiful photos, and a good solid narrative. I was pleased with the data presented, and the writing style was nice without the over-fawning poetic prose too typical of the few racehorse bios there have ever been. I'd still like to see data more concisely and thoroughly presented (e.g., thorough categorization of records and the differentials), but this is no worse than any other racehorse work; I've not seen or heard of 1 yet that does.

Clearly Mr. Woolfe loves Sec, but has the good sense not to present a bunch of flowery poetry as the argument for being #1 horse. He's even wise to leave open the #1 horse argument when it's brought up in the course of the story (not that I'd really blame a Sec fan in his own book for saying Sec is greatest, but this way he's avoided alienating those of us with different opinions). Yet, Woolfe's "emotional" enough to have brought a tear to this "non-Secretariat" fan's eye at his retirement. I think Woolfe did it mainly through his generally even-handed coverage of Sec's career all along, covering him both in fact and engaging "human/horse interest" narrative, so that by the end all of us are sad at his departure from the track because we all sort of felt like Sec was our pet. Even those of us "veterans" numbed and hardened by the "Who's the Greatest Horse" Wars. ;-)

I was also touched by the coverage of Riva Ridge. It was nice to see him get so much attention. He may not have been Secretariat, but he was an excellent horse (with striking coloration - like a golden-red dun almost!) and it was nice he could "tag along" even in this book.

It didn't convert me to Sec-is-#1 Camp, but it's an excellent book on its own. I think Woolfe could have made us cry over any horse the way he set this up.

I recently spent a week providing foot care assistance to racers in the Primal Quest Expedition Adventure Race and discovered the seriousness of the sport. Adventure racing has made the big time and more and more athletes are entering its uncharted territory as they tackle sports they know nothing about. Many athletes are well-honed teams that work together well and are strong as they race. Many others however, need help as they try sport disciplines new to them and they struggle trying to understand how to build all this into a dynamic team in a race setting.

This is where The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing comes in. This one book can make the difference between learning the ropes from people who know, or learning by trial and error-and maybe getting hurt in the process. Adventure racing is about multiple sport disciplines: trekking, running, climbing and rappelling, mountaineering, white water, mountain biking, navigation, team dynamics, food for fuel, support crews, training, lots of gear, and more. This book covers all that and more in an easy to read format. Many racers and sport specific individuals have contributed their tips and stories about how to race well and succeed. Don and Kara have advanced the sport by writing this book. There is something here for the adventure racing veteran to the newbie. Shorten your learning curve by reading this book.

John Vonhof
Contributor to The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing
Author of Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes

The adventure racing world waited a long time for a resource as comprehensive as this one. It is no surprise that we were finally provided this resource by the man who founded Odyssey Adventure Racing, a company that produces more races than any other US AR company and also offers a great racing academy.

One of the best features of The Complete Guide to Adventure Racing is that rather than giving us "the gospel according to Mann and Schaad", it provides multiple views from various experts on controversial topics such as nutrition, strategy, team dynamics, and sleep management. You may occasionally find that the contributors disagree with each other, which only serves to underscore the strategic nature of the sport.

What I didn't expect was inspirational content in addition to the detailed information of this text. By including first-person stories from other racers, race directors, and observers, the book becomes a "good read" in addition to an instructive one. It makes you want to get out there and register for the first race you can find. Buy this book and you'll see what I mean!

I new to AR (3 races to date) and was looking for a good reference book on the subject. This book exceeded my expectations. It is well organized and filled with practical information and detail. It has section with tips and advice from experienced racers, there is also first person accounts of races and experiences. It is also a great price for all the information you get.

Blind Beauty, by K.M. Peyton (an Irish author), is an incredible horse story set in Ireland and England. It begins when a four-year-old Tessa befriends her father Declan's eyeless filly Shiner, and forms a strong bond. Then her mother leaves Declan, taking Tessa, and remarries an abusive and not quite sane man named Maurice. Tessa grows into a rebellious twelve-year-old who has been expelled from several boarding schools. Maurice, who already loathed Tessa, was fed up with her, and so she was sent to work at his stable. There she starts pursuing riding with a passion, persuading one of the trainers to teach her. When Buffoon (Shiner's colt) arrives at the stable, he is shunned by everyone, including Tessa, for he is gawky and ugly. However, Jimmy (the trainer teaching Tessa) assigns her to ride him. Soon Tessa comes to love the good-natured oaf, and that bond becomes an obsessive love when she finds of his relation to Shiner. She dreamed of riding Buffoon in the Grand National (a steeplechase), totally confident of his abilities. Then, her plans are interrupted when her mother found another boarding school to enroll her in. To get back to Buffoon, Tessa purposely forced herself to be expelled. Once again, she pursues her dream, and with the help of Tom, a top jockey, it soon becomes a definite possibility. However, just before the Grand National, Buffoon's "best friend", a pony named Lucky, is stolen by Maurice, who is desperate for his own horse to beat Buffoon...

This book starts out with the main character, Tessa Blackthorn, being four years old in Ireland. Her father, Declan, bred his old mare Betty and she finally gave birth to a foal after three years of trying. The foal has no eyes. Tessa names the foal Shiner, and they are inseperable. Then, Tessa's mother, Myra, tells Tessa that she can't take this arguing anymore and they are leaving to England. Tessa is brokenhearted.
When Tessa is five, Myra gets married to a greedy man named Maurice Morrison-Pleydell. He is a racehorse owner who only cares about how much money he gets from the bets. His appearance in Tessa's life throws her into a state of depression and hatred at the world.
Myra and Maurice send Tessa to a bunch of different boarding schools, but she keeps getting kicked out. When she is twelve, they can't find any boarding school to take her to. So Maurice forces her to work in a small racehorse training stable called Sparrow's Wyck.
At first Tessa hates working there, because Maurice is forcing her to. But then a horse arrives that will change her life forever. His name is Buffoon, and he is the son of Shiner. Nobody knows this except Tessa. Nobody especially cares about Buffoon besides Tessa because he is very ugly and unproportionate and no one thinks he will become a racehorse. But Tessa dreams of becoming a jockey and winning the Grand National on him.
This story follows Tessa until she is 22. It is a story of suspense, action, greed and finding out who you are. If you are not much of a reader, don't be put off by the thickness of the book. This is definitley worth the read.

This is a great book! I found it hard to follow at times, but I gradually began to understand. I actually finished it it 1 day because I couldn't put it down! It's a great story filled with determination, come romance and horses! A must-read!

I'd never heard of NASCAR, never wanted to know anything about it. But when I heard a short reading by Huler (the writer) from this book, I had to buy/read it. His writing could be on any topic: ice, dirt, race cars... it's just facinating in an accessable, fun, fast read. I'll read anything he writes now, and gain an appreciation of worlds I never knew. Great read. I just may join the 200,000 on site NASCAR fans next year because of it!

If you want to read one book about NASCAR, I recommend this one. Not because it's a hand-holding introduction, but because it's the best. It just does such a great job describing so many aspects of NASCAR. The organizing principle of the book is to examine a week in the life of Kenny Wallace's Square D Racing Team, but along the way, the author looks at NASCAR's personalities, history, technology, tracks, and fans. Huler has a real flair for description, and a genuine but not fawning affection for the sport.

I've also read Shaun Assael's "Wide Open" and Paul Hemphill's "Wheels," which are similar in many ways but to my mind are both inferior. Assael's book seemed flat compared to Huler's, though fans of Dave Marcis and Bobby Hamilton may enjoy the coverage that those drivers receive in "Wide Open." Hemphill's book spent a lot of time on a thesis that I soon found repetitively handled: NASCAR was once the province of the Southern working man but is now corporate entertainment. Both Assael and Hemphill follow NASCAR for a whole season and seem to get bored with it. Huler stays focused on a shorter timespan to much better effect.

I've read some more technical approaches to NASCAR as well, and found that Huler almost always snuck the information in those books into "A Little Bit Sideways."

Although I find this the best introduction to NASCAR because it's so engaging to read and so comprehensive in the bargain, those who are interested in learning more about NASCAR might also try "NASCAR for Dummies" by Mark "Awesome!" Martin and Juliet Macur. That book lacks Huler's style and story-line, but it does have a lot of interesting information about NASCAR, including some tidbits on strategy and technology that I haven't seen elsewhere.

and now I feel like I could drive it. This is the book that lays it all out in a logical order, explains the terms, the rules and the strategies while taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Will the car qualify for the race? You can feel the tension because for that week Huler lived it. This isn't a book full of old stories that drivers told a writer - this is an observation, full of detail - it's good old particaptory journalism like Plimpton wrote, talking to (and about) everyone from the owners and spnsors to the fans and the scalpers. What a great book!

Just when you thought you knew just about everything that goes on in a NASCAR racing organization, Mr. Miller throws another card on the table. There are several books about NASCAR in general, and a handful that details the lives of only the highest profiled drivers. All of them are good books, but none have masterfully captured the heart and soul of the subjects like MEN AND SPEED.

The attention to detail is astonishing. So much so that the reader will feel like they are right there during the moment. I constantly had to remind myself that this is NOT a fictional account. It is not often that you find a book that won't let you put it down. MEN AND SPEED can easily be added to that prestigious list. Mr. Miller has found an ingenious way to bring this amazing year of Roush Racing's triumphs and struggles to all levels of readers. If you have never followed NASCAR, this is the perfect introduction. If you have been a fan for many years, this is the perfect companion.

Mr. Miller superbly takes his first hand experiences with the Roush Racing organization and paints a no holds barred picture of what goes on beyond what the television cameras show us each week. Through this book, one cannot help but feel closer to Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Jack Roush and all who support them, in a way that could have never been imagined. I found myself laughing at Jeff's comical antics and comments, feeling Mark's anguish over the fans and journalists who called him a quitter, calmed by the quiet, mild mannered Matt, agreeably frustrated along with Kurt about his performances and lack of meeting his own expectations, and left in absolute awe over this incredible machine that Jack has built and nurtured. I now have a better understanding of the addiction to speed.

If you have ever had any doubts about reading a book about NASCAR, let those doubts dissolve with MEN AND SPEED! You will not be disappointed! This is definitely a book that has been long overdue for NASCAR fans, Roush Racing fans and those just now discovering America's fastest growing sport! Kudos to Mr. Miller for a job well done!

As someone who is fortunate enough to be involved in the behind the scenes activities of stock car racing, I can tell you without hesitation that this is by far the best look into the inner workings of not only Roush Racing but of the entire sport of NASCAR. Miller has written an informative, exciting book about one of the most fascinating seasons our sport has ever known.

Miller was there when Earnhardt tragically died at Daytona and the controversy that followed. He was there when Kurt Busch, now a star in the sport, got his big break. He shared victories with Jeff Burton and anguished through the tough times with Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. He witnessed first hand the trials and tribulations of Kevin Harvick. And he got to fly in a vintage WWII plane with Jack Roush. In other words, G. Wayne Miller was there and he takes you with him on an amazing journey over the 2001 season that you will long remember.

'Men and Speed' examines the true personalities of those obsessed with speed from one of the most interesting, entertaining, investigative writers I've ever had the pleasure to read. I highly recommend it to every fan of Roush Racing, NASCAR and especially to those who are only now discovering one of the most popular sports in America today. Buy this book!!! You won't be disappointed.

This is a fascinating look inside one Nascar season which will appeal to all sports fans, not just racing fanatics. The season begins with the Daytona 500 and Dale Earnhardt's tragic death and concentrates on the fortunes of the Roush Racing team drivers, namely Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton and rookie Kurt Busch.The writing is fast-paced, exciting and I found myself turning the pages to see who won a race even though I already knew the outcome! Reading this book should make anyone who has ever said Nascar drivers are not athletes realize exactly what these guys go through physically and mentally during the course of a race and what it takes to be a champion.An excellent book,highly recommended.

I had been trying to write a similar book just for some of my friends and was delighted when I found out one of my favorite drivers, Mark Martin, had written one. Even though I am a Nascar fan, a lot of my friends aren't and I wanted to help them understand racing--that it's more than just driving around in circles. I read the book cover to cover just this morning; I couldn't put it down. Thanks Mark!

NASCAR for Dummies is definitely a "must read" for any NASCAR fan. It is the perfect book for those who are new to NASCAR... and is packed with information which even a veteran fan will appreciate.

You'll find in-depth information about a variety of topics, from car tech to how qualifying works... from how points are awarded to what some of the rules and regulations are. You'll find information about all of the different NASCAR Series, how sponsorship works, how to contact your favorite driver - or even get an autograph. There's even advice and tips for attending races in person.

The book is also loaded with NASCAR stats on different drivers, tracks and some of the sports history.

The best part about this book is that it is not written by a bystander, rather, it is written by one of the top drivers in the sport. Mark Martin is able to provide you with a view of NASCAR which I have not seen in any other book thus far.

As a die-hard NASCAR fan since 1984 I hate to admit all the things that I learned from this book.

This book is great at explaining the NASCAR scoring system and how the purse is divided not to mention all these bonuses that are available even if you have the best finish using a brand of motor oil.

This is a must buy book for old and new NASCAR fans.

I am an amateur racer competing in SCCA regional racing.

I found GOING FASTER to be a very useful textbook. The organization is excellent, allowing me to skip some basic information and go directly to the areas which concerned me the most. The clear an detailed description of exactly how a racing car is driven through corners helped me analize my own driving and improve my performance.

The description of each aspect of racing starts with a technical foundation and then builds to a description of how to do it in the car. I am an engineer by traning, so this combination of a theroetical treatment with practiacl advice is excellent for me.

I found the descrption of how things are in racing to be right on, and I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to try racing, as well as to the racer who wants to improve his or her perforamnce.

This is a great, detailed description of how to "Go Faster!" It represents the race driving theory taught in Skip Barber's 3-day school and will be helpful to anyone involved in racing at any level. Nothing beats the School's seat time you get under the instructors' watchful eye, but if you want to understand the how and why of race driving, this book does it best. There are some great illustrations and commentary from the pros throughout. If you can only have one racing book, this sould be the one! PS - it is a great refresher and study guide for those of you who have gone to school.

This is the perfect book if you really want to "Go Faster." I have reread this book so many times that the cover is bent. The techniques mentioned in this book can carry over to any car you drive. I race karts, and the minute I really read and understood what is mentioned, I started "Going Faster" and won my first race. I also held the fastest time for the year at my track. Great book, I highly reccomend it.

--

Shawn C.

This book was one of the best books I've ever read and if you read about horses and haven't read this book, you're missing out on something special. This girl Katie is born with one leg shorter than the other, so she's imeadiately touched by Willow King who was born with crooked legs. When the owner decides he should be put down, Katie begs to be the one to own him. Finally, Willow King is hers! Together Katie feels that they will be able to reach the top. But there are more bumps on the way then she expected including, teaching this foal. I absolutely loved this book and Chris Platt is at her best when she writes!

this book is THE greatest book, EVER! I HIGHLY recomend thisbook. The main people are Katie (the incriteble girl/onwer ofKing/Co-Trainer) Willow King (the chapion horse no one belived in, cept Katie) Jason (Katie's mega-hunk dream boy) John (trainer) Mr Ellis (owner of "Willow Run") and Cindy (Brat-girl who always gets her way) READ THIS BOOK! You would'nt regret it.

This a awesome book that I absolutly have to reccomend. It is about a girl named Katie who saves a foal who is about to be put down because he has crooked legs. She feels a strong bond between her and the foal because she was born with one leg shorter than the other, similar to the foal. Katie trains Willow King, the foal, and straightens his legs. Along the way, ahe has to deal with her enemy, Cindy because Cindy is using Katie's beloved show horse, Jester so Katie can train Willow. She also has to deal with a boy named Jason, whom she befriends. I strongly recomend this book to anyone who would like a good read. Even if you are not a horse fanatic like me, I think you will like it.

I am glad to see so many people interested in the Black Gold story. Unfortunately, there are a few details in the book that should have been corrected. The only man that knew the exact story passed away in August. To the person that suggested a movie be made, I agree, but would like to see the filmmaker talk to our family before starting. I can straighten one thing out. Pop Holcomb, Millard Holcomb, was a very strong, revered man but not a large burly type of man as the book suggests. It is a wonderful story but I wish Uncle Son could have told it to you.

Black Gold is an interesting tale about a boy and the horse he loved. The boy, called Jaydee, has always wanted to be a jockey. And finally, when Jaydee gets his dream, he sees the litte black horse named Black Gold. Jaydee knows that he just has to ride this horse. Then, at last, Jaydee gets his chance. Together, they seem almost unbeatable. But do Jaydee and Black Gold have the right stuff to win the ultimate compitition: The Ketucky Derby?
Black Gold is a delightful story for children and adults of all ages.

A corny title, I know, but certainly true. I don't remember how many times I have read this book. It tells a story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Henry is an excellent writer, able to make her readers feel the thoughts and emotions of the various characters (and the horses) that make up the book. Her descriptions and details will make you feel as if you are there. The story itself, although not always very fast-paced, is engaging and is only made more fascinating by the fact that it is true. To use another cliche, this book is certainly worth its weight in gold.

My only disappointment is with the other reviewers . . . please do not give away the ending of the book that you are reviewing. Most potential readers would rather find that out for themselves.

Jeff you are the best driver that I have ever seen.I have been following you through your whole racing career. I hope you do well for the remaining of your career. You and Brooke are so great. Have a great race sunday. Your biggest fan, Brad Kelderman.

The excellent photography made this book hard to put down. I paged through the entire book looking at pictures before going back and reading it. A must read for every Nascar fan.

I am a huge Jeff Gordon fan and I will be the first to tell you that this is a wonderful book! I have been a fan for a little over 4 years and this book goes into detail about everything that you would ever want to know! Very well written...if you are a Jeff Gordon fan this is the book for you!