The Power and the Glory: A Century of Motor Racing

This spinoff of a BBC-TV series by producer Rendall will delight auto racing devotees and anyone interested in cars. The first motor race was held in France in 1894 and the fastest vehicle zoomed home with a top speed of 11.1 mph. Only 30 years later Peter de Paolo, driving a Duesenberg, was the first racer to average more than 100 mph at Indianapolis. Here are stories of the rise and decline of such notable firms as Peugeot, Bugatti, Daimler-Benz and Ferrari and the technological advances each contributed. There are numerous sidebars on subjects like Juan Fangio, the only man to have been crowned World Drivers' Champion five times and the tragedy at LeMans in 1955, when a car ran into a crowd and killed 80 spectators. And there are chapters on stock-car racing and the growth of teams as the sport has become more costly. The most noteworthy feature of the book, however, are the dazzling photos and paintings. (May)