Richie Ginther : Motor Racing’s Free Thinker
Richie Ginther : Motor Racing’s Free Thinker
- 9780957645059
- In Stock
- Current
- 2020
- 5 out of 5 - 2 Reviews
For many years, it was thought that Richie Ginther, one of Formula One’s best known drivers of the 1960s, later became an angry, reclusive and drunken bum. The classic, archetypal hero-to-zero tale. In addition to this, as a racer he was thought incapable of ever winning and lacking the inherent talent to be a success.
But as the first ever authorised biography of Richie reveals, this diminutive Californian enjoyed astonishing triumphs in racing as a driver, a mechanic and as a team manager. His 59 years on the planet also saw him overcome bullying and terrible personal and professional tragedy to live an enriched and absorbing life.
Still just one of five Americans to have won a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, Ginther helped two of motor racing’s most iconic teams, BRM and Ferrari, to World Championship glory as well as being instrumental in Honda’s motor racing success, all of which is explored comprehensively.
With memories from his family, friends and fellow racers, this biography is also packed, after meticulous research, with an abundance of quotes from Richie himself to create as thorough and as deeply personal Richie’s life story as possible.
It’s not just the words that bring Richie alive. There are a plethora of photographs, with the vast majority of them neither seen nor published before. Insightful and moving, this refreshingly balanced and thoroughly detailed book by debut author Richard Jenkins is the definitive guide to one of motor racing’s underappreciated heroes.
Publisher: Performance Publishing
Status: Current
Number of pages: 130
Binding: SBD
*****Richie Ginther: Motor Racing's Free Thinker
By Tom Glowacki on 27th Dec 2021 of: Richie Ginther : Motor Racing’s Free Thinker
This is Richard Jenkins’ first book; he is not a professional writer. That said, his first effort is a well-written, polished biography of Richie Ginther. It is obvious that a lot of research went into the book, with the "Appendix: Race Results" being particularly monumental. I am amazed by the number of pictures; many of them in color, with very few of them having appeared elsewhere. The book is a very thorough biography with much background information that gets into Ginther's personality far beyond the usual sort of driver biography. While obviously sympathetic to Ginther, Jenkins is very objective as well. An extremely well-done book.
*****Authoritative and entertaining account of a true individual's life and career
By Jon Saltinstall on 30th Nov -0001 of: Richie Ginther : Motor Racing’s Free Thinker
The chances are that if you are reading this, you know who Richie Ginther was - or at least, you know that he was an accomplished racing driver in the late 1950s-1960s before disappearing from the scene. This excellent - and modestly-priced - new book from ORC's Richard Jenkins fills in the colour and context to this complex and perhaps misunderstood character, drawing on a wealth of first-hand accounts that have either been previously unheard or are largely forgotten. Even more impressive is the sheer number of photographs, largely from private archives, that are produced for the first time.
Jenkins has done a great job in pulling together the threads to produce an entertaining and informative book. Whether or not you are a Ginther fan, it's worth the cover price for the period photos and anecdotes, and its evocative portrayal of a time when motor racing was rather more free-and-easy and certainly more accessible. Highly recommended.