Scan barcode
tombennett72's review against another edition
5.0
Extremely well written and deeply researched, this book is a must-read for fans of Motorsport history.
As an unashamed petrolhead, I initially found it odd to look through an outsider's eyes at the world of cars and Motorsport, but this is truly one of the strengths of the book. Michael Cannell makes an excellent job of explaining the complex world of European racing to an international audience, and the book is richer for this.
And if you're genuinely bored by cars and racing - it's a great book about amazing people, with Hill and Von Trips the stars in an amazing set of stories.
As an unashamed petrolhead, I initially found it odd to look through an outsider's eyes at the world of cars and Motorsport, but this is truly one of the strengths of the book. Michael Cannell makes an excellent job of explaining the complex world of European racing to an international audience, and the book is richer for this.
And if you're genuinely bored by cars and racing - it's a great book about amazing people, with Hill and Von Trips the stars in an amazing set of stories.
checkers09's review
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
The Limit is a book about the early years of Formula 1 and the lives of Phil Hill and Wolfgang Von Trips, in particular their championship battle in 1961 in which Von Trips would suffer a fatal crash on the penultimate race at Monza sealing Phil Hill his first world championship.
I've been a fan of Formula 1 for a few years but, like most younger fans I am quite unfamiliar with the early years of F1. I found Cannell gave an insightful look into the dangeous of the sport and motor racing in general while also delving into what drove racers to compete despite the massive risks involved. He also shows what public perception was like especially after crashes which sometimes killed dozens of spectators, with religious figures and journalists often questioning the need for the sport when the price could be so high.
The first third of the book discusses Phil Hill, who had an interesting childhood and journey to F1. He was one of the more levelheaded drivers who rarely crashed and was acutely aware of the dangers of motorsport.
The second third of the book mainly talks about Wolfgang Von Trips, a German driver, who was heir to a centuries-old castle. he grew up during WW2 and briefly fought towards the end of the war. he seemed less concerned with the dangeous of motorsport despite being his family's sole heir and facing constant pleas from them to stop. It seems he developed a need to race as a result of a deeply held philosophy about the importance of bravery and the preservation of a sort of old form of chivalry in the modern world. he was nicknamed Count Von Crash and frequently injured himself in high-speed crashes.
Both Hill and Von Trips are well explored showing their journey and motivations as well as giving a sense of their contrasting personalities, with Hill being more rigid and articulate whereas Von Trips was easygoing and gregarious with an apparent 'air of nobility'.
Other key figures are discussed but only in passing, which is a shame because many top drivers like Jim Clark and Graham Hill were active at this time. The only other figure that is discussed in any sort of detail is Enzo Ferrari who was intimately involved in the running of their F1 team and a big presence in the racing world in general. I found a particularly touching part of the book was when Cannel described the relationship between Ferrari and his son Dino who died from poor health at just twenty-five and how this impacted his life.
When I first got this book I thought the entire story would just evolve around the 1961 season. However, I was surprised to find this was left until the last two chapters. instead, he talks a lot about the sport more broadly especially other major competitions like Le Mans which were far more popular at that time. The only motorsport racing I know about is Formula One but I still found some of the parts where he branched out a bit quite interesting. I also feel the chapters on the 1961 season didn't seem particularly rushed especially as there were less than a dozen races on the calendar at that time. Other seasons were not discussed in great detail only ever being brought up in relation to Von Trips or Hill's journey or when an important driver died in a race.
On top of the actual main story, Cannell interweaves how the world was being affected during and after WW2 with the world even in the 50s still recovering from the damages suffered and trying to come to grips with an ever-changing world. Cannel posits this was why F1 became so popular and why people felt a need to compete as it helped fill the void that lack of war had brought and cling to a sense of courage.
I think there were also a few areas of the book which could have been done better. Although the actual development of the figures in the book were well explored including the behind the scenes politics. The actual descriptions of the racing was pretty basic and not very compelling. It's such an exhilarating sport but I felt this wasn't captured very well by Cannell. I also thought too much attention was put on the driver's sex life. I get that to a certain extent it was a big part of the life of a Formula 1 driver but I couldn't care less about who's sleeping with who and how a mistress was involved in a certain person's life. Instead of this, I would have preferred if there was more discussion about the technical evolution of F1 cars over the years, as this is only discussed very briefly in the closing chapters when Ferrari transitioned from having their engine from being at the front to the back. I think this was the most evident aspect in which Cannell's lack of knowledge of Formula 1 cars held back the book as his only involvement in motorsport is as a hobby.
However, these minor issues I had didn't impact my enjoyment of the book that much and I still found this to be a worthwhile book to read about the 1961 season and the early years of Formula 1 in general.
I've been a fan of Formula 1 for a few years but, like most younger fans I am quite unfamiliar with the early years of F1. I found Cannell gave an insightful look into the dangeous of the sport and motor racing in general while also delving into what drove racers to compete despite the massive risks involved. He also shows what public perception was like especially after crashes which sometimes killed dozens of spectators, with religious figures and journalists often questioning the need for the sport when the price could be so high.
The first third of the book discusses Phil Hill, who had an interesting childhood and journey to F1. He was one of the more levelheaded drivers who rarely crashed and was acutely aware of the dangers of motorsport.
The second third of the book mainly talks about Wolfgang Von Trips, a German driver, who was heir to a centuries-old castle. he grew up during WW2 and briefly fought towards the end of the war. he seemed less concerned with the dangeous of motorsport despite being his family's sole heir and facing constant pleas from them to stop. It seems he developed a need to race as a result of a deeply held philosophy about the importance of bravery and the preservation of a sort of old form of chivalry in the modern world. he was nicknamed Count Von Crash and frequently injured himself in high-speed crashes.
Both Hill and Von Trips are well explored showing their journey and motivations as well as giving a sense of their contrasting personalities, with Hill being more rigid and articulate whereas Von Trips was easygoing and gregarious with an apparent 'air of nobility'.
Other key figures are discussed but only in passing, which is a shame because many top drivers like Jim Clark and Graham Hill were active at this time. The only other figure that is discussed in any sort of detail is Enzo Ferrari who was intimately involved in the running of their F1 team and a big presence in the racing world in general. I found a particularly touching part of the book was when Cannel described the relationship between Ferrari and his son Dino who died from poor health at just twenty-five and how this impacted his life.
When I first got this book I thought the entire story would just evolve around the 1961 season. However, I was surprised to find this was left until the last two chapters. instead, he talks a lot about the sport more broadly especially other major competitions like Le Mans which were far more popular at that time. The only motorsport racing I know about is Formula One but I still found some of the parts where he branched out a bit quite interesting. I also feel the chapters on the 1961 season didn't seem particularly rushed especially as there were less than a dozen races on the calendar at that time. Other seasons were not discussed in great detail only ever being brought up in relation to Von Trips or Hill's journey or when an important driver died in a race.
On top of the actual main story, Cannell interweaves how the world was being affected during and after WW2 with the world even in the 50s still recovering from the damages suffered and trying to come to grips with an ever-changing world. Cannel posits this was why F1 became so popular and why people felt a need to compete as it helped fill the void that lack of war had brought and cling to a sense of courage.
I think there were also a few areas of the book which could have been done better. Although the actual development of the figures in the book were well explored including the behind the scenes politics. The actual descriptions of the racing was pretty basic and not very compelling. It's such an exhilarating sport but I felt this wasn't captured very well by Cannell. I also thought too much attention was put on the driver's sex life. I get that to a certain extent it was a big part of the life of a Formula 1 driver but I couldn't care less about who's sleeping with who and how a mistress was involved in a certain person's life. Instead of this, I would have preferred if there was more discussion about the technical evolution of F1 cars over the years, as this is only discussed very briefly in the closing chapters when Ferrari transitioned from having their engine from being at the front to the back. I think this was the most evident aspect in which Cannell's lack of knowledge of Formula 1 cars held back the book as his only involvement in motorsport is as a hobby.
However, these minor issues I had didn't impact my enjoyment of the book that much and I still found this to be a worthwhile book to read about the 1961 season and the early years of Formula 1 in general.
numnams42's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
3.75
The completely different backgrounds of wannabe American racer and a German noble racing each other at ferrari; its like this was supposed to be written about
joaniemaloney's review
4.0
As a new fan to F1, this wasn't as much as a book about the Phil Hill vs Wolfgang Von Trips for the 1961 championship as it was a primer on the era. I didn't know how any of the races would turn out or which drivers weren't going to make it, so this book was full of surprises. I recognized a few of the names but that was about it.
Michael Cannell manages to cover a lot of different stories and characters during this dangerous era and makes it all very accessible. It's not a knock on his writing at all, but a compliment to the clarity to brings to all these storylines. I don't think it'd be a boring read even if you knew the history. It isn't that technical at all and plays out very much like a drama. There's a knack to his storytelling and foreshadowing that I really enjoyed, and a human element given to every one of these daredevils behind the wheel, no matter how briefly they were mentioned. Honestly, I'd love to read more about many of these drivers in full biography form, like Alberto Ascari, Eugenio Castelloti, Juan Manuel Fangio, Pierre Levegh, etc. It's never just about Hill and Von Trips - deaths and other events allowed them to move up the Ferrari ladder to get to that fateful 1961 season.
You also get to see some vintage photographs, including Enzo Ferrari, who really does loom over the entire story like the man he was. It's a treasure trove of a book for a newbie like me. An exciting and devastating read.
Michael Cannell manages to cover a lot of different stories and characters during this dangerous era and makes it all very accessible. It's not a knock on his writing at all, but a compliment to the clarity to brings to all these storylines. I don't think it'd be a boring read even if you knew the history. It isn't that technical at all and plays out very much like a drama. There's a knack to his storytelling and foreshadowing that I really enjoyed, and a human element given to every one of these daredevils behind the wheel, no matter how briefly they were mentioned. Honestly, I'd love to read more about many of these drivers in full biography form, like Alberto Ascari, Eugenio Castelloti, Juan Manuel Fangio, Pierre Levegh, etc. It's never just about Hill and Von Trips - deaths and other events allowed them to move up the Ferrari ladder to get to that fateful 1961 season.
You also get to see some vintage photographs, including Enzo Ferrari, who really does loom over the entire story like the man he was. It's a treasure trove of a book for a newbie like me. An exciting and devastating read.
jeffhall's review
4.0
While I'm not a huge sports fan, and have no real interest in motor sports at all, I can't deny that The Limit is a thrilling read, and a genuine page turner. Michael Cannell's retelling of events surrounding the 1961 European Grand Prix race circuit is developed as well as any novel, with richly defined characters, gruesome plot turns, and an ultimate resolution that is simultaneously elating and depressing. I'm much too young to have known of these events as they were actually happening, but this book really brings them alive as a grand metaphor for post-war technological triumph paired with a disregard for safety (and a tolerance for casual carnage) that is shocking by today's standards. Just a great read all around!
cpa85's review
4.0
This is an enjoyable look at the lives and careers of Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips, culminating in their battle for the 1961 World Drivers Championship (Formula 1). It includes great insight into the world of international motorsports in the 1950s, with several incredible personalities who shared the racing world with Hill and von Trips.
tome15's review
3.0
Cannell, Michael. The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit. Twelve-Grand Central, 2011.
As a casual car racing fan, I am fascinated by the days when the sport was truly extreme. In the first 50 years of racing, tracks were unimproved with no safety barriers, and the cars were high-speed bombs that lacked even seatbelts. Even members of the audience were sometimes killed and injured by cars leaving the track. Cannell says that a driver on the Formula One circuit in these days had a one in three chance of finishing his career dead in a crash. The focus of The Limit is the Ferrari team of American Phil Hill and a German count, Wolfgang Von Trips, both led by the detached, obsessive Enzo Ferrari. Cannell does a decent job of telling the human stories here, but one wishes for more original research and the kind of intellectual and psychological depth that a better journalist like Michael Lewis might have given it. That is to say, it does not measure up to Moneyball or The Blindside.
As a casual car racing fan, I am fascinated by the days when the sport was truly extreme. In the first 50 years of racing, tracks were unimproved with no safety barriers, and the cars were high-speed bombs that lacked even seatbelts. Even members of the audience were sometimes killed and injured by cars leaving the track. Cannell says that a driver on the Formula One circuit in these days had a one in three chance of finishing his career dead in a crash. The focus of The Limit is the Ferrari team of American Phil Hill and a German count, Wolfgang Von Trips, both led by the detached, obsessive Enzo Ferrari. Cannell does a decent job of telling the human stories here, but one wishes for more original research and the kind of intellectual and psychological depth that a better journalist like Michael Lewis might have given it. That is to say, it does not measure up to Moneyball or The Blindside.
More...