Review by Graham Gauld
Purchase here: https://www.quarto.com/books/9780760399057/motorsports-mavericks
At first glance of the cover, above, it looks as though this is yet another book on the Can-Am series in the United States; but it is not.
Author of Motorsports Mavericks George Levy has covered automobile racing during its most dangerous period of the 1960s and ’70s through the eyes of one of America’s greatest motor sport photographers, his friend, Pete Biro. However, this is not a picture and caption book but a solid piece of motor sport history from Formula 1 and Indy car racing, to sports car racing.
Pete Biro covered racing both in the USA and Europe and Levy has selected photos from his archives that fit such chapters on, for example, the launch and success of Ford Total Performance, the Innovators like Colin Chapman and Jim Hall, McLaren’s domination of Can-Am the effects of commercial sponsorship the great engineers: even a four photo record and background to the fist fight between Sam Posey and Peter Revson at the Riverside Trans-Am.
George Levy has also produced a number of fascinating anecdotes and quotes that are new and truly add to our knowledge of racing during that remarkably dangerous 1960-1970 period of modern racing.
It is as interesting and informative to a European or non-American enthusiast as it is to an American who seeks more insight to the engineers, designers, mechanics and, of course, drivers.
You could give this book to a young enthusiast who wants to know more about the period and it would enrich him but at the same time it is a valuable historical record published by Motor Books at a very acceptable price for a hard cover book of this quality.
Most of all it brings out the sheer variety of racing and the quality of the photographic work of Pete Biro who had already selected his favourite racing photos but sadly he died before seeing the proofs of this book.
George Levy dips into various areas of racing, the women who were successful in racing, the measures taken for safety in what was an incredibly dangerous period, the engineers like Mauro Forghieri at Ferrari and even the movie stars when Hollywood came into international racing.
It is the kind of book you can open at any page and be launched into a concise but balanced description of both the time and the period.
George Damon Levy (born January 30, 1956) is a motorsports author, speaker, and historian and former editor of the enthusiast magazine Autoweek, and retired president of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.[1] He has contributed to various automotive publications and websites, including Motor Sport, Autoweek, RACER, Car and Driver and Vintage Motorsport. (Wiki)
Motorsport Mavericks: Pete Biro and George Levy Published by Motorbooks: ISBN 978-0-7603-9905-7 Price: US $50, UK £38.00 Canada $60
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