Working The Wheel Paperback – Illustrated, 15 October 2005

I've read it twice already and will read again!

I very much like Martin Brundle's television F1 commentary - I think he is one of the best thing's about Formula 1 - so buying this book was a no brainer for me. I found the book a very easy read and very enjoyable. Each chapter is devoted to one particular track (Le Mans, Monza, Montreal, etc.). Martin Brundle will describe how each circuit is to drive and recall various memories he has of the place and the surroundings - including the people. He writes in a down-to-earth kind of way and never gets too technical. And, like his on-air commentating, his words are laced with (seeming) honesty, knowledge, humility and humour. I am not a racer but I am a big race fan. And I found he balanced the technical aspects of each race track with entertaining stories that surround it very well. I definitely feel like I have a far better understanding of not only the tracks he describes, but also the areas and the people surrounding them. The only disappointment I had was that I had hoped to read more about himself and his life. It's not that he does not give lots of details about these things - he definitely does. It is just that I foolishly assumed the book was more of a biography and less a book about racing and his life in it. Even though a quick glance at the pages would have told me otherwise. But, that minor disappointment aside, I found the book every bit as charming as he seems to be on television and I highly recommend this book for both those that are racing obsessed and those who are more casual in their passion for it.

You might think that a race track is just a circular piece of tarmac, framed by kerbs, white paint, grass and gravel traps, but you couldn't be more wrong! There's so much more than meets the eye! Never ever have I read or heard race tracks described like this.Everyone knows about the Eau Rouge being a steep hill, everybody knows that Monaco has walls and bumps and slippery paint, but hardly anyone tells you about the little cross slope of the Monaco track, just after the tunnel, and why it is is so hard to get a wide line into the chicane. Ever wondered why Räikkönen crashed into Sutil on this rather innocent looking piece of tarmac in 2008? Did anyone tell you about that little road up to the plateau of the Paul Ricard circuit where some local heroes sometimes outpaced some of the world's finest drivers once in a while? What do you know about the special smell and atmosphere of the Interlagos circuit and which corner of it looks far more difficult than you'd ever expected and why? This book tells you all the little, dirty secrets of the tracks, that not only Martin Brundle had to learn the hard way, once in a while. You'll watch races in a different way after you have read this.This book is outstanding, for there is possibly no other like this, which is a shame! A must-buy that you won't regret!

I got this book as an Xmas pressie along with the Zanardi biog (lucky me!) after playing 'eeny meeny miney mo' I began reading MB's book first. Now I have read it I thought I would share some of the things that occur to me that might influence your choosing to buy this book.First let me say that I have read a lot of books on motor racing. Among the best I have on my shelf are those where MH is involved - I also enjoy his Radio 5 commentaries on F1 with JL. So in some respects I was a little puzzled was how these two could have got together... they are in effect counterparts, competitors even. Nonetheless, their collaboration is a successful one. I enjoyed this book a lot.Quite a bit has been written about this kind of high performance racing and not all of it is worth the cover price. This one is IMHO on the pricey side... relecting the sport maybe but not all of us have this sort of cash to spend in speculation.You don't have to read this book from cover to cover. Maybe you can dip into it - read the chapter on your fave track first etc. It kind of follows the F1 season but only for the older tracks, there's no mention of the new dates in the F1 calendar... well, there couldn't be because it covers only the tracks where MB has raced. Two nice surprises were the inclusion of Le Mans and Brands Hatch.Some parts of the book had me skimming a bit because the technical detail was a shade too much. But that does not detract from the flow, maybe you simply want to get on to the next bit of action! There is action aplenty here. It could have easily be sub-titled 'Brundle's Big Moments'. As in 'having a big moment'. i.e. crashing. Poor lad has had some near misses just about everywhere... he explains how he gets back behind the wheel but I for one doubt I could have done if I had been knocked about like he has.He's seen a lot from behind the wheel of lots of great cars. If you are a Mclaren fan then there is much here to savour. He also comments on the other drivers especially Senna and Schumacher - team mates and rivals - and what has happened to them along the way. Maybe it would have been nice to get some more behind the scenes stories but that is not what this book is about. There's plenty of interpretation though and I liked his assessment of how come MS is so much better than nearly everyone else (love him or loathe him).It was also a revelation as to why the F1 racer does not need a speedometer.... I have seen F1 and GT cars in action and yet even that cannot get across the sheer speed, grip and braking these guys experience. No wonder they are super-fit and appear to be so fearless.MB is a great guy for sharing this with us (it was overdue!) and when you have finished this book you will also wonder how he never came to take that top step on the podium. Less deserving drivers have had that privilege but it has not embittered him. His passion for motor sport comes across well and you can almost hear him reading it to you like he was on the TV.Finally, this book fits nicely alongside Perry McCarthy's biography on my bookshelf - contemporaries and rivals, both are Brits who could have been up there with Damon... Reading these books shows that you need a hell of a lot of the right breaks at the right time to get to the top and stay there!

Fantastic book! I was watching F1 since 1989, so when Martin describes his experiences, I was able to envision what he went though. I think Martin is the best commentator out there, and his fluid, entertaining grasp of the English language has been transferred to the book.