Klicka på en bild för att gå till Google Book Search.
Laddar... Colin Chapman Wayward Geniusav Mike Lawrence
Ingen/inga Laddar...
Gå med i LibraryThing för att få reda på om du skulle tycka om den här boken. Det finns inga diskussioner på LibraryThing om den här boken. inga recensioner | lägg till en recension
Mike Lawrence shows how Chapman operated in a fast-moving, highly pressurized world of international racing and car making that generated huge rewards and temptations. The crunch came when he became involved with the ill-fated Delorean car company. Inga biblioteksbeskrivningar kunde hittas. |
Pågående diskussionerIngen/inga
Google Books — Laddar... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)796.72092The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Driving motor vehicles Motor racing Subclassifications History, geographic treatment, biography BiographyBetygMedelbetyg:
Är det här du? |
The early years up to the mid 1960s occupy roughly the first half of the book. Lawrence's account could probably be considered to be definitive: it is meticulously researched and carefully presented as he ruthlessly, and almost sadistically, explodes the myths that arose around Chapman, and sets his legend into its true context. Many of Chapman's early associates contributed willingly and in great detail to create a solid chronology and to set the record straight.
Later years become increasingly less satisfactory: Chapman recedes as Lawrence trots out a more conventional history of Lotus with seemingly very little original input from the major players and with very few insights. Chapter 22 is entitled "Losing The Plot", but by then the author has certainly lost his! The watershed is around the period that Lotus moved to Norfolk and even Lawrence admits his story becomes less interesting from that point until winding it up with the infamous Delorean affair.
On several occasions Lawrence is disparaging of Norfolk (we are not all Turnip growers!), and is inaccurate in his geography (Snetterton is not in north-east Norfolk). Indeed, his questionable accuracy in other known areas (eg John Surtees was not the last motorcycle racer to move to cars) reduces the reader's confidence in his writing, which, together with his opinionated and confrontational style (eg he doesn't believe Jim Clark had a 'natural talent'), are factors that add to a sense of unease.
Overall, this is a good book within it's limited scope, but you will need to look elsewhere to find an intimate portrait of the man's complex character. Despite his obvious failings, so gleefully revealed by Lawrence, Chapman was clearly an inspiration and motivator to those around him and perhaps that was his true genius.
'Colin Chapman - The Wayward Genius' is an essential addition to the corpus of material on the early years of Lotus, but is otherwise fairly disposable. Presentation is simple but acceptable with a few monochrome photos, though a number of printing errors are a frequent irritation. ( )