Richard Williams (4) (1947–)

Since there are some fine reviews for this book, I’ll only make a few observations. The opening is a moving and riveting portrait of how impactful the tragic death of Ayrton Senna truly was; not just to his country, to whom he became a symbol of hope and excellence, but to the entire racing world, who knew that he was the greatest among them, perhaps the greatest of all-time.

You can feel Senna here in these pages, warts and all. The great moments on track are covered, including a near show more out-of-body experience for the religious Senna, when he went beyond the car's limits and something greater seemed to have taken over. By the end of this book, you feel how great Senna was, and understand why the word Senna, is and always will be followed by a moment of awe and sadness.

A byproduct of the portrait so deftly painted of this fine but flawed man, with talent so great it supersedes generations, is the understanding and insight provided to the reader about the corrupt politics and sometimes lack of integrity in Formula One. If you’re a real fan, you’ll already know, but this may be the finest book available to those who really don’t understand the nuances of this pinnacle of racing. After reading this, you’ll have a rather low opinion of some truly big names in the sport, and suspicions that the word of those over the years running the sport may not be all that trustworthy. Somerset Maugham once remarked that Monaco was a sunny getaway for shady people. It might be fair to say that after reading The Death of Ayrton Senna, many will come away thinking Formula One is a shady place for sunny people. At least some of them are sunny. Senna was like a bright sun whose good qualities combined with his talent to outweigh his flaws, and that definitely comes across in this relatively brief — by today’s bloated standards — look at his life, death, and impact.

When it comes to the crash that took him from us, no other section highlights more the shady nature of Formula One, especially at that time. The reader will come away asking themselves: Who is lying here? Because obviously, as this section highlights, someone is not being completely forthcoming. Senna’s well-founded suspicions that year about a rival team is covered, as is the mystery surrounding his crash, since many believe — and still do — that Senna was so good, that to make an error that basic was not in his racing DNA. That only leaves more questions, questions that will probably never be answered to anyone’s satisfaction.

All we can do is celebrate Senna’s life, and mourn his loss. And this book accomplishes both. I’d recommend this with the highest rating for any fan of the sport — whether a fan of Senna or just the sport in general. But most of all, I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to grasp the world of Formula One. Both a touching tribute, an honest portrait, and a sometimes unpleasant look at the world’s pinnacle of racing. show less

If you recognise the man on the cover, you'll know you want to read this book. If you don't, I'm here to tell you - it is Chet baker - then you need to read this book. You may think that some of the pieces in here are not for you (Sinatra, Muddy Waters, whoever) but you'd be wrong. Richard Williams' writing brings each musician to life. If you've blood in your veins you'll immediately want to rush out and sample their music. It was published in 2000 and therefore should be viewed almost as a show more review of popular music of the 20th century. Rolling Stone magazine would call these 'think pieces'. But that barely does them justice.

I have read other books by this author and to my mind he is one of the best and most thoughtful writers out there. It is no wonder Miles Davis showed even a white Englishman such respect. But maybe I'm biased, as I happen to agree with every word of his portrait of Miles.

you like this, definitely find yourself a copy of Nick Kent's The Dark Stuff. These two books make great companion pieces. show less

A very fine narrative on how Kind of Blue was made - and what a digression from Miles' progression it actually is - and how it resonates and influences the next 20 years of popular music. How well you like this depends on what your musical tastes are - for me the sections following the natural path through Coltrane and freeer forms of jazz was fascinating as were the chapters on The Velvet Underground and Brian Eno. For me, I'm not so big on Terry Riley and Steve Reich so those chapters were show more of less interest. But its beautifully done

And its still amazing to me that 6 musicians walked into a small midtown Manhatten studio for 2 x 3 hour sessions in 1959 and without any rehearsal casually created a timeless masterpiece before sloping off to their day jobs, and in most cases, never playing the music again. Remarkable show less

I realise now how little I knew about Ayrton Senna. I didn't know about his well off and comfortable background. I wasn't aware of the risks he took. I wasn't aware of the scale of his rivalry with Alain Prost. I wasn't aware of his technological insight and know how. All I really knew is that he was a great driver who sadly lost his life in a horrific crash at Imola in 1994. The book is excellent about Senna's life, death and formula one in general. To succeed these drivers transcend the show more possible. show less