To Finish First

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-06-02 rating:
Best Book yet of the 'Antipodean' Motor Racing Years
This is a long book (by motor racing standards) at nearly 400 pages but I after reading it I felt that it was too short! The first part of the book had me slightly bored as it dealt largely with places/ people & cars in New Zealand which I had never really heard of (but are absolutely neccessary for the book). Once he moved to the UK in the late 50's the book just gets better and better for me.

It is not always in strict chronological order but that may not be a bad thing and if you do read it carefully it does make sense. However I was left wanting to know many things that were not in the book (probably left out by the publisher to keep the length manageable), for instance unless I had consumed too many glasses of wine & missed it (quite possible!) there is no description of obtaining Yardley Sponsorship for Maclaren but a lengthy discourse on changing it to Malborough/Texaco. Likewise apart from a couple of early mentions during the early Brabham years there is no mention of Eoin Young (that man again) or his relationship with Maclaren until the immediate aftermath of Bruce's tragic death. Also as another reviewer has mentioned his widow is never mentioned again even though the book does usefully update the lives of several other key people such as Denny Hulme & Mike Hailwood?

However overall I found the book to be absolutely superb and very informative. The balance between results and the real people behind them is probably as good as it gets. Why is it the best Motor Racing books are not produced by writers or ghost writers?

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review by: Steve Ellson date: 2008-05-08 rating:
To Finish First by Phil Kerr
Engaging and interesting from an era that I thoroughly enjoyed. Having started to be interested in motor sport from the early 60's and then having the opportunity to visit circuits from 1965 onwards, I grew up with McLaren and Brabham Racing. In 1968 I watched the McLarens being pushed out of a little workshop in the back streets of Monaco and watching Denny drive over the cobbles sans helmet. At the same time I was reading the 'Bruce & Denny show' in Autosport every Canam race.

This book brings to life all of the experiences of the sixties and seventies, particularly 1970 when so many racers lost their lives.

I think that Phil has another book tucked away in his memory banks for the anecdotes from pre 1975 and his life after McLaren. The only other person that has written about this period is Eoin Young, but from a different perspective. Lets hear it for the boys!


review by: date: 2008-03-18 rating:
A fascinating insight into a different era of racing
I received this book as a Christmas present. My first impression was that it looked like a small coffee table book - the quality of the illustrations, photo's and paper. It could be remain that but then you would miss out on a fascinating story of a different era in motor racing. Once I started reading, I was hooked. The writing style is very easy read and the structure of the book easy to understand.

For someone who has only watched Formula 1 since the days of Ayrton Senna and only peripherally aware of the origins of McLaren Racing, most of what is told was news to me. This was an era when well designed cars would last multiple seasons, when a driver surviving to retirement was unusual, when sponsors supplied material goods and when aerodynamics were just being introduced.

The thing that stands out is the camaraderie among the drivers and teams, particularly the "New Zealand" contingent. The most moving moment is the death of Bruce McLaren, the effect his loss had on everyone involved and the courage of the team and specific individuals to deliver Bruce's vision anyway.

Phil Kerr is a person who knew, and still knows, many of the great names in motor racing. There is a foreword by Sir Jack Brabham and afterword by Bernie Eccleston which both reflect on his unique position to be able to provide an insight into this era of motor racing.

This is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Formula 1, McLaren Racing or Can-Am racing.

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