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The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, The Fast Lane and Me
The Stig gets his kit off and reveals how he came to be Top Gear's iconic racing driver and so much more - including what it's like to thrash an Aston Martin DBS, train for the Army and face the terror of Jeremy Clarkson's underwear…When the Black Stig disappeared off the end of an aircraft carrier in 2003, we were introduced to The White Stig. Faster. Stranger. Harder to keep clean. And ever since, millions have wondered – who is The Man in the White Suit? They're about to find out.Ben Collins caught the car the bug young, kicking his dad's boss in the balls for not giving him a company Jag. This was the attitude that eventually led him to spend seven years sharing a cabin with Jeremy Clarkson's underwear, James May's PhD thesis and Richard Hammond's hairspray. Because he is The Stig.Now he tells all about life inside the iconic white helmet. What it's like to guide a blind ex-RAF officer around the Top Gear track; pit a drug dealer's Mitsubishi Evo against a Trojan tank; set a Vauxhall Monara against Chloe the dancing Ninja; and race double-decker Routemasters against bendy buses. Not to mention all the inside stuff on how the show's amazing driving sequences are made.He also reveals how he got to be there – settinga Dunsfold lap time faster than Michael Schumacher's. Breaking records with the best of the best at Daytona and Le Mans.It's an awesome story, told by an amazing man.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 126 reviews
July 4, 2011
I was hoping this book would give a behind-the-scenes look at the Stig and explain Ben Collins reasons for departure. For me it included far too much about his time in the army (which I found so mind-numbing I actually ended up skipping those parts) and a few scattered bits of Top Gear.
Those bits were interesting enough, but sadly lacking in any real feeling of "being there" that most autobiographies give.
The ending was just a let down as it glossed over his departure and ended without really giving the reader anything that he/she more than likely bought the book for.
The truth is, most people who bought this book didn't want Ben Collins, they wanted The Stig. It just comes across as if he is too egotistical to realise this.
I hate giving bad reviews (and I hope this is the only one I ever have to do!) but this is the only book in my collection that I would gladly throw away / give away / let burn in a fire.
1 star at best... sorry!
Those bits were interesting enough, but sadly lacking in any real feeling of "being there" that most autobiographies give.
The ending was just a let down as it glossed over his departure and ended without really giving the reader anything that he/she more than likely bought the book for.
The truth is, most people who bought this book didn't want Ben Collins, they wanted The Stig. It just comes across as if he is too egotistical to realise this.
I hate giving bad reviews (and I hope this is the only one I ever have to do!) but this is the only book in my collection that I would gladly throw away / give away / let burn in a fire.
1 star at best... sorry!
May 17, 2021
5 Stars for The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, The Fast Lane and Me by Ben Collins read by the author.
This was a wonderful story. Glimpses behind the scenes at one of my favorite TV shows. He really filled in a lot of details about Top Gear that helps me appreciate what was going on on set. And Ben Collins life was fascinating too. I found that many of my assumptions about him were wrong. What all he was doing why’ll he was the Stig and the lengths he went to to keep his identity a secret was amazing.
This was a wonderful story. Glimpses behind the scenes at one of my favorite TV shows. He really filled in a lot of details about Top Gear that helps me appreciate what was going on on set. And Ben Collins life was fascinating too. I found that many of my assumptions about him were wrong. What all he was doing why’ll he was the Stig and the lengths he went to to keep his identity a secret was amazing.
June 20, 2011
I purely read this book because I wanted to know more about The Stig and Top Gear. I didn’t really know anything about Ben Collins prior to this.
This book reads more like an autobiography of Ben Collins up to his departure from Top Gear (although it is VERY sketchy on the details and reasons why this happened). We learn about his childhood (interesting), younger days riding karts and various cars (interesting), army days (quite boring) and then we hit Top Gear days. This was by far and away the best part of the book for me. It was interesting to learn that Collins was actually being the Stig on the tube (public transport vs car vs bike vs boat), I would have thought someone else would do that. Riding with Tom Cruise, teaching a blind man to drive the Top Gear track and Richard Hammond’s crash (covered by the man himself in On the Edge), it’s all there. Ben Collins can cover how to drive very fast really, really well. The stories about Top Gear were very entertaining and witty. But towards the end of the book, we suddenly hear about how he is tired about the extreme secrecy he must maintain in his role as The Stig, how he’s getting a bit tired of the whole thing and then…it’s over. Given that the BBC tried to put an injunction on the publication of this book, there must be more! Why does Jeremy Clarkson react so negatively when questioned about Collins as The Stig? Why does Collins himself seem so jealous when a decoy in the form of Michael Schumacher appears on the show? The ending, the leaving is tied up so quickly and perfectly in a big red bow you just know that it’s hiding a dirty big coffee stain underneath.
A fairly interesting and light read, this would appeal to Top Gear fans (obviously) and boys interested in cars and racing. I’d also be interested in hearing about what Collins is doing now (surely being on Fifth Gear is incorrect?) but not enough to read another book.
This book reads more like an autobiography of Ben Collins up to his departure from Top Gear (although it is VERY sketchy on the details and reasons why this happened). We learn about his childhood (interesting), younger days riding karts and various cars (interesting), army days (quite boring) and then we hit Top Gear days. This was by far and away the best part of the book for me. It was interesting to learn that Collins was actually being the Stig on the tube (public transport vs car vs bike vs boat), I would have thought someone else would do that. Riding with Tom Cruise, teaching a blind man to drive the Top Gear track and Richard Hammond’s crash (covered by the man himself in On the Edge), it’s all there. Ben Collins can cover how to drive very fast really, really well. The stories about Top Gear were very entertaining and witty. But towards the end of the book, we suddenly hear about how he is tired about the extreme secrecy he must maintain in his role as The Stig, how he’s getting a bit tired of the whole thing and then…it’s over. Given that the BBC tried to put an injunction on the publication of this book, there must be more! Why does Jeremy Clarkson react so negatively when questioned about Collins as The Stig? Why does Collins himself seem so jealous when a decoy in the form of Michael Schumacher appears on the show? The ending, the leaving is tied up so quickly and perfectly in a big red bow you just know that it’s hiding a dirty big coffee stain underneath.
A fairly interesting and light read, this would appeal to Top Gear fans (obviously) and boys interested in cars and racing. I’d also be interested in hearing about what Collins is doing now (surely being on Fifth Gear is incorrect?) but not enough to read another book.
August 2, 2011
Finally finished this book! I'm happy it's over because it was a real drag and at times failed so badly at keeping my attention. His writing stlye is so clunky and all over the place that I found myself needed to reread sentances and pages over and over again. It was frustrating. One thing that pained me was he expects you to understand the driving lingo and doesn't bother to explain things sooo if you're not a revhead you'll surely be left scratching your head. He uses a chatty style but it just misses the mark and his use of descriptive words are a little over the top. It felt like fodder, needing to add more to the book by adding in tuns of descriptive words which weren't really needed.
Within a few chapters you find out he doesn't let anyone know he is "The Stig" but yet a few chapters down he's sipping beers with the boys aka Top Gear presenters. SO what the frick happened? They obviously found out yet he decided to omitt this very important detail from the book..WTF? He also mentioned he lied to family and friends about his job but I really, really wonder if he did.
He's not a good writer. And I found everything about his life to be a bore. I honestly only bought the book because I wanted to read about his antics as Stig but before you got to that nugget you had to suffer through all this Army crap and honestly I ended up skippig alot of it. Boredom!
Blegh..Glad it's over..Not fun read..Not at all.
Within a few chapters you find out he doesn't let anyone know he is "The Stig" but yet a few chapters down he's sipping beers with the boys aka Top Gear presenters. SO what the frick happened? They obviously found out yet he decided to omitt this very important detail from the book..WTF? He also mentioned he lied to family and friends about his job but I really, really wonder if he did.
He's not a good writer. And I found everything about his life to be a bore. I honestly only bought the book because I wanted to read about his antics as Stig but before you got to that nugget you had to suffer through all this Army crap and honestly I ended up skippig alot of it. Boredom!
Blegh..Glad it's over..Not fun read..Not at all.
October 3, 2016
I read and thoroughly enjoyed “Flat Out, Flat Broke”, the autobiography of Perry McCarthy, who was the first person to play The Stig on “Top Gear”. Given that I have remained a fan of the show and am something of a completist, it was inevitable that I would want to get my hands on the autobiography of his replacement. Even more so as I remember the BBC taking Harper Collins to court in an attempt to stop publication, on the basis that publication of this book would reveal what was supposedly a secret identity, even though a number of people had suspected that Ben Collins was playing The Stig for years and it had already appeared in the press that he was potentially The Stig. I suspect the whole thing was merely an attempt to drum up sales, as if the quality of Ben Collins’ “The Man in the White Suit” had been left alone to speak for itself, it wouldn’t have sold nearly as many copies as it did.
Ben Collins has achieved quite a lot over the years. Whilst he was The Stig for seven years, he was also in the Army Reserves and went through all the tough physical training that requires, he drove at the 24 Hours of Le mans on several occasions, as well as in a number of other races in varying car types and was also a decent swimmer in his younger years. Between all this, he managed to find time to become a husband and father as well as doing some stunt driving for Hollywood films, including driving as James Bond on one occasion. As The Stig, his job was to train major (and slightly less major) celebrities how best to drive a lap of the “Top Gear” track for their “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment and set the fastest possible lap in some of the world’s fastest production cars, as well as taking part in some of the ”Top Gear” races and challenges, albeit rarely seriously.
For all that he has done, this book is very narrow in scope. His race driving gets more time than it seemingly deserves and his stunt driving experiences probably took more time to write about than they did to actually film. There are a few interesting back stage stories from “Top Gear Live” and the majority of the book was, unsurprisingly, about his experiences on the television version of “Top Gear”, but other areas were noticeably lacking. His girlfriend and then wife is mentioned fleetingly and the birth of their child is mentioned, but largely in passing. His parents do get a mention at the start of Collins’ life and the end of his father’s, but are noticeably virtually absent from all the parts in between and his Army Reserves training is covered in detail when it comes to the physical training, but once passed, his Army time isn’t mentioned again until he’s given it up. No autobiography could contain everything a person has done, but this is a collection of scraps even by normal autobiography standards.
What becomes quite obvious early on is why these aspects of Collins’ life have been selected for inclusion here. At no point is he anything other than brilliant in these pages. Reading this book, you would think that he drove all 24 hours of the Le Mans races on his own, only handing the car over so someone else could either crash it or drive it significantly slower than he did. There were others going through Army Reserves training with him, but Collins was apparently head and shoulders above all of them, even when he was suffering from an injury and he was seemingly a natural when it comes to the stunt driving, apparently showing more experienced stunt drivers how to achieve things even in his first days on set. Where Perry McCarthy crashed his cars on a fairly regular basis during his racing days, it seems this hardly ever happened to Ben Collins and it was always someone else’s fault on the rare occasion it did happen. Reading this book, you would think that everything he touched he excelled at and it’s remarkably self-serving and arrogant even by the usual standards of “celebrity” autobiographies, at least the ones I’ve read. Perhaps knowing the publication was certain to end his time as The Stig and he would be looking for work, this is more a 400-page curriculum vitae than it is an autobiography.
Only rarely does Collins come across as something approaching human. His concern for Richard Hammond after the accident that left Hammond fighting for his life is touching, although only mentioned briefly. It’s only when talking about his father, particularly in his recollections from his younger years that Collins writes with any emotion at all and his father’s death evoked some grief, although even that was tempered with Collins’ own physical injury. He also seemed to get on reasonably well with the other “Top Gear” presenters, but as little emotion was wasted on his wife and family as word count, leaving that aspect of Collins’ life firmly off limits to the reader.
This lack of personal detail and much semblance of humanity does narrow the scope of the appeal this book is likely to have to anyone except motor racing fanatics and avid “Top Gear” watchers. When it comes to driving a race car, it seems that Ben Collins does at least have a fair idea of what he’s doing, which is probably why he was selected to train celebrity drivers on “Top Gear”. The problem is that he goes into a level of detail that really isn’t all that interesting to someone like me, who enjoys seeing cars driven fast, but isn’t terribly bothered about doing it myself. I know how to perform a handbrake turn, but I’m not looking at becoming an expert in doing them, so I don’t really need to know the optimal moment to pull the handbrake to expertly execute one. Collins is so much of a race driving instructor, that he can’t help but try to instruct even when he’s talking about his own driving experiences.
Fans of Clarkson era “Top Gear” will appreciate this book more than anyone else, as Collins does go into a lot more detail about this aspect of his life and career than any other and he talks sometimes about how things come together back stage and gives some brief thoughts about some of the celebrity drivers’ personalities and driving styles, although even here the focus is always on himself and you would think that some of the segments were entirely his idea or only came about because of his contacts. The lack of any warmth or anything about his personal life makes it feel as if he has written the book more as The Stig than as Ben Collins, although this is hardly surprising given the book’s title and that Collins was far better known when you didn’t know who he was than he had been or ever will be now we do know. Given his general arrogance and attitude, it’s also no real surprise to discover that he seems to have gotten on particularly well with Jeremy Clarkson.
As much as I enjoy “Top Gear”, I found the book’s narrow focus to be a disappointment, as I did with Richard Hammond’s second book “As You Do”, which had a similarly narrow focus, although being Hammond, that book had bags more personality than this one. “The Man in the White Suit” lacks all the humour and humility that made Perry McCarthy’s “Flat Out, Flat Broke” such a good read and all the humanity and personal detail that many people read “celebrity” autobiographies for. After all the furore about whether Collins should be allowed to publish a book revealing himself as The Stig, I find that I preferred him when he didn’t speak and I didn’t know who he was.
Ben Collins has achieved quite a lot over the years. Whilst he was The Stig for seven years, he was also in the Army Reserves and went through all the tough physical training that requires, he drove at the 24 Hours of Le mans on several occasions, as well as in a number of other races in varying car types and was also a decent swimmer in his younger years. Between all this, he managed to find time to become a husband and father as well as doing some stunt driving for Hollywood films, including driving as James Bond on one occasion. As The Stig, his job was to train major (and slightly less major) celebrities how best to drive a lap of the “Top Gear” track for their “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment and set the fastest possible lap in some of the world’s fastest production cars, as well as taking part in some of the ”Top Gear” races and challenges, albeit rarely seriously.
For all that he has done, this book is very narrow in scope. His race driving gets more time than it seemingly deserves and his stunt driving experiences probably took more time to write about than they did to actually film. There are a few interesting back stage stories from “Top Gear Live” and the majority of the book was, unsurprisingly, about his experiences on the television version of “Top Gear”, but other areas were noticeably lacking. His girlfriend and then wife is mentioned fleetingly and the birth of their child is mentioned, but largely in passing. His parents do get a mention at the start of Collins’ life and the end of his father’s, but are noticeably virtually absent from all the parts in between and his Army Reserves training is covered in detail when it comes to the physical training, but once passed, his Army time isn’t mentioned again until he’s given it up. No autobiography could contain everything a person has done, but this is a collection of scraps even by normal autobiography standards.
What becomes quite obvious early on is why these aspects of Collins’ life have been selected for inclusion here. At no point is he anything other than brilliant in these pages. Reading this book, you would think that he drove all 24 hours of the Le Mans races on his own, only handing the car over so someone else could either crash it or drive it significantly slower than he did. There were others going through Army Reserves training with him, but Collins was apparently head and shoulders above all of them, even when he was suffering from an injury and he was seemingly a natural when it comes to the stunt driving, apparently showing more experienced stunt drivers how to achieve things even in his first days on set. Where Perry McCarthy crashed his cars on a fairly regular basis during his racing days, it seems this hardly ever happened to Ben Collins and it was always someone else’s fault on the rare occasion it did happen. Reading this book, you would think that everything he touched he excelled at and it’s remarkably self-serving and arrogant even by the usual standards of “celebrity” autobiographies, at least the ones I’ve read. Perhaps knowing the publication was certain to end his time as The Stig and he would be looking for work, this is more a 400-page curriculum vitae than it is an autobiography.
Only rarely does Collins come across as something approaching human. His concern for Richard Hammond after the accident that left Hammond fighting for his life is touching, although only mentioned briefly. It’s only when talking about his father, particularly in his recollections from his younger years that Collins writes with any emotion at all and his father’s death evoked some grief, although even that was tempered with Collins’ own physical injury. He also seemed to get on reasonably well with the other “Top Gear” presenters, but as little emotion was wasted on his wife and family as word count, leaving that aspect of Collins’ life firmly off limits to the reader.
This lack of personal detail and much semblance of humanity does narrow the scope of the appeal this book is likely to have to anyone except motor racing fanatics and avid “Top Gear” watchers. When it comes to driving a race car, it seems that Ben Collins does at least have a fair idea of what he’s doing, which is probably why he was selected to train celebrity drivers on “Top Gear”. The problem is that he goes into a level of detail that really isn’t all that interesting to someone like me, who enjoys seeing cars driven fast, but isn’t terribly bothered about doing it myself. I know how to perform a handbrake turn, but I’m not looking at becoming an expert in doing them, so I don’t really need to know the optimal moment to pull the handbrake to expertly execute one. Collins is so much of a race driving instructor, that he can’t help but try to instruct even when he’s talking about his own driving experiences.
Fans of Clarkson era “Top Gear” will appreciate this book more than anyone else, as Collins does go into a lot more detail about this aspect of his life and career than any other and he talks sometimes about how things come together back stage and gives some brief thoughts about some of the celebrity drivers’ personalities and driving styles, although even here the focus is always on himself and you would think that some of the segments were entirely his idea or only came about because of his contacts. The lack of any warmth or anything about his personal life makes it feel as if he has written the book more as The Stig than as Ben Collins, although this is hardly surprising given the book’s title and that Collins was far better known when you didn’t know who he was than he had been or ever will be now we do know. Given his general arrogance and attitude, it’s also no real surprise to discover that he seems to have gotten on particularly well with Jeremy Clarkson.
As much as I enjoy “Top Gear”, I found the book’s narrow focus to be a disappointment, as I did with Richard Hammond’s second book “As You Do”, which had a similarly narrow focus, although being Hammond, that book had bags more personality than this one. “The Man in the White Suit” lacks all the humour and humility that made Perry McCarthy’s “Flat Out, Flat Broke” such a good read and all the humanity and personal detail that many people read “celebrity” autobiographies for. After all the furore about whether Collins should be allowed to publish a book revealing himself as The Stig, I find that I preferred him when he didn’t speak and I didn’t know who he was.
December 4, 2010
‘The difference between the exceptionally brave and the plain stupid is a fine line.’
Ben Collins, born in 1975, has competed in motorsport since 1994. He worked with Top Gear (both as the anonymous ‘tame racing driver’ -The Stig - and also as himself since December 2003.
This is his story.
Ben Collins was born in Bristol, has competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer while living in California and wanted to be a fighter pilot. When this career was ruled out because of his eyesight, he switched to cars. Ben won races in nearly every category he competed in: from Formula Three to LeMans Sportscars, and GT. In 2003 he won the European ASCAR title while racing for RML Motorsport. When his racing career was temporarily curtailed by a lack of funding, Ben joined the Army reserves. He also began a new venture working as a Hollywood stuntman.
In 2003, Ben became the fourth presenter on BBC TV’s ‘Top Gear.’ As ‘The Stig’, he test drove exotic cars, coached celebrities how to get the best out of the ‘reasonably priced car’ around the now legendary Top Gear test track. As ‘the man in the white suit’, he was recognised by millions of Top Gear fans around the world.
This book makes for interesting reading both for Top Gear fans curious about the identity of The Stig, but also for those interested in Ben Collins as an accomplished racing driver.
I found this an easy and interesting read, especially the descriptions of his driving experiences. As an Australian, I enjoyed his reference to the yellow flags (specifically in relation to kangaroos) at Bathurst.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Ben Collins, born in 1975, has competed in motorsport since 1994. He worked with Top Gear (both as the anonymous ‘tame racing driver’ -The Stig - and also as himself since December 2003.
This is his story.
Ben Collins was born in Bristol, has competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer while living in California and wanted to be a fighter pilot. When this career was ruled out because of his eyesight, he switched to cars. Ben won races in nearly every category he competed in: from Formula Three to LeMans Sportscars, and GT. In 2003 he won the European ASCAR title while racing for RML Motorsport. When his racing career was temporarily curtailed by a lack of funding, Ben joined the Army reserves. He also began a new venture working as a Hollywood stuntman.
In 2003, Ben became the fourth presenter on BBC TV’s ‘Top Gear.’ As ‘The Stig’, he test drove exotic cars, coached celebrities how to get the best out of the ‘reasonably priced car’ around the now legendary Top Gear test track. As ‘the man in the white suit’, he was recognised by millions of Top Gear fans around the world.
This book makes for interesting reading both for Top Gear fans curious about the identity of The Stig, but also for those interested in Ben Collins as an accomplished racing driver.
I found this an easy and interesting read, especially the descriptions of his driving experiences. As an Australian, I enjoyed his reference to the yellow flags (specifically in relation to kangaroos) at Bathurst.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
December 18, 2011
Ben Collins’ book about the history of being The Stig, is fascinating, the first half to three fourths of the book are excellent, where the final section of the book drags. The stories become longer but less interesting, and it feels a bit “you’ve done amazing things, we know how this will all turn out”. The ending is unsatisfying in a couple ways, and the more momentous occasions are skimmed, while the minor events are needlessly verbose. The book seems to change about halfway through where the stories are less about Ben Collins’ life. And becomes all about Top Gear. The stories about his military disappear but only get a fleeting mention in the final chapters.
It makes what is a fascinating read into a Top Gear Fan Only’s book. And it’s sad because the stories up to that point are beyond fascinating. You want to hear more, and end up with far less.
But so what? I absolutely love it. The Top Gear stories are what you came for. And while you want more of the other stories at the end, the stories that remain are still enjoyable.
March 4, 2011
Okay, I read this book because I do watch Top Gear with my husband. It is one of the funniest shows on TV.
September 10, 2012
"...I turned right into the Follow Through and buried the throttle." (70)
"Kojak was a bald regular Army veteran with a mysterious past, who met every challenge by ripping its face off." (96)
"Driven right, it launched like a scalded cat." (110)
"A gold head torch flickered in the distance. Voices ... An unforgettable sense of euphoria grew inside me and made the pain irrelevant.
It was acutely personal. No car had carried me to this place, nor had luck. The training officer took my name and number at the final checkpoint. No one asked to see my Fucking Big Rock.
I slumped on my bergen in a shit state. One of the DSs handed me a brew with some 'airborne smarties' to kill the pain. It was the best tea I had ever tasted, followed by the best shower in the world and the kind of sleep that money can't buy. I never felt so alive." (120)
"Ken was the devil to most of us but I admired his perfectionism, and not just the ability to swear several times in every sentence. His relentless abuse was timeless, whether it was lunchtime and someone wasn't loading rounds into a magazine fast enough, or 3am and someone wasn't in exactly the spot where they were supposed to be for an ambush. He cared, I suspected, because he had witnessed the consequences of getting it wrong." (125)
"Geordie gathered us round.
'So what have we learnt from this exercise, lads?'
'Should've joined the Air Corps,' Cartman said, catching his breath.
'Don't get shot, simple as that. Otherwise you're all fookared. Right, collect the brass, pack up and Foxtrot Oscar.'" (126)
"Smoke blossomed from my tyres as the topside melted away and the canvas shredded and punctured. The wall rushed up behind me.
There was a moment of peace, then the concrete intervened. I shouted the air from my lungs on impact." (134)
"Andy, not unreasonably, wanted to know that we could actually pull this off before shelling out for a crew to capture footage or a man falling to his death, then being run over and killed all over again." (139) // catching a parachutist in the backseat of a car at speed
"We loaded him up with his harness and padded his arms and knees. I softened the landing zone with thick blankets and foam and wound the passenger seat fully forward to give him space. For my own protection, I donned the obligatory Ray Bans." (140)
"The engine [of the Bugatti Veyron] didn't propel the wheels as much as shove millions of cubic litres of the earth's atmosphere out of the way at one third of the speed of sound.
The tyres were only rated to run at top speed for fifteen minutes, but at 250 you emptied the fuel tank in twelve minutes anyway. My favourite stat: the motor consumed an estimated 45,000 litres of air per hour.
Complicated physics and supercars normally equalled frequent and catastrophic mechanical failure. Volkswagen group, owner of Audi and Lamborghini, bought Bugatti and provided the Veyron with the metronomic reliability of a Swiss watch in a way that only German engineers could.
There will never be another production car so dedicated to the purity of speed, so perfectly delivered, and the economics of selling a car for £850,000 that costs more like £3m to produce are unlikely to return soon, unless the Pharaohs make a comeback.
In 2005 I knew none of this bar the price tag, which failed to impress me. Racing cars were far more valuable and were built to be thrashed, not worshipped. I had to get to the basement of the NatWest Tower, located the car and drive it, fast, from London to Milan." (196)
"The Veyron had been boxed in, nose into the wall of the underground car park. Rear vision was poor, probably because nothing stayed close enough to worry about." (198)
"Getting from A to B took longer than the actual race, because we kept stopping to position film crew and because every traffic cop in Western Europe wanted to see how fast it would go." (198)
"Your eyes only moved from the road's horizon for milliseconds, anticipating the cumbersome trajectories of the other 'static' road users well in advance as the Bug gobbled tarmac at a rate of 340 feet per second, the length of a football pitch in a blink of an eye.
A line of flashing lights whipped into view, blocking the fast lane. Traffic accumulated. I pulled the ripcord and hit the brakes, knocking the Bug out of speed mode. The rear wing went vertical to form an airbrake, the suspension adjusted smoothly to the interruption and the ABS crackled underfoot.
They told me it could stop dead from 250 in ten seconds. What bull. It took less than that." (201)
"I gunned the engine and felt the brawn of the cylinders rumbling behind the seat.
I gate Jim the thumbs up. He grinned. 'Be careful out there!'
'Never.'" (205)
"'Oi, mate, what car's that, then?' a besuited specttor had shouted to the man with the duster from behind the track barrier.
The Italian politely upturned his hands. 'Mi dispiace, che io non parlano Inglese...'
'What , no speaky English?' The suit looked left and right for an audience that failed to materialise. The laugh was on him anyway. He was insulting Mr. Pagani [designer of the Zonda, fastest lap time on Top Gear] himself, a gentleman wealthy enought o leave a plantinum horse's head on his pillow." (210)
"You needed to be slightly unhinged to want to drive down a runway at 300 mph like spam in a can. Sure, it took some skill launching off the line and holding the car straight, but no amount of it could save you if the engine exploded, the wheels fell off, the parachute failed or if you involuntarily shat out your kidneys with fear." (234)
"Since none of us had drifted a bus before, I climbed aboard Hammond's Bendy to lay down a marker. She was hardly top of the range. the electrics were dead, so we kick-started the thing by thumping the battery with a sledgehammer. I fired the engine and waited several minutes to build enough pressure in the system to release the air brakes and move forward.
Hammond climbed aboard and took a ringside seat just behind my left shoulder, one hand on the steel passenger pole that joined floor to ceiling. Our combined mental age: about twelve." (288)
"Anthony Reid had joined the regular band of reprobates. At 50 years of age he struck you as a quaint, well-spoken gent, with neat facial features to match the ever present vintage racing cap. I've held lucid conversations with Reid, some of which have even bordered on the intelligent, but remain convinced that the compartment inside his head where his brain should be contains some kind of dark matter instead. Reid was lapping his little white coach faster than anyone." (289)
"During a break in the action we set up cameras by the sharp bank at the Rally Cross intersection and told Tom to roll it. The earthen mound looked perfect for the job if he could turn sharply with enough speed. After several attempts, Tom became the first person I know of to drive a double-decker on two wheels without toppling. Luckily, we had an ace up our sleeve.
'So you want me to ram him going into that corner over there, yah?' Reid enunciated in the crispest Queen's English, as if being asked to serve tiffin." (290)
"Kojak was a bald regular Army veteran with a mysterious past, who met every challenge by ripping its face off." (96)
"Driven right, it launched like a scalded cat." (110)
"A gold head torch flickered in the distance. Voices ... An unforgettable sense of euphoria grew inside me and made the pain irrelevant.
It was acutely personal. No car had carried me to this place, nor had luck. The training officer took my name and number at the final checkpoint. No one asked to see my Fucking Big Rock.
I slumped on my bergen in a shit state. One of the DSs handed me a brew with some 'airborne smarties' to kill the pain. It was the best tea I had ever tasted, followed by the best shower in the world and the kind of sleep that money can't buy. I never felt so alive." (120)
"Ken was the devil to most of us but I admired his perfectionism, and not just the ability to swear several times in every sentence. His relentless abuse was timeless, whether it was lunchtime and someone wasn't loading rounds into a magazine fast enough, or 3am and someone wasn't in exactly the spot where they were supposed to be for an ambush. He cared, I suspected, because he had witnessed the consequences of getting it wrong." (125)
"Geordie gathered us round.
'So what have we learnt from this exercise, lads?'
'Should've joined the Air Corps,' Cartman said, catching his breath.
'Don't get shot, simple as that. Otherwise you're all fookared. Right, collect the brass, pack up and Foxtrot Oscar.'" (126)
"Smoke blossomed from my tyres as the topside melted away and the canvas shredded and punctured. The wall rushed up behind me.
There was a moment of peace, then the concrete intervened. I shouted the air from my lungs on impact." (134)
"Andy, not unreasonably, wanted to know that we could actually pull this off before shelling out for a crew to capture footage or a man falling to his death, then being run over and killed all over again." (139) // catching a parachutist in the backseat of a car at speed
"We loaded him up with his harness and padded his arms and knees. I softened the landing zone with thick blankets and foam and wound the passenger seat fully forward to give him space. For my own protection, I donned the obligatory Ray Bans." (140)
"The engine [of the Bugatti Veyron] didn't propel the wheels as much as shove millions of cubic litres of the earth's atmosphere out of the way at one third of the speed of sound.
The tyres were only rated to run at top speed for fifteen minutes, but at 250 you emptied the fuel tank in twelve minutes anyway. My favourite stat: the motor consumed an estimated 45,000 litres of air per hour.
Complicated physics and supercars normally equalled frequent and catastrophic mechanical failure. Volkswagen group, owner of Audi and Lamborghini, bought Bugatti and provided the Veyron with the metronomic reliability of a Swiss watch in a way that only German engineers could.
There will never be another production car so dedicated to the purity of speed, so perfectly delivered, and the economics of selling a car for £850,000 that costs more like £3m to produce are unlikely to return soon, unless the Pharaohs make a comeback.
In 2005 I knew none of this bar the price tag, which failed to impress me. Racing cars were far more valuable and were built to be thrashed, not worshipped. I had to get to the basement of the NatWest Tower, located the car and drive it, fast, from London to Milan." (196)
"The Veyron had been boxed in, nose into the wall of the underground car park. Rear vision was poor, probably because nothing stayed close enough to worry about." (198)
"Getting from A to B took longer than the actual race, because we kept stopping to position film crew and because every traffic cop in Western Europe wanted to see how fast it would go." (198)
"Your eyes only moved from the road's horizon for milliseconds, anticipating the cumbersome trajectories of the other 'static' road users well in advance as the Bug gobbled tarmac at a rate of 340 feet per second, the length of a football pitch in a blink of an eye.
A line of flashing lights whipped into view, blocking the fast lane. Traffic accumulated. I pulled the ripcord and hit the brakes, knocking the Bug out of speed mode. The rear wing went vertical to form an airbrake, the suspension adjusted smoothly to the interruption and the ABS crackled underfoot.
They told me it could stop dead from 250 in ten seconds. What bull. It took less than that." (201)
"I gunned the engine and felt the brawn of the cylinders rumbling behind the seat.
I gate Jim the thumbs up. He grinned. 'Be careful out there!'
'Never.'" (205)
"'Oi, mate, what car's that, then?' a besuited specttor had shouted to the man with the duster from behind the track barrier.
The Italian politely upturned his hands. 'Mi dispiace, che io non parlano Inglese...'
'What , no speaky English?' The suit looked left and right for an audience that failed to materialise. The laugh was on him anyway. He was insulting Mr. Pagani [designer of the Zonda, fastest lap time on Top Gear] himself, a gentleman wealthy enought o leave a plantinum horse's head on his pillow." (210)
"You needed to be slightly unhinged to want to drive down a runway at 300 mph like spam in a can. Sure, it took some skill launching off the line and holding the car straight, but no amount of it could save you if the engine exploded, the wheels fell off, the parachute failed or if you involuntarily shat out your kidneys with fear." (234)
"Since none of us had drifted a bus before, I climbed aboard Hammond's Bendy to lay down a marker. She was hardly top of the range. the electrics were dead, so we kick-started the thing by thumping the battery with a sledgehammer. I fired the engine and waited several minutes to build enough pressure in the system to release the air brakes and move forward.
Hammond climbed aboard and took a ringside seat just behind my left shoulder, one hand on the steel passenger pole that joined floor to ceiling. Our combined mental age: about twelve." (288)
"Anthony Reid had joined the regular band of reprobates. At 50 years of age he struck you as a quaint, well-spoken gent, with neat facial features to match the ever present vintage racing cap. I've held lucid conversations with Reid, some of which have even bordered on the intelligent, but remain convinced that the compartment inside his head where his brain should be contains some kind of dark matter instead. Reid was lapping his little white coach faster than anyone." (289)
"During a break in the action we set up cameras by the sharp bank at the Rally Cross intersection and told Tom to roll it. The earthen mound looked perfect for the job if he could turn sharply with enough speed. After several attempts, Tom became the first person I know of to drive a double-decker on two wheels without toppling. Luckily, we had an ace up our sleeve.
'So you want me to ram him going into that corner over there, yah?' Reid enunciated in the crispest Queen's English, as if being asked to serve tiffin." (290)
February 14, 2023
Having competed in an exhaustive number of racing categories and spending several years as the Stig on Top Gear, Ben Collins has led a particularly interesting life.
His insights on Top Gear, the world's biggest tv show at the time, and the different roles he was doing for the programme are intriguing - he was much more than just a tame racing driver!
His racing career gets a fair mention but the lovely glossy photos contained in the book feature a lot of images of cars and races that are only glossed over or not mentioned at all. As such the book definitely could've benefited from a little more detail on his time and experiences in categories such as Indy Lights, V8 Supercars plus there's pictures (but no mention) of a Volvo ad?!
His reasons for leaving the show are also made obvious and overall this is a definite page turner.
His insights on Top Gear, the world's biggest tv show at the time, and the different roles he was doing for the programme are intriguing - he was much more than just a tame racing driver!
His racing career gets a fair mention but the lovely glossy photos contained in the book feature a lot of images of cars and races that are only glossed over or not mentioned at all. As such the book definitely could've benefited from a little more detail on his time and experiences in categories such as Indy Lights, V8 Supercars plus there's pictures (but no mention) of a Volvo ad?!
His reasons for leaving the show are also made obvious and overall this is a definite page turner.
October 17, 2021
Odjechana książka, niczym sam bohater (duh!). Czyta się bardzo szybko, a treść jest intrygująca i jedyna w swoim rodzaju - ale to pewnie dlatego, że rzadko miałem okazję oglądać program Top Gear wcześniej. Odejmuję gwiazdkę za kilka literówek po drodze oraz za potraktowanie początkowej kariery wyścigowej bohatera po macoszemu - chętnie przeczytałbym o niej więcej.
October 15, 2017
After reading some reviews around here, I was surprised to find that it was better than expected.
I would love to see more parts about Top Gear, but his role in the army did not ruin the whole book.
I would love to see more parts about Top Gear, but his role in the army did not ruin the whole book.
December 31, 2021
This book provides a really great insight into the life of Ben Collins. It was really interesting to get a look into not just top gear, but also his racing career and military endeavors. It took me a while to really get into the book, but once I did I really enjoyed it.
June 3, 2013
While some people wanted this book to be a straight ahead kiss-and-tell about Ben Collins' time on "Top Gear," he goes right ahead and gives them a full biography instead. And good for him. A tell all would have just validated the incessant whining and indignation that greeted the publication from certain quarters at the BBC (especially, but not limited to, one particular tall whinger with short, curly hair).
Instead, this book is a full auto-biography. Oh, it's not the best biography I've ever read, or even the most interesting life I've ever read about. But for a sports or entertainment biography, this is one of the better written, more entertaining ones! Collins manages to keep the story of his life interesting and linear. It's complete and doesn't go off on meaningless tangents. It has actual emotion and humor, and I came away understanding the author better.
And as it turns out, it's got some great "Top Gear" stories too! Now, maybe I liked that bit particularly because he basically confirms much about the presenters that I wanted to believe, like that Clarkson really is that divorced from reality, that May really is that endearlingly odd, and that Hammond is the most likable of them. It also made me understand the show much better, like how they will occasionally go back after a "race" is finished and have other drivers re-run portions of it to get all the pick-up shots they would have missed the first time through. That was always the greatest evidence in my mind that it was being faked, but I'm considerably more content, now.
I really enjoyed this book. And I really enjoyed the fact that I have now been able to connect a character that I used to enjoy following to a real-life man that I now find myself rooting for.
Instead, this book is a full auto-biography. Oh, it's not the best biography I've ever read, or even the most interesting life I've ever read about. But for a sports or entertainment biography, this is one of the better written, more entertaining ones! Collins manages to keep the story of his life interesting and linear. It's complete and doesn't go off on meaningless tangents. It has actual emotion and humor, and I came away understanding the author better.
And as it turns out, it's got some great "Top Gear" stories too! Now, maybe I liked that bit particularly because he basically confirms much about the presenters that I wanted to believe, like that Clarkson really is that divorced from reality, that May really is that endearlingly odd, and that Hammond is the most likable of them. It also made me understand the show much better, like how they will occasionally go back after a "race" is finished and have other drivers re-run portions of it to get all the pick-up shots they would have missed the first time through. That was always the greatest evidence in my mind that it was being faked, but I'm considerably more content, now.
I really enjoyed this book. And I really enjoyed the fact that I have now been able to connect a character that I used to enjoy following to a real-life man that I now find myself rooting for.
July 18, 2016
I never thought I'd be too interested in this book, though I am a complete sucker for controversy. I can't say I was a follower of Top Gear or their antics, but the news surrounding Ben Collins being unmasked as The Stig seemed to be a perfect marketing tool. Whilst the programme lost their pet driver, out came a personality with enough wit to rival even Clarkson. It can be easy to forget that behind the helmet is a real man (or men, as I still believe there were multiple Stigs) with a background we hadn't heard until now.
Unfortunately, the intrigue stopped there. As I said, Collins is a witty, genuinely amusing storyteller and while I can appreciate the behind-the-scenes glimpses offering bulk to some of his more memorable appearances, hardcore fans will be left hungry with only the scraps of his army days to nibble on. His anecdotes are well written, sure, but I didn't feel they offered much to the book at all. This isn't to show disrespect for Collins and the hard work he has put in, but I can't say I enjoyed it. I was much more taken by his "hiding in plain sight" approach, offering a unique perspective of the programme from behind his overalls.
Ultimately, this book is an ego fluffer and there is nothing at all wrong with that. It's part and parcel of the business. After all, Ben Collins is fresh out of one of the most protected and guarded roles in television. Of course he's eager to spread his wings, tell his tale and explore new territories under his own name. I just can't shake that the book was too much of an advert with just enough Top Gear content to satisfy casual fans.
Unfortunately, the intrigue stopped there. As I said, Collins is a witty, genuinely amusing storyteller and while I can appreciate the behind-the-scenes glimpses offering bulk to some of his more memorable appearances, hardcore fans will be left hungry with only the scraps of his army days to nibble on. His anecdotes are well written, sure, but I didn't feel they offered much to the book at all. This isn't to show disrespect for Collins and the hard work he has put in, but I can't say I enjoyed it. I was much more taken by his "hiding in plain sight" approach, offering a unique perspective of the programme from behind his overalls.
Ultimately, this book is an ego fluffer and there is nothing at all wrong with that. It's part and parcel of the business. After all, Ben Collins is fresh out of one of the most protected and guarded roles in television. Of course he's eager to spread his wings, tell his tale and explore new territories under his own name. I just can't shake that the book was too much of an advert with just enough Top Gear content to satisfy casual fans.
August 21, 2011
Being a Top Gear fan, though not really a 'petrol head', I was a little dubious about reading this, but thought I'd give it a go and I'm so glad that I did! Though there was a lot in early chapters about the practicalities of racing and car handling, it soon became apparent that Ben Collins is a far more fascinating guy! Of course, we never knew that whilst filming on Top Gear, he was also undertaking a phenomenal physical and psychological challenge to gain entry to a division of the Army that accepts 'civvies'. The description of the reserves one has to call upon to get through the truly gruelling series of 'tests' that you need to pass before being permitted entry was really inspiring, as was the description of coaching a blind guy to drive the TG track faster than some of the sighted contenders.
The crescendo of interest in finding Stig's true identity, not helped by the HSE investigation into Hammond's crash actually naming him or the BBC's Radio Times naming him as one of two possibilities for the Stig, coincided with what was clearly a frustration at the competitive 'void' after he had to give up his Army career due to the TG workload, so it was time to try to get back to racing.
Although many seemed very disappointed by his decision to publish the book, myself initially amongst them, I am so glad that he did. I can't see why the BBC were so against it. Indeed, if somebody told me that the whole injunction and court case to prevent publication were a mere publicity stunt, I would be at all surprised.
The crescendo of interest in finding Stig's true identity, not helped by the HSE investigation into Hammond's crash actually naming him or the BBC's Radio Times naming him as one of two possibilities for the Stig, coincided with what was clearly a frustration at the competitive 'void' after he had to give up his Army career due to the TG workload, so it was time to try to get back to racing.
Although many seemed very disappointed by his decision to publish the book, myself initially amongst them, I am so glad that he did. I can't see why the BBC were so against it. Indeed, if somebody told me that the whole injunction and court case to prevent publication were a mere publicity stunt, I would be at all surprised.
October 26, 2023
"Some say that if you hold him in the wrong way he doesn’t work properly, and that just very recently he developed an irrational hatred of Rubens Barrichello. All we know is he’s called the Stig."
Having watched the masterpiece of British television that is Top Gear, I found myself wondering who is this mystery man in the polarized visor and white racing suit? What must life be like hiding your profession from everyone and getting to drive the most incredible cars on earth?
Ben Collins stepped into the position after one racing failure after another. He wholly took on the role, taking careful steps to leave all identifying information in his car, never parking in the same place twice and wearing his full racing suit and helmet when entering buildings. His role as "The Stig" took him to many countries, on many adventures and around the track of the Dunsfold Aerodrome thousands of times.
I had hoped that this book would give me a ton of behind-the-scenes information on what it was really like to have this legendary job and what it was like to work with the presenters, Jeremy, James and Richard. Collins gave some of that, but also delved into his childhood, his foray in the army, and play-by-plays of races he entered prior to Top Gear. These stories were too in-depth and I lost interest several times.
Overall, I enjoyed hearing what it was like to be on the set of Top Gear and what it was like to be behind the helmet in a role that became iconic. I loved that Collins chose to read the audio book himself.
Having watched the masterpiece of British television that is Top Gear, I found myself wondering who is this mystery man in the polarized visor and white racing suit? What must life be like hiding your profession from everyone and getting to drive the most incredible cars on earth?
Ben Collins stepped into the position after one racing failure after another. He wholly took on the role, taking careful steps to leave all identifying information in his car, never parking in the same place twice and wearing his full racing suit and helmet when entering buildings. His role as "The Stig" took him to many countries, on many adventures and around the track of the Dunsfold Aerodrome thousands of times.
I had hoped that this book would give me a ton of behind-the-scenes information on what it was really like to have this legendary job and what it was like to work with the presenters, Jeremy, James and Richard. Collins gave some of that, but also delved into his childhood, his foray in the army, and play-by-plays of races he entered prior to Top Gear. These stories were too in-depth and I lost interest several times.
Overall, I enjoyed hearing what it was like to be on the set of Top Gear and what it was like to be behind the helmet in a role that became iconic. I loved that Collins chose to read the audio book himself.
February 15, 2015
This book came to me in a round about way. A colleague at work notice the "I am the Stig" sticker on my car and recognizing another Top Gear fan, tracked me down and lent me the book. I'm glad he did as I had no idea this book actually existed and I was excited to read it.
If your not a fan of the TV show Top Gear then this book is almost certainly not for you. About half the book is about Ben Collins's upbringing, army training and professional racing career. (The army training chapters were similar experiences to those of Bear Grylls, whos bio I read last year.) The other half is an inside look at some of the more memorable episodes of Top Gear and lots of other info about the show. As you might expect this is very entertaining. Maintaining a secret identity as 'The Stig' for 8 seasons took some doing and even at the end there were very few people on the show who knew his real identity. There were lots of time when Ben had to change into his costume in an odd place, like Clark Kent changing into Superman. Having a totally secret identity caused other problems too. "The Stig" had a golden ticket on his resume for applying to any racing team, but of course Ben could not tell anybody that. Must have been very frustrating.
For Top Gear fans - great reading, 4 or 5 stars. Non Top Gear fans only 2 stars I would guess.
If your not a fan of the TV show Top Gear then this book is almost certainly not for you. About half the book is about Ben Collins's upbringing, army training and professional racing career. (The army training chapters were similar experiences to those of Bear Grylls, whos bio I read last year.) The other half is an inside look at some of the more memorable episodes of Top Gear and lots of other info about the show. As you might expect this is very entertaining. Maintaining a secret identity as 'The Stig' for 8 seasons took some doing and even at the end there were very few people on the show who knew his real identity. There were lots of time when Ben had to change into his costume in an odd place, like Clark Kent changing into Superman. Having a totally secret identity caused other problems too. "The Stig" had a golden ticket on his resume for applying to any racing team, but of course Ben could not tell anybody that. Must have been very frustrating.
For Top Gear fans - great reading, 4 or 5 stars. Non Top Gear fans only 2 stars I would guess.
July 7, 2013
I got this tome from my library; glad I didn't pay for it. I was hoping for the reasons fir his departure, but instead got a BBC-friendly version of "we aren't going to sack you....but find another one...". He spends a lot if time talking about his military time, which u skipped over. The times he does talk about being The Stig, he sorta skims over. Also, I felt that he personally came off as a whiny baby because the cast and crew didn't praise him fir his racing past. Part of the character was that not even the presenters knew who he was. I recall watching an interview with him where he said that he couldn't drink with the crew after filming was done, and felt unwelcomed by that, yet in the book, he said he adopted that antisocial attitude to farther the character's "mystique". All in all, glad that I didn't purchase it because most of the final section was so boring that I found myself skimming through them. I would, however, recommend this work to fellow Top Gear fans, but would caution them that most if it is a bore...
July 5, 2016
Collins tells a good story and I really enjoyed his writing style and humor. The story of how he got into racing, joined the Army, and simultaneously became the second Stig at Top Gear was enlightening, inspiring, and entertaining. As an avid Top Gear fan, I enjoyed the inside look at how the show is made and how the presenters, Stig, producers, and camera men interact during the making of the show and at Top Gear Live events.
My only beef is that the book comes across as heavily edited, and very narrowly representing Collins' own views of how events took place. Sometimes it seems like a sales pitch for his future career, emphasizing how he was particularly prescient in foreseeing future events, and glossing over any mistakes he made. I guess that's to be expected with an autobiography and particularly one in the ego-heavy realm of autosports, but I found it annoying occasionally.
At the end of the day, this was a really entertaining read and definitely worth the time. I just wish it didn't have the same over-edited feel that Top Gear itself sometimes gives off.
My only beef is that the book comes across as heavily edited, and very narrowly representing Collins' own views of how events took place. Sometimes it seems like a sales pitch for his future career, emphasizing how he was particularly prescient in foreseeing future events, and glossing over any mistakes he made. I guess that's to be expected with an autobiography and particularly one in the ego-heavy realm of autosports, but I found it annoying occasionally.
At the end of the day, this was a really entertaining read and definitely worth the time. I just wish it didn't have the same over-edited feel that Top Gear itself sometimes gives off.
June 28, 2013
This was a fantastic book, especially for fans of Top Gear who have watched The Stig driving insane cars and doing insane stunts for years. Ben Collins have a memory for every turn, ever gear change, ever skid and slide and near-crash. And he describes every race and test drive in extreme and exciting detail. You feel as if you're riding with him in the car as he's describing it for you. He tells you what he really thinks of Richard Hammond, James May, and Jeremy Clarkson. He tells about the episode when Michael Schumacher was talked into coming out dressed as The Stig and answering Jeremy's questions while pretending to be the real Stig. He tells about going around the track with stars in reasonably priced cars, training to be in the British military, drifting and then intentionally flipping a British double-decker bus, car football, caravan racing, all the exciting things you've ever seen done on Top Gear. It's a view of the show from the inside of Stig's helmet, plus a lot more.
October 26, 2015
Ironically I swore I would never read this work, since Collins blew his Stig cover in such a high profile way and to the great anger of the presenters. However, I friend handed me his copy at a party, so I went ahead and . While this was adequate bedtime reading, I was disappointed of how little behind-the-scenes Top Gear info it contained. It seems to me that if you're going to blow up your TG career by suing for the right to publish your tell-all memoir, you might as well go all-out and share some real dirt. There's not much of worth here to be found.
I understand that Collins wrote this without the benefit of a ghostwriter, which is quite impressive. Describing trip after trip around various tracks could have become quickly monotonous, but he struck a good balance of detail and narrative on each recount. His editor, however, could have done a bit more work curbing Collins enthusiastic use of British (and racing?) slang.
I understand that Collins wrote this without the benefit of a ghostwriter, which is quite impressive. Describing trip after trip around various tracks could have become quickly monotonous, but he struck a good balance of detail and narrative on each recount. His editor, however, could have done a bit more work curbing Collins enthusiastic use of British (and racing?) slang.
November 14, 2012
As a Top Gear fan this was an easy pick to read and I wasn't disappointed. Whilst I could have easily done without Ben's army history (and the excessively colourful language - not for the easily offended), it did add some perspective to how he became the man he is. Its a great story and reveals many of the behind the scenes aspects of Top Gear. For example, I was surprised to find that many of the challenges were in fact real. He speaks highly of most people involved at Top Gear and obviously has some very fond memories.
I read the audio-book version of this. Ben narrated this himself. I certainly couldn't say he was as good as a professional narrator but I'm a fan of authors narrating their own books. It adds a level of authenticity and Ben was certainly no exception to this.
I'd certainly recommend it to any serious Top Gear fan.
I read the audio-book version of this. Ben narrated this himself. I certainly couldn't say he was as good as a professional narrator but I'm a fan of authors narrating their own books. It adds a level of authenticity and Ben was certainly no exception to this.
I'd certainly recommend it to any serious Top Gear fan.
June 26, 2012
As a big fan of Top Gear, I was interested in a behind the scenes view from The Stig. I certainly enjoyed the brief sketches of how some of the stunts were done on the show, and reading about the Hamster's accident in the jet car from Ben's perspective certainly gave me another view of the tragedy. However, as I am not a fan of racing, the stories of Ben working on the racing circuit left me cold. Also, the sections about his military training, while interesting in a general way, weren't what I was looking for.
If you are a fan of Top Gear, the parts about the various stunts and Ben's life as their "Tame Racing Driver" are definitely worth reading. However, if that's the only reason you're picking up the book, be prepared to skip several sections.
If you are a fan of Top Gear, the parts about the various stunts and Ben's life as their "Tame Racing Driver" are definitely worth reading. However, if that's the only reason you're picking up the book, be prepared to skip several sections.
December 7, 2016
This book, although not for young kids, was a fun read and could definitely interest some of the more traditional boys in older level classes. It is the true story of a race car driver/stunt diver. Ben Collins is one of the most famous F1 drivers of all time and he decided to write a book about how he not only was avery competitive race car driver but also TV star and stunt man. It is written by someone who is passionate about cars and some of the dialogue in the book is a little heavy for those that do not know much about cars. That being said, if you ever have a student who is interested in cars this book would be a definite favorite. It embodies everything that comes with being a gear head.
February 13, 2011
Not a terribly interesting book, especially considering the topic. The writing kind of jumps all over the place without much flow or direction, and the author comes off as kind of egocentric. The 'behind the scenes' Top Gear chapters are mainly just him describing driving around the track in boring detail and going over bits that were shown in the TV program with no extra info. I was also hoping for more of an insight into why he decided to come out as the Stig (especially after the book spends a good chunk of time explaining what he went through to keep it secret) and what he expected the fallout to be. As it is, the book just... ends.
The Stig is dead, Long Live The Stig.
The Stig is dead, Long Live The Stig.
May 19, 2012
Although the life of Ben Collins has been quite interesting, I struggled a bit with the book. His style is a bit too elaborate for my taste. Maybe I wanted to find some answers in it, but after finishing it, I actually felt that there's one big question left unanswered. And that is: throughout the book he reiterates over and over again how much he cared for Stig to be this unknown character. He practically makes it the central point of the book (surely a point that stuck in my head) that he was doing everything to keep his identity secret.
So basically, he writes a book about him as Stig to say that he did everything to keep it secret? Something's wrong here...
So basically, he writes a book about him as Stig to say that he did everything to keep it secret? Something's wrong here...
January 21, 2013
A pretty entertaining book with lots of behind the scenes perspective to the action we see on the TV. Like a lot of reviews I read I felt the army stuff dragged on a bit but at the end of the day it was very important to Ben Collins so it was always going to be in there. Rated 4 stars because of the lengthy army stuff being a bit boring and the writing isn't "great" but then he's a racing driver and not a author by trade.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in racing top gear or the stig and urge them to bear with it through the army bits
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in racing top gear or the stig and urge them to bear with it through the army bits
July 31, 2013
I am a little bit conflicted by this book. Not in the usual sense that everyone else who reviews this, complaining that they want more Top Gear, and less everything else -- I enjoyed all that, since it gives a sense of the man behind the visor of The Stig's helmet. I felt he spoiled the mystery of a few Top Gear clips a bit too much, which detracted me -- but on the other hand, it gave a rare insight into other clips, which was great. Overall, it was brilliant, with a nice overall and chapter length, and I couldn't put it down.
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