In The Name of Glory

by Tom Rubython

As the sun set on the 1975 season, James Hunt was down and out of Formula One. He had no drive for 1976 and was all washed up. In contrast, Niki Lauda, the new world champion of 1975, was in an entirely different position, with a full year’s contract ahead of him and Enzo Ferrari begging him to sign a new, more lucrative one for years into the future. Lauda was hot favourite to win the world championship again in 1976. No one but no one would have named Hunt as a possible contender, but in a life changing turn of events, Emerson Fittipaldi decided to break his McLaren contract and leave the team. It was the opportunity James Hunt needed and, with the help of his friend John Hogan at Marlboro cigarettes, he grabbed the drive with both hands. Fittipaldi had unwittingly set the stage for the greatest duel in sporting history. The two drivers fought an epic battle for the 1976 Formula One world championship, which, in the end, was decided by a single point over a 16 race season. It was all done in the name of glory.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Cars, Racing, Audiobook

Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Helga · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This book is about two of the best F1 drivers, Niki Lauda and James Hunt, their rivalry and their improbable but true friendship.
The book details Lauda’s and Hunt’s backgrounds, their propensities, habits and principles and eventually focuses on the fateful 1976 season of the F1.

[Mariℓina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surpisingly good recital of the true story!!
Although very detailed and at some points tedious the book manages to capture the truth behind the 'rivalry'!!


As a huge fun of F1 all my life i always admired the 70's and 80's..
When real drivers were behind the weels of real cars..
Now everything is computerized and unhuman. All a strategy game and nothing more.. But then..



WOW then!!! The F1 drivers were treated as rock stars and they also had the right attitude for the job!
Pompus, a little crazy, daredevils that were not afraid to get their hands dirty working on their cars and pull some crazy stunts around the circuit..


That's what this book tries to capture.. And in many ways succeeds too..
Very good and i would definitelly recommend it to F1 fans..


THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK
- The writting is good..
- Although in many points it feels like only stating facts and describes situations from afar..
- It was very informative..
- I read it after the movie -what a great movie by the way- and it helped me retain the feeling..

- The edditing is perfect..


Those two were friends outside F1!! True story!!

[Nick Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the 1976 formula 1 season where two of the best drivers in F1 face of each other. It was the Austrian and defending champ Niki Lauda versus the first British driver with Mclaren James Hunt. They where bitter rivals. If you read the book you will see why. The book is very dramatic and if you are not a big F1/racing fan like me you will still love it. Felling the stress, pain,and glory these drivers felt. I'm a big F1 fan and I found out new stuff I never knew about Hunt and Lauda. So you don't have to be a big fan about racing to read. They have already made a movie about it called "Rush" but the book and movie have some disturbing content for future warning. So read the book first so you can see the action unfold on the Big Screen

[James Reyome · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book. Tom Rubython's writing style isn't for everyone, but it entertains and informs adequately. My main gripe is that the book dwells too long on Hunt's (admittedly hedonistic) lifestyle and Ferrari's Machiavellian behind the scenes dealings than it needs to. How much is to be believed is up to the reader, I suppose, but it left me a little cold. Rainer Schlegelmilch's photography is by itself worth the price of admission, though, and as a document of an epic F1 season it does well enough. Still, the 1976 edition of Autocourse and a screening of Ron Howard's "Rush" would be my personal choice.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, but... The writing is so stiff, and completely lacking emotion that at times it was annoying to listen to (I listened to the audio book in my car). My daughter listened to a few minutes of it on the way to school one day. Her comment, "fact, fact, fact." And she was right, the story was, essentially, a listing of fact after fact. The story is still compelling, but no one will ever accuse this of being a non-fiction book that reads like a novel.

[Tuomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Rubythons book "Rush to Glory," tells us a story of the famous 1976 Formula One season and the rivalry between two world champions, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Both of these drivers’ career’s beginning wasn’t smooth in Formula Three they both experienced financial problems while trying to make a mark. They didn’t get any support from their parents and had to take large loans to be able to survive. 1975 Niki won the championship and he started the 1976 season defending his title with Ferrari. James Hunt had just been signed by desperate Mclaren after their number one driver, Emerson Fittipaldi left the team. They both had their ups and downs during the season but the most significant one was Niki Lauda's crash in the German Grand Prix which was held in the most dangerous circuit, The Nurburgring. It tells us about his recovery and comeback which many people thought was impossible. In the end, the championship was decided by one single point.
Tom Rubython compiled both media and what they were telling about the events at the time but also telling what Niki and James were thinking at the time, and also getting a lot of inside from their closest persons like teammates, bosses, mechanics, managers, closest friends, and many others. The book gives a lot of points and different angles to look at the season of 1976. The book puts both Niki Lauda and James Hunt as a hero of the story, but its the readers choice to decide which one is the main hero. Both Hunt and Lauda but racing as their top priority and were fine that every time they stepped into the car they might die. After Lauda's crash, his near death, and his amazing recovery he realized that there is a lot to lose in life and racing isn’t always everything. Hunt, on the other hand, didn’t care. He was ready to die to beat his main rival in the last race in Fuji. The story is very interesting and full of action from every single race and the off-track events around them. It didn’t miss anything that would have been important to the story.
I would recommend this book to full Formula One fans and also to people that are interested in racing. It’s really comparable to Formula One nowadays, where the last fatal accident was in 2014. Also, the off-track activity is very different to 2010’. I would also recommend this book to car enthusiastic teens and adults. This book gives you a great experience of Formula One season as its best.

[Stuart Fear · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the hottest years on record, with one of the most heated rivalries in Formula 1 (or was it?).
Many will have seen the movie RUSH based on the rivalry of Lauda and Hunt, now with this book you can read the more accurate version. The author spares no details and goes in depth on each race from the season and some of the off-track drama surrounding them
The author takes a very honest approach and makes no attempt to show drivers in a nicer light, he calls a spade a spade and writes bluntly about their downfalls poor character traits.
The book gives great insight into the drivers and their motivations; it also strips away the Hollywood and provides an honest depiction of their rivalry which wasn't as fiery as the media liked to portray.

My only complaint abiut the book is for anyone not familiar with the outcome of the 1976, the opening chapter reveals the outcome before breaking the season down race by race. Also I found the ending of the book to be disappointing. The final chapter is on the life of Lauda and Hunt after ending their F1 careers. I expected the book to end with praise for both and the lasting impact of the rivalry on F1, but instead it just ends with James Hunt died many pretty women attended the funeral.......

Overall an enjoyable read for F1 veterans and newbies alike.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting tale of 1976's legendary season. All the more memorable because I was at the 1976 Canadian Grand Prix. At the time I never realized just how close the season's outcome would be.

The writing about the racing was ok but there was too much attention paid to the soap opera of Lauda's and Hunt's messy love lives. My other pet peeve was the repeating of information just a few pages apart. It may be a literary device to connect chapters or something but I just find it annoying.
I would like to find a better written book about the same subject.

[Nishant Mittal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book sounds a little unfair to Lauda but nevertheless, an amazing read. This story needed to be told. The good 70s and 80s era of Formula 1. The sport will never be the same, the rivalries will never be the same, those golden days are never returning for sure. Hunt was a true epitome of a Formula 1 driver of that era. A fearless, rude, indisciplined rockstar kinda figure.
The movie "Rush" does no justice to the story. You need to read the book to go on an actual ride.

[Matt Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It gives a great insight into an exceptional season. It is full of detail and stories and covers every race of the season. It also gives a good buildup of the careers of Lauda & Hunt up to 1976 and afterwards but this is quite brief as it is not the main focus of the book. An excellent and fascinating read.

[Kavinay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable. As exciting and dramatic as the movie "Rush" was based on this story, the actual season itself was even more crazy than could be believed. Excellent insight into both Hunt and Lauda, especially their inner demons.

[Keith Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recap of the 1976 F1 season, arguably one of the most dramatic in history. Delves into the technical car dramas of that year, unlike the movie Rush, in addition to the racing and personal aspects of the season.

[Emico Salum · Rating 5 out of 5]

História fantástica . Sempre bom relê-la

[Phillip Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much of the drama and not enough racing. Excellent book, just didncare about the soap opera of their lives.

[Mr. Mustela frenata · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.63

[FellowBibliophile KvK · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE classic Formula 1 rivalry! Also, a superb contrast between the hard-working, determined Niki Lauda, and the naturally talented but indolent playboy Hunt.

[Gustavo Contró · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rush to Glory", by Tom Rubython. He was born in 1955, is a British Journalist that writes about business and formula 1. He is the former editor of the F1 magazine, Business F1, SportsPro, and recently Spectator Business magazine. Throughout a thirty three year carer he has been involved in many magazines and books launches. His best known book is the biography of one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1, Ayrton Senna, The Life of Senna. I really think that this books has a lot of strengths and it was really difficult for me to find some weaknesses. The strengths I found in this book were that the author really explains in detail all the things that were happening during that season of the formula 1 but he also includes 4 or 5 pages written by another formula 1 racer talking about his his experience with James and Niki.

This book talks about one of the biggest rivalries of formula 1 during the 1976 season, between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. It all begins with the stories of the two drivers before this season, Niki Lauda was born in Austria, as he grew up he was interested in racing, but his parent were not willing to spend money in such a dangerous thing, so he asked for money to his grandfather. But when he saw that a formula 1 driver died he stopped giving him money. Niki was alone so he decided to take a loan in the bank and bought himself a spot in a formula 1 team. He was paying to the team to race without receiving anything, but there were a lot of problems with the car and he decided to stop racing with the team. He had no money and didn't had a way to pay to the bak until one day Enzo Ferrari was interested on him, and he joined the team.

James started racing in formula 3 and then he knew an English man named Alexander Hesketh, he had founded a formula 1 team. They both graduated from formula 3 into formula 2, and suddenly Hesketh would have a formula 1 team. They were in formula 1 for 2 years until then team ran out of money, James didn't had a team. As he thought it was his end in formula one two teams offered him to race but he didn't wanted to be in those teams, but suddenly Emerson Fittipaldi left McLaren. It was the opportunity for James but they didn't liked him that much, until he got the spot in the team.

The season started with a win of Lauda in Brazil, the rest of the season would be pure competition and amazing races between James and Niki. There were not only races and cars, they also had their problems with women. Niki didn't had a great love life and James had a great appetite for sex, drugs and alcohol and he got married in 1976. As the season continued McLaren was having problems and Ferrari was wining, until the Spain Grand Prix, where James won. Suddenly he would be disqualified because his car was to wide. Then he would win in France and he would recover his points. The tragedy was in August 1, 1976, when Niki crashed and had severe injuries, but suddenly he would come back and just loose the season by 1 point. James was the champion of that great season.

This was a great book, as a formula 1 fan I really enjoyed reading the history of this two great racers, I liked how the author used quotes from Niki and James when he was telling something about the race or a conflict. I saw the move but the book was way much better because of the background the author gives and all the things he says that happen while they were doing different things. If you like formula 1, this is a great gook to read.

[Grant Trevarthen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1970's was a great decade for the sport of Formula 1, with many colorful personalities and great rivalries. In Tom Rubython's book 'In The Name Of Glory', we get to know 2 of the best. Niki Lauda & James Hunt.
There backgrounds couldn't have been more different, Lauda came from a wealthy upbringing, his father a well known and respected businessman in Austria. James Hunt's background was middle-class .

If you'll excuse the pun, Lauda was the the more driven of the two, and showed the most promise earlier on. On the other hand,Hunt was always working on deals for Sponsorship and drives

[Lisa Dendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you saw Ron Howard's film Rush and are interested in learning more background of the great rivalry between British playboy James Hunt and Austrian mastermind Niki Lauda, this is your book. Rush to Glory covers some of the same territory as the movie, but with much more detail. Looking into the dangers of Formula 1 racing, the party atmosphere of the 1970s culture, the mechanisms behind the scenes and the characters of the two men themselves, this book is fascinating reading. Hunt and Lauda emerge as real people and not the bipolar adversaries they appeared to be in Rush. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys great sports writing.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I want to say I know nothing about cars other than they have four wheels and you take one to go shoe shopping. I know even less about racing. I am very glad that I won this book through Goodreads. It was engaging and well written. I got my attention and I learned quite a bit. I very much enjoyed this book and was quite suprised that I did. I have to thank Mr. Rubython for writing such a good book. It opened my literary world up a little more. My brother loves cars and racing so I will definitely have to go get him a copy.

[Kristina Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a clear narrative of the events during 1976 in F1. The author gives a brief background to set the scene, and a postscript to conclude, but otherwise the book remains focused on this one particular year. This means it is a lighter book than some of his other titles.
I felt at times the author was biased in defending James Hunt's world championship but perhaps that was my own bias for Niki Lauda. Either way this book was an invaluable guide to events surrounding the championship that year.

[Viviane Cordeiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very, very interesting book! Even thou I do not know a crap about cars or racing, this book helped me to understand the main idea of the racing and the 70's context. It also gave me an insight in Lauda' and Hunt's lives - which made me more curious to read Niki's autobiography! Such a great reading for those who enjoyed the movie as much as I did and want to know more about that crazy period!

[Britti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in how biased the author comes across in his treatment of Lauda compared to Hunt, and I feel like an editor needed to go over the entire book to remove redundancies. Parts of the book I question the accuracy; for example, the rear suspension is often blamed as the cause of Lauda's accident but has never been fully confirmed. I will say that I enjoyed learning more, but I'm taking it all with a grain of salt, between that and Rubython's dislike of Lauda.

[Martyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a 2.5 star book - 5 stars for the gripping and intense story, which had its own inherent drama and in reality told itself. But 0 stars for the poor control, both of facts and of writing, and the grammatically dubious style of the author. A cursory glance at the appendices showed up many errors in the text, which did not engender confidence in this reader. Fortunately the story alone is worth the effort.

[Tami Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you good reads first reads for giving me this impressive work of non fiction. I know nothing much of the racing circuit but I have heard of the greatest rivalry in history besides the Hatfields and McCoys. I enjoyed it very much. I liked how it wasn't biased and told the story as it truly was without the gossip. Thanks again this book is definitely a great work of non-fiction.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this through a Goodreads first read giveaway. I know a bit more on NASCAR racing than Formula racing, so it was nice to read about it. That being said, this rivalry is as famous as many others and it was a great to read about it. It was a bit slow at times and difficult to read at times but was rewarded with a great story regardless. Definitely worth reading.

[Eric Brasley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love F1 but this book was tedious mostly due to the writer's style. With a wealth of info about the drivers, the cars, the circuits, the politics, and this amazing season, the story loses its drama especially as it gets closer to the end.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed in this book. It's poorly written. There's a ton of repetition. Worst of all, it reads like a summary with no real depth that gives you no feel for Hunt and Lauda as characters. A real shame.

[Tom Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking read - and to be honest the little typos that come with a first edition of a book from a small house make it seem all the more human.

Loved every page.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Learned much about Formula One racing. Very compelling book from start to finish.