Ayrton Senna: Incorporating 'the Second Coming'

by Christopher Hilton

No current sportsman stirs more passion, for and against, than Ayrton Senna. Some regard him as the greatest racing driver who ever lived, others see only a strange, storm-ridden solitary. This book tells the story of the three times World Champion's racing genius and of the private man behind the star quality, including accounts of the immense impact he has on total stangers. The book covers the full drama and controversies of Senna's third World Championship in 1991, his struggle against Mansell in 1992 and against Prost in 1993, through to the dawn of his new era with Williams.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1994

About the author

Christopher (Chris) Hilton was a former sportswriter with the Daily Express.

Hilton had begun his career in journalism at The Journal in Newcastle, and then worked at the Express‘s offices in Manchester before moving to London in the mid-1970s when recruited by then sports editor Ken Lawrence to cover Formula 1.

Hilton was a key member of the sports desk editing staff, as well as covering ice skating for the paper during the period when Torvill and Dean were winning world and Olympic ice dance titles.

For the past two decades after leaving the Express, Hilton has freelanced, especially in F1 and writing his books, including biographies of Ayrton Senna, James Hunt and Michael Schumacher, as well as a novel. As recently as last month, his latest book, about F1 team leader Ross Brawn, was published.

Chris Hilton leaves a wife, Jean, and daughter.

Reviews

[Edgars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Šo grāmatu nopirku jau ļoti sen, šķiet, ka pirmajos studiju gados. Varbūt tā pat bija pati pirmā grāmata, kuru pasūtīju tīmeklī (kopā ar vēl divām grāmatām par F1- Sida Votkinsa "Viņpus slieksnim" (arī latviski, tāpat kā šī par Sennu) un "The Mechanic's Tale" by Steve Matchett). Taču nevienu no šīm trim grāmatām vēl nebiju lasījis. Dīvaini. Tagad, kad visi runā par Sennas nāves ceturtdaļgadsimtu, kas tika pieminēts pirms dažām dienām, atcerējos, ka man šāda grāmata ir un uzmeklēju to izlasīšanai.

Grāmatas pirmais izdevums nācis klajā 1994. gada aprīlī - nepilnu mēnesi pirms Sennas nāves. Taču pēc tam, nākamajos izdevumos, pierakstītas klāt vēl pāris nodaļas par liktenīgo 1. maiju Imolā.

Grāmatā detalizēti aprakstīta 1991. gada sezona, kad Senna izcīnīja savu pēdējo čempiona titulu. Ļoti interesanti vispār, jo tajā laikā Pirmajai Formulai, protams, vēl nesekoju un, lai arī lielos vilcienos visus notikumus, protams, zināju, tomēr grāmatā atklāju jaunas nianses, kas man nebija bijušas zināmas iepriekš.

Tomēr apraksts liekas tāds samocīts, brīžiem haotisks, reizēm no apraksta nevar īsti saprast, kas sacensībās noticis, kā piloti mainījušies vietām, jo izlaistas būtiskas detaļas. Manuprāt, to varēja aprakstīt daudz labāk.

[Dragan · Rating 2 out of 5]

the thing with writing about sport stars is that, trying to get the emotion that sport itself has is very very difficult. the book was ok until it was the last chapter where it randomly talks about Senna's "power?" on women and i felt that was totally wrong and out of place. like who cares about what women think about Senna, i bought the book to learn about Senna not some external person who i will never meet.