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Lewis Hamilton: My Story
Lewis My Story Lewis Hamilton
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 5, 2020
I am sure that Lewis Hamilton of now, possibly (& arguably) the GOAT of F1, is much bigger and evenly larger than this book. The book, written prematurely without realising that 2007 F1 championship wasn't the best that would happen to him, does not show much of artistic maturity as well. The book reflects upon the aspects which are largely everything but F1 and race in particular. I would recommend a third-person biography of Lewis rather than this autobiography which did not suit the best when it was written and now, it has become entirely obsolete!
March 9, 2015
This book was purchased for me as a gift and although I read it I didn't really enjoy it that much.
The book started out well, the usual outlining of family life when growing up that you would expect from a sports auto biog and some interesting tales; largely his dad building his Kart in the shed as a surprise and his early karting adventures with his dad, meeting Ron Dennis at the Autosport Awards and then almost being dropped from the McLaren academy due to a dispute regarding which direction he took his then F3 career were all interesting.
However, living such an exciting life and in an environment where you have to win because everything else is a failure.... The book didn't really express the excitement I had been expecting. More crucially, nor did it give any sort of details to the infamous Fernando Alonso relationship \ breakdown at McLaren which led to spygate and the removal of McLaren from the constructors championship, this was a major disappointment.
There was, as a whole, very little personal reflection in this book, possibly as Lewis was still only 23 when he wrote this and to an extent didn't have to graft and over analyse his choices as his career had been largely shaped for him to this point.
I enjoy Motorsport autobiogs. My advice to anyone is give this book a miss and maybe, if Lewis writes another book further into his career and has shaped the man he is going to be more (and developed opinions!) then pick it up.
In the meantime try Flat out, Flat Broke or Crashed & Byrned for High octane Motorsport thrills.
The book started out well, the usual outlining of family life when growing up that you would expect from a sports auto biog and some interesting tales; largely his dad building his Kart in the shed as a surprise and his early karting adventures with his dad, meeting Ron Dennis at the Autosport Awards and then almost being dropped from the McLaren academy due to a dispute regarding which direction he took his then F3 career were all interesting.
However, living such an exciting life and in an environment where you have to win because everything else is a failure.... The book didn't really express the excitement I had been expecting. More crucially, nor did it give any sort of details to the infamous Fernando Alonso relationship \ breakdown at McLaren which led to spygate and the removal of McLaren from the constructors championship, this was a major disappointment.
There was, as a whole, very little personal reflection in this book, possibly as Lewis was still only 23 when he wrote this and to an extent didn't have to graft and over analyse his choices as his career had been largely shaped for him to this point.
I enjoy Motorsport autobiogs. My advice to anyone is give this book a miss and maybe, if Lewis writes another book further into his career and has shaped the man he is going to be more (and developed opinions!) then pick it up.
In the meantime try Flat out, Flat Broke or Crashed & Byrned for High octane Motorsport thrills.
September 4, 2023
3.70!
I love Lewis Hamilton, believe me I do and I also believe that he is ONE of the greatest drivers to ever race in formula one. He has unbeatable records and such great race moments that would still give you goosebumps if you look back at them.
I would have loved loved loved this book if it was following the events of 2016 or 2021 because that is honestly a need. I had been very young during the 2007 season and I frankly didn't remember much and it was coming from a very young Lewis who was in his rookie season so it wasn't that interesting.
I feel that the insight that we got was super interesting. The whole McLaren/ Ferrari controversy, the Fernando/ Lewis rivalry and the moment where Fernando threatened McLaren 🫣 they were really enjoyable to read.
I absolutely loved reading about his past and his upbringing his struggles and his successes, the true of history would be his dad. That man did everything to get his son on a race car and now Lewis is making him proud because wow!
Also the writing was wayyy better than some of the books that I read *cough cough* the stars are dying *cough cough*
It just didn't feel like a book I'd rate more than a three. It didn't make me feel anything other than admiration which I already did but I had a fun time!
I love Lewis Hamilton, believe me I do and I also believe that he is ONE of the greatest drivers to ever race in formula one. He has unbeatable records and such great race moments that would still give you goosebumps if you look back at them.
I would have loved loved loved this book if it was following the events of 2016 or 2021 because that is honestly a need. I had been very young during the 2007 season and I frankly didn't remember much and it was coming from a very young Lewis who was in his rookie season so it wasn't that interesting.
I feel that the insight that we got was super interesting. The whole McLaren/ Ferrari controversy, the Fernando/ Lewis rivalry and the moment where Fernando threatened McLaren 🫣 they were really enjoyable to read.
I absolutely loved reading about his past and his upbringing his struggles and his successes, the true of history would be his dad. That man did everything to get his son on a race car and now Lewis is making him proud because wow!
Also the writing was wayyy better than some of the books that I read *cough cough* the stars are dying *cough cough*
It just didn't feel like a book I'd rate more than a three. It didn't make me feel anything other than admiration which I already did but I had a fun time!
April 28, 2008
A very inspirational read ... what an amazing young man and now I watch the grand priz every fortnight without fail. Great story to let your kids read as it will inspire them to do well and respect their family.
November 28, 2007
Tedious, uninspiring, uninteresting.... well I could just carry on.
This is a mediocre book, with the sole aim of cashing in on the good times.
What I was looking for was his personal views on this season he just had, his relationship with Alonso and all other controversial topics which he never touches. So you may ask what does he actually cover in this book and the answer is, well nothing.
Nothing that ITV's pre-race shows did not reveal about him.
While I appreciate the need to be diplomatic and uncontroversial, it does make one wonder about the point of all these mid-career autobiographies which has flooded the book stores over the last few years.
This was not an autobiography. Rather a shameless opportunity to cash in at the end of what was one of the best F1 seasons for years.
This is a mediocre book, with the sole aim of cashing in on the good times.
What I was looking for was his personal views on this season he just had, his relationship with Alonso and all other controversial topics which he never touches. So you may ask what does he actually cover in this book and the answer is, well nothing.
Nothing that ITV's pre-race shows did not reveal about him.
While I appreciate the need to be diplomatic and uncontroversial, it does make one wonder about the point of all these mid-career autobiographies which has flooded the book stores over the last few years.
This was not an autobiography. Rather a shameless opportunity to cash in at the end of what was one of the best F1 seasons for years.
February 8, 2009
This book shows passion,greatness and the will to win.It is awesome.
December 24, 2018
An interesting account
At the time this was written Lewis mania was sweeping the nation. Although, I had followed his career for a few years for many he seemed to come from nowhere.
This was the best of the books that came out in 2007 as it is the inside story. One thing that comes across is his rawness as it was his first year, it is a very different Lewis to the multi champion of today. It is interesting reading about Lewis's feelings about his family, support he received and feelings about getting to Formula 1. One of the most interesting parts of this season was the inter team battle with Fernando Alonso and the spygate saga so to read about that is good.
The most disappointing thing about this book though is the fact that his junior single seater career is skipped over in just one chapter. For those wanting to read about where he came from it is a shame. It does though tell the story of meeting Ron Dennis for the first time and the McLaren support.
The best way to see this book is not as an exhaustive account of his career up to 2008 but more as an in-depth account of his debut season with a brief account of the back story.
This book is definitely well worth reading but I am hoping for a full autobiography in the future. It would be great to read about his world championship year with McLaren, transferring to Mercedes and the relationship with Nico Rosberg.
At the time this was written Lewis mania was sweeping the nation. Although, I had followed his career for a few years for many he seemed to come from nowhere.
This was the best of the books that came out in 2007 as it is the inside story. One thing that comes across is his rawness as it was his first year, it is a very different Lewis to the multi champion of today. It is interesting reading about Lewis's feelings about his family, support he received and feelings about getting to Formula 1. One of the most interesting parts of this season was the inter team battle with Fernando Alonso and the spygate saga so to read about that is good.
The most disappointing thing about this book though is the fact that his junior single seater career is skipped over in just one chapter. For those wanting to read about where he came from it is a shame. It does though tell the story of meeting Ron Dennis for the first time and the McLaren support.
The best way to see this book is not as an exhaustive account of his career up to 2008 but more as an in-depth account of his debut season with a brief account of the back story.
This book is definitely well worth reading but I am hoping for a full autobiography in the future. It would be great to read about his world championship year with McLaren, transferring to Mercedes and the relationship with Nico Rosberg.
January 24, 2022
This is not a biography, nor this is a tell all book about the juicy gossipy parts of becoming an F1 driver. Sorry, you will be disappointed if you are looking for anything controversial.
This is Lewis Hamilton - a child who has leaned to pursue his passion. At an early age, Lewis narrates his humble beginnings, the people who supported him all the way and his first year as an F1 driver.
The way Lewis spoke, how he shared and what he talked about - I could not help but appreciate that child like sense of wonder, excitement and desire to push yourself even more.
My key takeaways from the book
- find your sanctuary
- prepare mentally and physically
- protect your energy
- pursue a child like passion
- drive to win 🏅
A very easy read. Finished in 2 days, trying to get something more mentally stimulating than Netflix binging.
This is Lewis Hamilton - a child who has leaned to pursue his passion. At an early age, Lewis narrates his humble beginnings, the people who supported him all the way and his first year as an F1 driver.
The way Lewis spoke, how he shared and what he talked about - I could not help but appreciate that child like sense of wonder, excitement and desire to push yourself even more.
My key takeaways from the book
- find your sanctuary
- prepare mentally and physically
- protect your energy
- pursue a child like passion
- drive to win 🏅
A very easy read. Finished in 2 days, trying to get something more mentally stimulating than Netflix binging.
January 4, 2023
Why haven’t I read this before? 😭 A book about Hamilton’s first year in Formula 1 and his early years.
You can just tell how much he has grown over the years just by the simple language he uses and the experiences he has shared at the time. There was no mention of diversity or racial struggles. My conclusion is that the book was written mainly to defend Hamilton’s part in the accusations against McLaren happening in 2007.
I can only imagine what he would have written if he wrote it today. 😄
You can just tell how much he has grown over the years just by the simple language he uses and the experiences he has shared at the time. There was no mention of diversity or racial struggles. My conclusion is that the book was written mainly to defend Hamilton’s part in the accusations against McLaren happening in 2007.
I can only imagine what he would have written if he wrote it today. 😄
March 25, 2020
Great book.the only thing I would say to newer readers is that it's quite old and from 2008
August 2, 2023
I noticed that he does repeat a lot of statements that he either made early on in the book or earlier in the chapters, but it didn’t bother me. I liked learning more about his life and I enjoyed the entire book.
February 1, 2024
nie czytałem ale pewnie słabe 👎
November 11, 2024
zlo zanimiva knjiga, sam mal premal osebno😔
December 15, 2025
Did not expect that many Diddy jump scares.
April 12, 2018
Useful research for my upcoming book www.1994f1.com
It was a lesson in how to avoid my book being tedious, uninspiring, uninteresting. This is a mediocre book, with the sole aim of cashing in on the good times. What I was looking for was his personal views on this season he just had, his relationship with Alonso and all other controversial topics which he never touches. So you may ask what does he actually cover in this book and the answer is, well nothing.
Nothing that ITV's pre-race shows did not reveal about him. While I appreciate the need to be diplomatic and uncontroversial, it does make one wonder about the point of all these mid-career autobiographies which has flooded the book stores over the last few years. This was not an autobiography. Rather a shameless opportunity to cash in at the end of what was one of the best F1 seasons for years. An example of how not to approach my upcoming book.
It was a lesson in how to avoid my book being tedious, uninspiring, uninteresting. This is a mediocre book, with the sole aim of cashing in on the good times. What I was looking for was his personal views on this season he just had, his relationship with Alonso and all other controversial topics which he never touches. So you may ask what does he actually cover in this book and the answer is, well nothing.
Nothing that ITV's pre-race shows did not reveal about him. While I appreciate the need to be diplomatic and uncontroversial, it does make one wonder about the point of all these mid-career autobiographies which has flooded the book stores over the last few years. This was not an autobiography. Rather a shameless opportunity to cash in at the end of what was one of the best F1 seasons for years. An example of how not to approach my upcoming book.
March 25, 2019
I rated this book 5 stars because it explains things that I didn't know before. The hard work he put in was so amazing and the support he had from fans and others were fantastic. The book was fun to read and it put me in my own world that I loved to be in. If you liked this book (gust like I did) I recommend to you a book called Jenson Button. That book is so similar to this one. By the way Lewis is a amazing driver and never gives up and that's why I want to support him on his difficult journey.
Hope you enjoy.
Hope you enjoy.
August 4, 2024
It takes a lot of hard work and determination to become successful, but you also need good people around you. Lewis Hamilton has had that thanks to the support of his dad, mother, stepmother, and younger brother, as well as the people in F1 who have been with him along the way as he racked up championship after championship. So, reading about how he came up through the ranks and the details of his first year in the sport is an excellent contrast to where he is now.
April 14, 2018
This was interesting, but not a great read. As the story of his rookie season in F1 and the route to get there it was an interesting view on Lewis' motivations, but it was a little self-indulgent and repetitive. The same amount of interest could have been generated with a lot less words! Not something to re-read...
January 2, 2019
Traaaash
January 3, 2022
Interesting book about him and his journey to Formula 1.
August 10, 2024
As a declared Lewis Hamilton fan, the last three races before the summer break provided a delightful treat — three consecutive podiums, including two spectacular wins. The end of the year will mark the end of an era, 18 years of partnership with Mercedes, during which he established multiple records: 7 F1 championships, tied with Michael Schumacher, 105 victories, 104 pole positions, 201 podium finishes, and many more. It feels like a good moment to recall how it all started and to enjoy the swan song of probably the best F1 driver of all time.
In "Lewis Hamilton: My Story," released shortly after his 2007 debut season, Hamilton recounts his early years and the epic first season in Formula One. The book highlights his impressive maturity as a young person (he was 22 when he wrote the book). He describes his journey in an introspective manner, and his wisdom belies his years. His ability to cope with extreme pressure is amazing — in his first year in F1, he faced the adversity of his teammate, Fernando Alonso (the 2005 and 2006 F1 drivers champion), the stress of the Ferrari-McLaren controversy, which saw his team stripped of the right to compete for the constructors' title, and the sudden fame and continuous attention from the press and paparazzi. All this while being the first—and until now the only—black F1 driver.
The autobiography details the highs and lows of the 2007 season, his rookie year started with nine consecutive podiums—a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon. He won four races that year, tying Jacques Villeneuve's record, and narrowly missed the championship in the last race, finishing just one point behind Kimi Raikkonen. His 109 points in his rookie season represent another standing record.
Beyond the racetrack, Hamilton's book details what it means to be an F1 driver—the intense physical and mental preparation, the acute focus required, and the crucial relationships within a team. The book stops at the end of the 2007 season, with LH congratulating Kimi and promising he will be back.
And back he was: in 2008, Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 championship, by 1 point, overtaking an opponent in the last corner of the last lap of the last race of the year.
In "Lewis Hamilton: My Story," released shortly after his 2007 debut season, Hamilton recounts his early years and the epic first season in Formula One. The book highlights his impressive maturity as a young person (he was 22 when he wrote the book). He describes his journey in an introspective manner, and his wisdom belies his years. His ability to cope with extreme pressure is amazing — in his first year in F1, he faced the adversity of his teammate, Fernando Alonso (the 2005 and 2006 F1 drivers champion), the stress of the Ferrari-McLaren controversy, which saw his team stripped of the right to compete for the constructors' title, and the sudden fame and continuous attention from the press and paparazzi. All this while being the first—and until now the only—black F1 driver.
The autobiography details the highs and lows of the 2007 season, his rookie year started with nine consecutive podiums—a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon. He won four races that year, tying Jacques Villeneuve's record, and narrowly missed the championship in the last race, finishing just one point behind Kimi Raikkonen. His 109 points in his rookie season represent another standing record.
Beyond the racetrack, Hamilton's book details what it means to be an F1 driver—the intense physical and mental preparation, the acute focus required, and the crucial relationships within a team. The book stops at the end of the 2007 season, with LH congratulating Kimi and promising he will be back.
And back he was: in 2008, Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 championship, by 1 point, overtaking an opponent in the last corner of the last lap of the last race of the year.
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April 18, 2024My Story
By Lewis Hamilton
Genre - autobiography
From reading this book I learnt about the hardship and commitment that it takes to get to a high level of any sport and be able to do it as a job. This quote “MY STORY IS NOT ABOUT LUCK OR A FAIRY TALE,” shows that it was not easy to make it to the extreme level of sporting achievement. Lewis wants to share his story with the world to prove and show that anyone can achieve something great but it just takes commitment, support and hard work. Humans are unusual. If we can achieve this greatness then why don't we? The level of commitment it takes to get to this amazing level is so large that most of us will just steer clear. So much money, time and effort go towards this dream and some of us don't want to put this much towards it. I can understand why Lewis is annoyed about people saying that it is luck because he has put so much towards his dream and others just think he is lucky and it just came out of nowhere. We should all learn or find out about the difficulties that people go through to get to this level otherwise we can’t properly appreciate how far they have gone.
By Lewis Hamilton
Genre - autobiography
From reading this book I learnt about the hardship and commitment that it takes to get to a high level of any sport and be able to do it as a job. This quote “MY STORY IS NOT ABOUT LUCK OR A FAIRY TALE,” shows that it was not easy to make it to the extreme level of sporting achievement. Lewis wants to share his story with the world to prove and show that anyone can achieve something great but it just takes commitment, support and hard work. Humans are unusual. If we can achieve this greatness then why don't we? The level of commitment it takes to get to this amazing level is so large that most of us will just steer clear. So much money, time and effort go towards this dream and some of us don't want to put this much towards it. I can understand why Lewis is annoyed about people saying that it is luck because he has put so much towards his dream and others just think he is lucky and it just came out of nowhere. We should all learn or find out about the difficulties that people go through to get to this level otherwise we can’t properly appreciate how far they have gone.
January 15, 2025
Lewis is one of the greatest in motorsport and I was hoping this book would reflect this, however I felt there was lack of detail in certain aspects and that the book wasn’t as personal as I thought it would be.
It could be that the book is now 18 years old and there was only the 2007 F1 championship mentioned due to only being in F1 for one season when the book was published.
I did enjoy the little insight of the Alonso/McLaren controversy but I did feel as if it was a little one sided and some information was not mentioned as much or kept out completely.
I also enjoyed the structure of how each race was written about, which I also liked in Surviving to drive by Guenther Steiner so I would recommend this book if you like that sort of thing.
All in all, I enjoyed the book but can’t rate it more than 3 stars due to how biased it was in certain chapters (I know it is a biography style book) but maybe I was just expecting something that the book is not.
It could be that the book is now 18 years old and there was only the 2007 F1 championship mentioned due to only being in F1 for one season when the book was published.
I did enjoy the little insight of the Alonso/McLaren controversy but I did feel as if it was a little one sided and some information was not mentioned as much or kept out completely.
I also enjoyed the structure of how each race was written about, which I also liked in Surviving to drive by Guenther Steiner so I would recommend this book if you like that sort of thing.
All in all, I enjoyed the book but can’t rate it more than 3 stars due to how biased it was in certain chapters (I know it is a biography style book) but maybe I was just expecting something that the book is not.
October 20, 2022
I got into F1 in May of this year and Lewis became my favorite racer almost immediately. I’d heard of him and his success in the past years before I started watching but was too young at the time. He’s a genuine, down to earth guy. He stands up for what he believes in and fights for what’s right. Reading his book makes you realize even more of how good of a person he truly is and how well his parents raised him. It’s awesome to read this book about his rookie season and know that he’s gone on to win 7 (technically 8 but we won’t go there) world championships! He deserves the 8th and I can’t wait to see it happen. If anyone is a fan of his or wants to know more about him.. this book is worth reading.
January 8, 2023
Finished this book on his birthday:) This was a great read! I wouldn’t recommend it to the average reader since it’s more focused on his first year in F1 than an autobiography but as a fan, it was great to get an inside look into how Lewis was experiencing things at the time. Just reading this book and comparing Lewis at 22 to now (38) was intriguing to me. I could see the areas in which he’s grown or changed and others where he’s the same old Lewis. I also liked to have additional context about some of the reasons behind the rivalries we see today (Fernando Alonso and The Piquets) and hearing about some of the controversies of 2007 from Lewis himself. Last but not least, I appreciated learning a bit more about his family, friends, and relationships.
August 19, 2019
For any Lewis Hamilton fan this book will interest you I'm sure. My dad is a huge fan and so I picked up this book for him and read it. He's an interesting racer, being the first black one in F1 but that doesn't really show in this book.
It's worth it to read the passage about Nico Rosberg and other F1 racers that he continued racing against a decade latter but apart from that it's not that interesting.
I am looking forward to his real post-carreer autobiography however as I believe he might be more open about certain controversies and events in it that this telling of his junior and rookie years.
It's worth it to read the passage about Nico Rosberg and other F1 racers that he continued racing against a decade latter but apart from that it's not that interesting.
I am looking forward to his real post-carreer autobiography however as I believe he might be more open about certain controversies and events in it that this telling of his junior and rookie years.
April 11, 2021
Lewis Hamilton, 7 times Formula 1 Championship Champion. Lewis is Black British formula one driver. Formula one is mainly White man's sports and you rarely see Asians or Blacks in the sports. Since young, Lewis faced lots of racism from other drivers, however he made those racist comments into great driving skills to prove them wrong. Getting up to formula one is expensive. Lewis's family was not that wealthy to participate in sports, but because of his father's hard work, he has come to this level. From this book, I can learn that no matter what conditions, if people work hard, dreams will come through.
September 14, 2023
Hamilton = GOAT
This book was an easy read and a shallow dive of what he’s rookie year in Formula 1 was like. Understandably writing this at the age of 23/24 it felt a-bit like reading he’s diary. I did enjoy it, it was like I had young Hamilton in front of me describing what it was like to be in he’s position at that age with so much pressure - and the way he was think about situations of outcomes was like that of someone he’s age. I do hope someone if not him gives us a well written and first had experience of how he got to be on top!
If you’re a Hamilton fan or even a Formula 1 fan I would recommend this as a light read with a few chuckles here and there.
This book was an easy read and a shallow dive of what he’s rookie year in Formula 1 was like. Understandably writing this at the age of 23/24 it felt a-bit like reading he’s diary. I did enjoy it, it was like I had young Hamilton in front of me describing what it was like to be in he’s position at that age with so much pressure - and the way he was think about situations of outcomes was like that of someone he’s age. I do hope someone if not him gives us a well written and first had experience of how he got to be on top!
If you’re a Hamilton fan or even a Formula 1 fan I would recommend this as a light read with a few chuckles here and there.
May 24, 2020
Autobiografia STUPENDA per chi come me ama questo campione. Lewis ci permette di entrare nel suo mondo, ci mostra come tutto è cominciato, i sacrifici fatti da lui e dalla sua famiglia, i suoi sogni e le sue speranze. Interessantissimo scoprire tanti retroscena sulla sua vita e sul suo primo anno in F1. Vorrei andare dal Lewis del 2007 e dirgli “ehi, non sai quante cose grandiose otterrai” ❤️.
Davvero un libro che mostra la vera personalità di un non-ancora campione. Mai smettere di lottare per i propri sogni. ❤️.
Davvero un libro che mostra la vera personalità di un non-ancora campione. Mai smettere di lottare per i propri sogni. ❤️.
December 9, 2020
very quick read. The book captures Lewis' rookie year in F1.
He talks about fame, F1 politics, his team mate Fernanda Alonso and Ferrari rivalry.
At the time of this writing (Dec 2020) he has most individual race wins in F1 (95) vs M Shumacher's 91. Both drivers have the same number of titles of F1, 7 each.
He is talented, however, the book shows that before he became talented he did a lot of reps and years driving. He started at the age of 8 and had McLaren-Mercedec sponsorship at the age of 10 (or 12).
One takeaway: effort always beats talent
He talks about fame, F1 politics, his team mate Fernanda Alonso and Ferrari rivalry.
At the time of this writing (Dec 2020) he has most individual race wins in F1 (95) vs M Shumacher's 91. Both drivers have the same number of titles of F1, 7 each.
He is talented, however, the book shows that before he became talented he did a lot of reps and years driving. He started at the age of 8 and had McLaren-Mercedec sponsorship at the age of 10 (or 12).
One takeaway: effort always beats talent
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews