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Do pekla a zpět: Autobiografie
Kniha "Niki Lauda - Autobiografie. Do pekla a zpět" spadá do žánru Biografie, memoáry. Autorem je Lauda Niki.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published June 26, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
June 5, 2021
An interesting biography about the formula one legend Niki Lauda.
This was quite detached and aloof; which is exactly in Lauda’s way. However it meant I couldn’t get fully into the story of his life.
However overall I did find this incredibly interesting and discovered a lot about him I didn’t before. Definitely worth a read.
This was quite detached and aloof; which is exactly in Lauda’s way. However it meant I couldn’t get fully into the story of his life.
However overall I did find this incredibly interesting and discovered a lot about him I didn’t before. Definitely worth a read.
June 16, 2024
Interesting autobiography about motor racing legend niki lauda
November 28, 2023
Um livro fascinante pela pessoa tão interessante que era o Niki Lauda. Principalmente sendo seu fã e da fórmula 1, foi uma grande experiência ler tantas histórias sobre a sua carreira e também sobre os bastidores deste desporto com tantas intrigas. Era claramente um lutador e sobretudo um vencedor contra as grandes adversidades que a vida lhe lançou. Para além de uma personalidade tão peculiar. Recomendo esta biografia não só para quem segue a fórmula 1 mas para o público em geral, porque teve uma história de vida realmente incrível!
January 12, 2023
Niki Lauda was known for his enigmatic veneer, aloofness, and stoicism; because of his dry public persona, I did not have high expectations for such a compelling autobiography. Underneath — revealed in the book — is a man who is deeply introspective and relentlessly driven. It reads as an honest, no punches spared recount of his accolade filled career. No doubt a great sportsman and his modus operandi is encapsulated in this book. It is a cut above other autobiographies I’ve read by an athlete.
April 11, 2014
First of all I read the book after the movie, The movie was fantastic but, The book To Hell And Back is even better because Niki Lauda is the actual one who wrote the story and he is the one who was in the car when the car caught flame. The book gives you detail by detail of how he come back from an awful injury like that. Also I believe that this book has inspired some of the drivers because the book gave me thoughts of things. The way he mentioned the vacuums and how much it hurt, The book is very good to me because It shows how much strength you have to have from coming back from an injury that permanently burned half of your face off. Also I believe that the book makes you feel more into the book, Also Niki explains what he looked like and how hot he felt when he was burning, not that many people feel that kind of heat which is why this book is awesome.
July 7, 2020
Intense and no bull****
This was an exceptionally interesting, exciting and inspiring read. Even from a non motor sport background Niki Lauda's story can be appreciated and enjoyed. His no bull**** and busy approach to his life is really reflected through the way he tells his story and the details crammed in there.
This was an exceptionally interesting, exciting and inspiring read. Even from a non motor sport background Niki Lauda's story can be appreciated and enjoyed. His no bull**** and busy approach to his life is really reflected through the way he tells his story and the details crammed in there.
July 28, 2020
Excellent book. Lauda had a surprisingly witty and captivating writing style and his bluntness and self-criticism are hilarious. The last chapers added by his co-author are not less entertaining and informative. It's great reading even for those who are not F1 fans.
February 1, 2024
Really interesting read, learnt loads I didn't know before as a formula one fan. You can tell it was written a while ago whilst the epilogue brings it up to date. Flew through it and enjoyed.
May 8, 2023
I loved this book.
The autobiography of a man having survived a near fatal crash who, mere weeks later, heroically returns racing with terrible injuries to eventually win another world title.
Niki Lauda sees himself as a ‘calculating, egotistical, goal-oriented person’ but his autobiography shows that the abrasive public persona had an emotional and sensitive self, which he meticulously hid from the public eye, creating what he called ‘the Lauda system’ - a method of apportioning time and energy to essential matters and which conveniently kept his feelings concealed.
The book is an excellent read for any formula 1 fan for the technical insights, the unique perspective of suppressing fear and normal survival instincts when racing at more that 300 km/h, the details of previous era downforce regulations that came back in the sport a couple of years ago not without controversy and for the many interesting schemes and intrigues of the f1 paddock that still reverberate today.
The book could also appeal to the more literary readership who enjoys the abundance of deep introspection and self reflective sections, but also to those keen on psychological analysis for whom the story of Niki Lauda’s life has much food for thought.
He was far from flawless but he portrays himself in earnest, with dry humour, as honest, blunt and straightforward as he is remembered. His strength and stoicism, the relentless drive and bravery are traits he never speaks about, but they are utterly obvious.
He remains a legend of the sport and his memory is much revered in the f1 paddock. As a tribute after his passing, Mercedes - the f1 team he helped to build and bring to record braking success - decorated their silver arrows car with a single red star who symbolises Niki and it will remain on the livery as long as there are Silver Arrows to race. Likewise, his eternal red cap and headphones remain on the drivers and engineers’ pitwall, as if he never really left.
The autobiography of a man having survived a near fatal crash who, mere weeks later, heroically returns racing with terrible injuries to eventually win another world title.
Niki Lauda sees himself as a ‘calculating, egotistical, goal-oriented person’ but his autobiography shows that the abrasive public persona had an emotional and sensitive self, which he meticulously hid from the public eye, creating what he called ‘the Lauda system’ - a method of apportioning time and energy to essential matters and which conveniently kept his feelings concealed.
The book is an excellent read for any formula 1 fan for the technical insights, the unique perspective of suppressing fear and normal survival instincts when racing at more that 300 km/h, the details of previous era downforce regulations that came back in the sport a couple of years ago not without controversy and for the many interesting schemes and intrigues of the f1 paddock that still reverberate today.
The book could also appeal to the more literary readership who enjoys the abundance of deep introspection and self reflective sections, but also to those keen on psychological analysis for whom the story of Niki Lauda’s life has much food for thought.
He was far from flawless but he portrays himself in earnest, with dry humour, as honest, blunt and straightforward as he is remembered. His strength and stoicism, the relentless drive and bravery are traits he never speaks about, but they are utterly obvious.
He remains a legend of the sport and his memory is much revered in the f1 paddock. As a tribute after his passing, Mercedes - the f1 team he helped to build and bring to record braking success - decorated their silver arrows car with a single red star who symbolises Niki and it will remain on the livery as long as there are Silver Arrows to race. Likewise, his eternal red cap and headphones remain on the drivers and engineers’ pitwall, as if he never really left.
October 28, 2023
Jezu pobeczałam sie prawie na koncu.
Zawsze kochalam pozniejsza relacje Nikiego z Mercedesem 🫶🫶
Sama ksiazka dość chaotyczna i niekoniecznie konkretna ale bardzo podobaly mi sie taktyczne i mechaniczne wstawki
- »Wiesz co? Nie mam przyjaciół. Gdybym o trzeciej w nocy leżał gdzieś przy drodze i potrzebował pomocy, nie miałbym do kogo zadzwonić. Nikt nie odebrałby telefonu. Jeżeli natomiast istnieje coś takiego jak półprzyjaciel, to chyba jesteś nim ty«”.
Zawsze kochalam pozniejsza relacje Nikiego z Mercedesem 🫶🫶
Sama ksiazka dość chaotyczna i niekoniecznie konkretna ale bardzo podobaly mi sie taktyczne i mechaniczne wstawki
- »Wiesz co? Nie mam przyjaciół. Gdybym o trzeciej w nocy leżał gdzieś przy drodze i potrzebował pomocy, nie miałbym do kogo zadzwonić. Nikt nie odebrałby telefonu. Jeżeli natomiast istnieje coś takiego jak półprzyjaciel, to chyba jesteś nim ty«”.
September 19, 2021
Great insight into the mind of a man who unapologetically was always himself - blunt and honest with no room for bullshit
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September 12, 2023“To Hell and Back: An Autobiography” Is a auto biography by the famous and well decorated F1 racecar drive Nikki Lauda written in 1986. This book is the real life tale of events from the perspective of someone whos in the hot seat and experiencing every last bit of g-force and power deriving from these machines. The book fully details his story as An F1 driver during some of the most infamous, exciting, and dangerous parts of motorsport. It speaks and talks of other famous drivers from this era such as his famous rival James Hunt, the famous driver of mclaren. The main focus of the book was his reign as drivers champion during the years of 1975, 1977 and 1984. But the main focus of the book was about on of the most tragic days in all of F1 and even Motorsport.
During the 1976 season F1 was going to it’s prepared track for the raceday, the ever so famous yet infamous nürburgring in Germany. The nürburgring at this time was under speculation of if the sharp twists and turns would be safe and suitable for F1. That day the safety of the track was held to a vote by the drivers, yet the drivers still voted to race that day even with the drastic and posing safety concerns of the racetrack. Nikki lauda at this time was the former drivers champion and was in a fierce rivalry with James Hunt of mclaren. That rivalry drove him too far that day though as between the bergwerk right turn and the ever so fast approaching left, Nikki’s ferrari lost traction and spun out of control, barrelling into the guardrail and bursting into flames. Nikki was presumed dead when paramedics finally arrived as this section of the nürburgring was in deep heavy woods. He was brought to the University Hospital of Zürich in germany where for 6 long weeks he fought for his life. He had his right ear burnt off and his scalp had completely melted off of his head as well as his eyelids. Nikki survived barrelling into a steel barrier at 180 miles per hour, flipping over multiple times, and being in a demolished car with 0 safety equipment that was burning at 800 degrees fahrenheit. And he did this all for an agonizing 55 seconds. Yet through all of this his story refuses to end as after his injuries he came back and was the drivers champion the following year in 1977 and 1984. I personally love this story as his tale of bravery is nothing but awe inspiring. People can benefit from reading this book truly as it shows it is more than possible for humans to become much much more that just that.
During the 1976 season F1 was going to it’s prepared track for the raceday, the ever so famous yet infamous nürburgring in Germany. The nürburgring at this time was under speculation of if the sharp twists and turns would be safe and suitable for F1. That day the safety of the track was held to a vote by the drivers, yet the drivers still voted to race that day even with the drastic and posing safety concerns of the racetrack. Nikki lauda at this time was the former drivers champion and was in a fierce rivalry with James Hunt of mclaren. That rivalry drove him too far that day though as between the bergwerk right turn and the ever so fast approaching left, Nikki’s ferrari lost traction and spun out of control, barrelling into the guardrail and bursting into flames. Nikki was presumed dead when paramedics finally arrived as this section of the nürburgring was in deep heavy woods. He was brought to the University Hospital of Zürich in germany where for 6 long weeks he fought for his life. He had his right ear burnt off and his scalp had completely melted off of his head as well as his eyelids. Nikki survived barrelling into a steel barrier at 180 miles per hour, flipping over multiple times, and being in a demolished car with 0 safety equipment that was burning at 800 degrees fahrenheit. And he did this all for an agonizing 55 seconds. Yet through all of this his story refuses to end as after his injuries he came back and was the drivers champion the following year in 1977 and 1984. I personally love this story as his tale of bravery is nothing but awe inspiring. People can benefit from reading this book truly as it shows it is more than possible for humans to become much much more that just that.
October 23, 2023
Well, this may be one of my favourite books I have read this year. I may be slightly biased as Niki Lauda is an absolute legend in my mind.
Reading Lauda's account of his life in Formula 1 was intriguing and entertaining. The way the man viewed racing and his outlook on life is fascinating to me. He was very serious about racing but was also incredibly funny and could be light hearted.
Niki Lauda went through a lot in his racing career and to me he is one of the absolute GOATs of Formula 1. To me, he embodies all it means to be a Formula 1 driver.
The movie Rush did a superb job depicting the rivalry between Lauda and Hunt however, the one thing I think it got wrong was that they didn't show how much respect Lauda and Hunt had for each other and it was nice reading about that in this book.
I also enjoyed the ending of the book written by Kevin Eason as he discusses Lauda's importance with the Mercedes team and how he is the reason that my favourite racer ever, Lewis Hamilton, went to Mercedes. Lauda was Hamilton's mentor and it really shows.
Reading Lauda's account of his life in Formula 1 was intriguing and entertaining. The way the man viewed racing and his outlook on life is fascinating to me. He was very serious about racing but was also incredibly funny and could be light hearted.
Niki Lauda went through a lot in his racing career and to me he is one of the absolute GOATs of Formula 1. To me, he embodies all it means to be a Formula 1 driver.
The movie Rush did a superb job depicting the rivalry between Lauda and Hunt however, the one thing I think it got wrong was that they didn't show how much respect Lauda and Hunt had for each other and it was nice reading about that in this book.
I also enjoyed the ending of the book written by Kevin Eason as he discusses Lauda's importance with the Mercedes team and how he is the reason that my favourite racer ever, Lewis Hamilton, went to Mercedes. Lauda was Hamilton's mentor and it really shows.
August 30, 2024
A great story, told in the first person. That really makes all the difference as you can almost hear
Niki Lauda narrating the story in his own language and in his colourful style. Many of his famous quotes come from this book.
Readers may think that the main theme in the book is about his accident at the Ring, which is well covered but there are many more interesting narratives - the most striking is Niki's incredible self-confidence to believe he was capable to win in Formula 1, despite moderate results in the lower formulae, leading to his willingness to go into insane amounts of debt. His ability to be a wheeler dealer in various contexts also helped him hugely and is also well described in the book.
The post scriptum (the original book was written in 1986 and therefore does not cover Lauda's life post Formula 1) is a useful, but not critical, addition.
The German to English translation is sometimes weird, in particular the use of the word "training" when it should be "practice".
Niki Lauda narrating the story in his own language and in his colourful style. Many of his famous quotes come from this book.
Readers may think that the main theme in the book is about his accident at the Ring, which is well covered but there are many more interesting narratives - the most striking is Niki's incredible self-confidence to believe he was capable to win in Formula 1, despite moderate results in the lower formulae, leading to his willingness to go into insane amounts of debt. His ability to be a wheeler dealer in various contexts also helped him hugely and is also well described in the book.
The post scriptum (the original book was written in 1986 and therefore does not cover Lauda's life post Formula 1) is a useful, but not critical, addition.
The German to English translation is sometimes weird, in particular the use of the word "training" when it should be "practice".
May 19, 2025
One of my favorite f1 drivers ever, forever remembered <3
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July 5, 2021This book is the autobiography of a three time F1 World Drivers' Champion who met with an accident during a race and suffered severe burns; however, he returned to racing within 6 weeks of the accident. Coming from quite a privileged family he was expected to take his education seriously, which he never quite conformed with. His interest lied in cars, which eventually led him to racing (without much support or willingness from his privileged family), and then to becoming the world champion.
Although the book title comes from the accident, the book itself does not emphasize enough about it mostly because the author mentions that those moments were erased from his memory. His straightforwardness, egocentricity, and no-nonsense attitude, for which his colleagues and the media much disliked him, is presented and explained well in the book and results in a faced-paced narrative.
The crash did end up claiming his life, albeit 40 years later, as his lungs were damaged due to inhalation of the toxic gases then. He passed away in 2019.
Although the book title comes from the accident, the book itself does not emphasize enough about it mostly because the author mentions that those moments were erased from his memory. His straightforwardness, egocentricity, and no-nonsense attitude, for which his colleagues and the media much disliked him, is presented and explained well in the book and results in a faced-paced narrative.
The crash did end up claiming his life, albeit 40 years later, as his lungs were damaged due to inhalation of the toxic gases then. He passed away in 2019.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2016
This is a very open, factual account of Niki Lauda's time in F1. He doesn't dwell on rumours and anecdotes, or even the emotional impact of his infamous Nurburgring crash, but calmly explains his decisions and the events as he saw them.
What I found particularly fascinating was this book's value as a historical resource. This was published in 1986 - after Niki's second retirement but before such things as Senna's death. Therefore there is no sense of censorship in Niki's writing. Even in 1986 Niki assesses Senna as "probably the greatest talent to emerge in recent years". In light of the new film "Rush", it was also interesting to read Niki's opinion of James Hunt.
For anyone interested in the Formula 1 of the pre-90s, I would heartily recommend this book.
What I found particularly fascinating was this book's value as a historical resource. This was published in 1986 - after Niki's second retirement but before such things as Senna's death. Therefore there is no sense of censorship in Niki's writing. Even in 1986 Niki assesses Senna as "probably the greatest talent to emerge in recent years". In light of the new film "Rush", it was also interesting to read Niki's opinion of James Hunt.
For anyone interested in the Formula 1 of the pre-90s, I would heartily recommend this book.
May 31, 2020
The sport has seen many legends but he stands out. The autobiography tells us why. The sheer character he possessed is probably unmatched across the sporting world. People argue that other supreme athletes, if put through similar situations, may come out stronger, but I guess one will never know how that would pan out.
A balanced read in which he tries to give us sense of where his greatness comes from. Liked the way how he has talked so much beyond the sport. What I felt was missing just a tad bit was more details of how he approached races in the initial years of his career. Nevertheless, a very good read!
A balanced read in which he tries to give us sense of where his greatness comes from. Liked the way how he has talked so much beyond the sport. What I felt was missing just a tad bit was more details of how he approached races in the initial years of his career. Nevertheless, a very good read!
April 30, 2021
A great read about a great man.
A great book about a great man.
Niki Lauda is one of the great racing drivers that everyone remembers not least due to his amazing come back after his almost fatal accident which resulted in the horrific injuries he refused to hide.
Lauda gives an insight into how he dealt with life and how it helped him overcome his injuries, return to racing, and become a succesful businessman before returning to the race track as part of the managemnt team for Mercedes.
A great book about a great man.
Niki Lauda is one of the great racing drivers that everyone remembers not least due to his amazing come back after his almost fatal accident which resulted in the horrific injuries he refused to hide.
Lauda gives an insight into how he dealt with life and how it helped him overcome his injuries, return to racing, and become a succesful businessman before returning to the race track as part of the managemnt team for Mercedes.
May 8, 2021
This book has really sparked off an interest in F1, even though Niki's experiences were from another era. The intro and epilogue added more detail and could have been slightly longer for me. A commentary on Niki's own autobiographical claims and ascertains would have made it a five star book for me. Fascinating character to learn about. I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in triumphing over adversity, even if you are new to F1 & never had a keen interest in the sport.
August 17, 2021
A very solid read, while I am not into Formula 1 racing, this gave a true glimpse into the mentality, the focus and the drive of one of the all time greats in Niki Lauda
I loved how it touched on the movie Rush, which is what first got me interested to read this book and learn more about Lauda’s pursuit into aviation, and general no nonsense and analytical view
Definitely worth a pick up if you like racing for sure
I loved how it touched on the movie Rush, which is what first got me interested to read this book and learn more about Lauda’s pursuit into aviation, and general no nonsense and analytical view
Definitely worth a pick up if you like racing for sure
October 13, 2021
Niki Lauda, what a legend. To have a crash like he did and to come back to get P4 in Monza only a few weeks later, the definition of heroic. I read this book after seeing the film Rush (highly recommend) and I wanted to learn more about his pre and post F1 life. He clearly took loads of risks with his finances to fund his dream and to reach the top like he did was absolutely amazing and amazing to read, the straight to the point stories were page tuner after page turner. Great read.
July 10, 2021
The first part of this book was written by Lauda himself but never updated and I found the straight talking and humour in this part very reminiscent of the way he was portrayed in the film "Rush". The remainder of the book explains what Lauda did following his retirement from racing and prompted me to admire how successful and influential he was outside of the car. A much missed character.
June 28, 2021
The main section is as blunt and forthright as you would expect from Lauda - no sentimentality or swelling on things, but a fascinating insight into how he viewed his career. The intro and post sections are a welcome addition to bring his story full circle.
September 20, 2010
Written in 1985, and just a bit too outdated. I bet a book written about Niki by someone else would be more interesting.
October 30, 2020
I loved this book so much. Niki seemed always very honest and straightforward person and I expected nothing less from this book. One of the greatest F1 drivers and I loved to read his story.
January 3, 2021
Truly inspirational, no nonsense. This covered good and bad in personal circumstances, on the track and in business.
September 19, 2021
This was very enjoyable. His outlook is interesting and as a fan of motorsport this was a great insight.
October 10, 2022
A short book but a lot to write about. RIP Niki another one of true greats gone. If you haven’t seen RUSH I highly recommend you do.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews