Rating: 
Summary: Three books in one, all superb!
Review: OK, I was half way to enjoying this book before I opened the cover...1) I'm a big motorsports and Le Mans fan, having been fortunate enough to attend the 1999 and 2001 races so far. 2) I loved the film Le Mans. But the book certainly got me through the other 50%... What you get in this book is a fabulous scene setting of the history and significance of '24 Heures Du Mans', which is critical to show the importance of the event to Steve McQueen when he was preparing for and making the film - this was definitely a labour of love. Also there is a brief but by no means lightweight biography of the man himself, again helping to build up an image of the actual person who was making the movie. Then, in meticulous detail, you get the story of the build up, preparation and filming of 'Le Mans', with plenty of interesting anecdotes and events, particularly on how the fantastic crash sequences were filmed. In my opinion you will enjoy this book if any of the below apply: You are a motorsport fan with an interest in the history of the sport. You are a Steve McQueen fan. You enjoyed the movie and want to know how it was made. If you fit into two or all three categories you will definitely be on to a winner!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: One of my favorite automotive films of all times is Le Mans. Not only is the race itself an epic, but the making of the film Le Mans was also an epic itself. Steve McQueen was responsible for it from start to finish. It was a labor of love for him. The movie was not well received by the critics... they felt there was too little dialog and very little plot. But, it's a masterful and unique depiction of the famous event - you'll feel as though you were there because of the very well done in-car sequences. I consider this film as a must-see for all enthusiasts.
This books covers his life and filmography as background. The main focus, however, is on the film Le Mans itself - and the book offers an incredibly detailed view of the making of the film. You'll rarely see this level of detail about any film, much less an automotive racing film!
And, of course, if you are ever going to go to the Le Mans race itself, this book would be excellent background reading.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for Le Mans freaks and Steve McQueen fans!
Review: This book is first of all an absolute must read for all Steve McQueen fans because it's the most detailed ever story about the one film Steve always wanted to do for himself and which was finally completed against all odds. But it is also a must read for everybody who has seen the movie 'Le Mans' and became fascinated by the subject. Both authors are very qualified to write about the race as they have participated as drivers and Jonathan Williams even drove the camera car for the movie at race speed during the real event! The pictures printed in the book are priceless and come mainly from private collections of people who were involved in making the film and have therefore never been published before. But everybody who didn't like the movie 'Le Mans' or who didn't understand Steve McQueens obsession about cars, motorbikes, speedevents and sportcar racing in particular will most likely also dislike this book! But if you, like me, can hardly stop reading it and cannot put it down before finishing with the last page will probably want to see the next '24 hours of Le Mans' live and travel to all the places in this area of rural France described in the text of the book, preferably driving a black Porsche 911 like Steve did. This book is definitely one of the top five in my collection of 160+ motorsport books. See you at Le Mans in June!
Rating:
Summary: It's just like being there!
Review: This book is for anyone that likes Steve McQueen, vintage sports car racing, or the movie Le Mans. Of course there's everything there is to know about the movie itself, but there's also a Steve McQueen bio, a history of that era's race cars, AND a history of the Le Mans race too! It's a big book that takes a while to read and once you're done with it, you're gonna want to read it again.
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