Mike Hailwood: A Motorcycle Racing Legend

Rating:
Summary: The legend lives on!
Review: I found this book to be the most complete history of Mike Hailwood's racing career I have read. The author's knowledge of his subject is encyclopedic and yet manages to be lively and interesting. Mr. Woolett illustrated his book lavishly with many photos that had not been published before. The listings of Mike's motorcycle racing career results in the back of the book will no doubt be used to settle many an argument among Mike's fans about what happened, when and where. My only criticism of the book is about this section. I was at the Canadian Motorcycle Grand Prix with Mike in 1967. It was on September 30th not September 24th as stated in the book. Memories can become confused. But,I have verified those dates with other sources. At the end of the racing on Sunday some of the factory team riders flew in a helicopter to the Toronto airport where BOAC (as it was in those days ) was holding its overnight flight to London. They flew all night and raced the next morning in the Race of the South at Brands Hatch on October 1 - not September 25th as stated in the book. As further confirmation I have Mike's trophy with the date engraved on it. These are the only dates on which I can give an opinion. I have no idea how accurate the other dates are. But, this is a minor flaw in an outstanding book. This is a wonderful tribute to a great man and his racing career. It is the perfect complement to Christopher Hilton's very personal portrait of Mike, A Man Called Mike. I am glad to see renewed interest in Mike coming just before what will be the 20th anniversary of his death, March 23, 1981 at the age of 40. But the legend lives on.