Here's a new must-read for Formula 1 enthusiasts: "Gilles Villeneuve - His untold life from Berthierville to Zolder" is a 192-page account of the late Canadian driving legend's too-short career and life.
Hungarian author Károly Méhes, who's passionate about F1 himself, interviewed 44 people who worked closely or shared moments with Villeneuve.
Naturally, the list includes high-profile figures such as Carlos Reutemann, Bernie Ecclestone and René Arnoux. The book also contains stories and anecdotes from Sergio Vezzali (one of Villeneuve's mechanics), Brenda Vernor (a former personal assistant of Enzo Ferrari) and Jonathan Giacobazzi (heir to the family and a major sponsor of Villeneuve). What I liked about the book: - The impressive number of pictures, mostly taken by little-known photographers including a local man who covered the Belgian Grand Prix in Zolder; - It's a comprehensive look at the career and life of Villeneuve, although some sections are redundant and raise the same questions; - There are some contradictory answers like when Méhes asks whether Enzo Ferrari thought about letting Villeneuve go following his major crashes in 1977 and early 1978; - We learn new things about Gilles Villeneuve, maybe not a whole lot, but still some pretty interesting stuff. What I didn't like about the book: - The text is written in English and contains several grammatical errors and typos; - Méhes tied hard but failed to interview Christian Tortora, who for a long time used to be the only Canadian journalist to cover Villeneuve; - Some of the individuals he did interview provided little insight, such as Jody Scheckter; - More than 30 years after Villeneuve's tragic death, some people still refuse to give clear answers about what happened. In short, "Gilles Villeneuve - His untold life from Berthierville to Zolder" is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn a little more about Gilles Villeneuve's F1 years, his personality, and what happened in Imola and then in Zolder. To get a copy of the book signed by the author, send an email to gillesbook2014@gmail.com
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