Autobooks: Speed Reading
June 1, 2005
The Cruel Sport: Grand Prix Racing 1959–1967
When published in 1963,
The Cruel Sport documented the lives of grand prix racers and their drivers
through exceptional black-and-white photography. While the book has been out of
print for decades, the publisher Motorbooks has issued an updated edition that
features previously unpublished photos, revised captions, and new profiles of
drivers including Jackie Stewart and Jimmy Clark—both of whom achieved
prominence after the book’s initial publication. Author and photographer Robert
Daley, a European editor for the New York Times at the time of the book’s first
printing, also offers comments on the sport’s evolution during the last four
decades. (Daley went on to write numerous books—both fiction and
nonfiction—including the novel Prince of the City.)
More than 200 pages long,
The Cruel Sport explores all aspects of the grand prix experience, from the
exhilaration of fast laps to the application of wax earplugs, from cars taking
60 mph turns in front of Monte Carlo’s casino to
a female observer applying
a fresh coat of lipstick. Candid portraits of drivers, cars, and fans abound,
including those of a driver yawning and a young girl covering her ears.
Daley’s careful eye captures the full sensory experience of being at a race.
Any fan of grand prix racing will appreciate his excellent book. The Cruel Sport
is available at bookstores or through Motorbooks for $50.
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