Life At The Limit
Mar 2013 · Pan Macmillan
4.4star
69 reviewsreport
Ebook
264
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
It's pretty rare to come across a motor racing book that tempts you to read the thing in one sitting but "Prof" Watkins has produced a gem ... [he] is a superb raconteur, not afraid to speak him mind yet peppering the gravity with occasionally side-splitting humour. No true motorsport fan should be without this book.' Autosport
Grand Prix racing has undergone sweeping changes in the last thirty years. Many of these involve safety and medical rescue. The man behind them - a champion in the racing world although he has never won a race - is the eminent neurosurgeon Sid Watkins.
Life at the Limit is his remarkable story. It spans the most exciting years in Grand Prix racing and includes intimate portraits of motorsport's greatest names, from Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda to Alain Prost and Damon Hill. Sid Watkins has also witnessed, at first hand, some of the most severe and spectacular racing accidents. His account of these is made all the more poignant by the fact that some of the men he has rescued, sometimes at the point of death, have been personal friends. From Monza, in 1978, where Ronnie Petersen suffered a fatal accident, to Imola in May 1994 where Ayrton Senna met his untimely death, the high, and low, points of Grand Prix racing are vividly described.
For all fans of Formula One, this is the inside story of the world's most dangerous sport.
Grand Prix racing has undergone sweeping changes in the last thirty years. Many of these involve safety and medical rescue. The man behind them - a champion in the racing world although he has never won a race - is the eminent neurosurgeon Sid Watkins.
Life at the Limit is his remarkable story. It spans the most exciting years in Grand Prix racing and includes intimate portraits of motorsport's greatest names, from Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda to Alain Prost and Damon Hill. Sid Watkins has also witnessed, at first hand, some of the most severe and spectacular racing accidents. His account of these is made all the more poignant by the fact that some of the men he has rescued, sometimes at the point of death, have been personal friends. From Monza, in 1978, where Ronnie Petersen suffered a fatal accident, to Imola in May 1994 where Ayrton Senna met his untimely death, the high, and low, points of Grand Prix racing are vividly described.
For all fans of Formula One, this is the inside story of the world's most dangerous sport.
Ratings and reviews
4.4
69 reviews
Annie Whittenham
- Flag inappropriate
June 16, 2016
A fascinating insight into the medical and safety issues of Formula One from the late 70's to the mid 90's. Prof. Sid Watkins was the official FIA doctor at Grands Prix for many years and met many motor racing greats. His sense of humour and obvious passion for the sport and it's people are brought to life in this thoroughly enjoyable, emotional read.
2 people found this review helpful
Mark Rae
- Flag inappropriate
April 16, 2014
I love this book. It's the book that got me hooked on F1. I've worn out my physical copy I've read it so much! It only goes to the mid nineties so it's also worth reading Beyond the Limit which is his second book on F1. Every time I read the book it amazes me how much of a difference he made to so many people's lives.
4 people found this review helpful
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
November 18, 2013
It's an old book of course and it predates a big chunk of modern Formula One however it really sheds light on how dangerous the sport was (it still is now to a much lesser degree) and how drastically the whole sport has changed over the past few decades.
2 people found this review helpful
About the author
Sid Watkins, known as Professor Sid, was an English neurosurgeon. After graduated from the University of Liverpool and serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he became FIA Formula One Safety and Medical Delegate, head of the Formula One on-track medical team. He is the author of two memoirs, Life at the Limit and Beyond the Limit. He died in 2012 of a heart attack.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
