Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #386297 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Amazon.com Review
This authoritative annual on Grand Prix racing is in its 47th year of publication. The 1997-98 volume includes a foreword by the 1997 title winner Jacques Villeneuve, the first driver to win the championship after just two full seasons of Grand Prix racing. As usual, this large, attractive volume is packed with color photos, statistics, bios, commentary from the experts, and analyses of the year's races.

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Customer Reviews

Autocourse, 1999-2000
Autocourse is the ultimate annual of the just completed Formula One season. My first volume covered the 1976 season and I own all but two since then. The only reason I missed those two was because they sold out before I could place my order. Each edition continually improves on the previous years with outstanding statistics for each race including lap charts, the absolute best photographs from the world's best photographers and an always intriguing editor's top ten drivers list. The race reports don't miss a beat from first to last place. The technical breakdown gives every detail of each car down to what brake pads and spark plugs they use. You are not a Formula One fan if you do not own Autocourse.

Typical of recent examples and still a "must have"....
The 2005-6 Autocourse continues in the same vein as in recent years with superb photography complimenting good, if minimal, race reviews. Jared M's review (#1 above) is misleading I think. The race coverage is typically woeful with a 'once over lightly' feel and pretty short on detail. The qualifying coverage is dreadful, a few paragraphs at most and it only deals with just a few of the 20 cars leaving you wondering just what happened to the rest of the field in practice and qualifying. This trend started in the last ten years and if you compare the current example with an Autocourse of say 1996 or 1991 or earlier, you'll be shocked at the decline. What was once a comprehensive review that covered the entire event and detailed the whole field, even back to the non-qualifiers, has become a thumbnail sketch with the photo quotient amped up in an apparent attempt to dazzle you into not noticing the editorial drop-off. It's a shame really, but since other F1 reviews can't hold a candle to Autocourse, there's no motivation for Autocourse to improve. So despite this year's Autocourse comparing badly to it's predecessors, it is the definitive article and the useful reviews of other race series from around the world are still very good. Three and a half stars would be a more accurate rating.

A Must-Have Book for any F1 Fan!
Quite simply, Autocourse is the best Formula 1 review there is. I own a complete set of CART Autocourse annuals as well as a nearly complete set of the F1 annuals from 1961 forward. During the race-less down time of the winter, I always look forward to receiving my new copy of Autocourse to review the previous season. These annuals are great for deciding bets among fellow enthusiasts and for filling in gaps in memory from seasons past. No motorsport library is complete without a complete set of these annuals. Period.

My only complaint with recent annuals is that there seems to be somewhat less information than in the past-- but, by no means, is the information lacking or incomplete. The pictures, which have taken some of the space of the writing, are as usual fantastic and worth the price of the book by themselves. Note well that this complaint does not have any effect on my rating of a full five stars. If you have any enthusiasm for the sport, you must get a copy of this book!