Formula 1: World Champions (German and English Edition) Hardcover – January 15, 2012

The book is just a great beginning of the story of the driver along with some great pictures of him in action.the bios can be a bit short, but they can give you a good ideal of what kind of person the man is. Any of them you want more info on can easily be found from other sources.

This book does offer some good pictures of each champion but the captions are very brief as is the bio for each champion. I was left feeling like I had not learned much at all after reading it.

Gorgeous!

If you're a fan of Formula 1 this book is a must have. Rainer Schlegelmilch captures five decades of photographs, some color and some black and white, of 32 world champions from the 1960's through 2011. But there are photos by other photographers covering the 1950's as well. There are mini biographies of each of the champions, written by Hartmut Lehbrink. As someone who knew all of these drivers, he includes a lot of little known facts and insights that make the whole experience seem more personal. The book is written in both German and English.Bernie Ecclestone, who knows all of the 32 world champions writes the forward to this book and calls it "The most thrilling show on earth". The book is dedicated to Jim Clark, who was a British Formula 1 racing driver from Scotland and won seven out of ten grand prix in 1963 and won six out of ten in 1965 and to other drivers who are no longer with us. Clark's untimely death in 1968 when he was doing practice laps and went off the course at the Hockenheimring, in Germany and hit a tree, was a great loss to the racing community. There are some great close-ups of him in this book as well as photos of his cars and him in action.All of the photography is gorgeous and the shots are unique. One of my favorite things about the book are the full page photos of the faces of each of the champions. Schlegelmilch captures the emotions of a driver watching in anticipation, experiencing the pride of winning or sometimes the concentration of being in the driver's seat. These are beautiful photographs. The book is substantial, a good 6½ pounds according to my scale. It's also large, about 13 ½ x 11 ¼ inches and about 1 1/3 inches thick. It's a coffee table book and would make a wonderful gift for anyone who is a Formula 1 fan. I received a complimentary copy of this book that both I and my husband will cherish for years to come.

You might have doubts that a book could capture the dynamism of Formula 1 racing, what with ample opportunities for viewing the sport's highlights and history on television and the internet. But Rainer Schlegelmilch (photos) and Hartmut Lehbrink (words) do a brilliant job bringing the sport to life in this vibrantly photographed and passionately written book.Lehbrink's mini-biographies manage at the same time to offer a sense of intimacy and scope, shedding light on the drivers' personalities and motivations while placing each in the context of his competitive set. Filled with historical and technical detail, but never over-laden with jargon, these are good reads for the devout fan and casual observer alike.The heart of this book, though, are the photos. Schlegelmilch's driver portraits fill in the details the words can't grasp at. Just a glance at the impish grin of Jackie Stewart, the determined scowl of Alain Prost, the boyish joie de vivre in Schumacher's smile, and you have an insight into these men's personalities. Though I'd scarcely known him before, my favorite was debonair Englishman Graham Hill, a two-time world champion with the sauvest mustache this side of Clark Gable.Schlegelmilch's photos also chronicle the fascinating evolution of the cars themselves, from the glorified tin cans of the `50s, through the development of curves and aerodynamics in the `60s and `70s, through to the veritable rocketships of the present day, smearing in blurs of chrome, candy-apple red and fluorescent yellows and greens right off the page. You can feel the screaming speed in each of Schlegelmilch shots.Those new to the sport and longtime fans alike will enjoy this ride.

I have been a fan of Formula 1 for over 20 years. This book honors the great champions of racing at the highest level. The back stories of the drivers, owners, teams and machines are fascinating. I really enjoyed learning more about the past champions and what made them special. The statistics for each champion are detailed and a review of their triumphs, struggles and career highlights provides additional insight. Beautiful photography combined with compelling stories makes this book a must own.

This was chosen as a gift for my husband who has been a Formula 1 fan since about 1960. He rated this book as 5 stars because the content and presentation are of top quality. He considers it more than a coffee table book. Being specifically about F1 champions, their history, the cars they've driven and the teams they driven for makes this a superb reference. This would be a welcome addition to the collection of any Formula 1 fan.

A gift. Well received, full of information. Excellent photos. A keeper for sure

Die Aufnahmen sind überwältigend, ist aber nicht anders von Herrn Schlegelmilch zu erwarten gewesen.Ich besitze schon einige Bildbände/ Bücher von ihm, aber man ist immer wieder positiv von seinen Aufnahmen überrascht.Bei diesem großem Format "taucht" man regelrecht ein ins Geschehen.Auch was die Qualität der Bilder betrifft bin ich sehr begeistert.Von allem im Buch erwähnten Fahrern gibt es ein ausführliche Beschreibung ihrer Erfolge bzw. Ereignisse. Kann ich jedem Formel 1 Fan nur empfehlen!

Clear precise text (no silly wafle!) and great photos.A must have book for any F1 fan

excellent