Mr Le Mans: Tom Kristensen, published by Evro Publishing, has won its second award in a fortnight. At London’s Rosewood Hotel on the evening of Thursday 18 November, Tom’s memoir was named Publication of the Year at the Historic Motoring Awards.

Congratulations, Tom! You have written a fabulous book and the recognition achieved by winning two prestigious awards is totally deserved. On top of that, you are a lovely guy to work with.

 

The moment Rebecca Leppard WhatsApp’d Tom on his holiday to say he’d won.

 

Evro’s Eric Verdon-Roe, Rebecca Leppard and Mark Hughes collect Tom’s award from presenter Amanda Stretton (left) and Octane magazine Editor in Chief James Elliott (right).

Steve Holter, author of our book about Crusader, John Cobb’s jet‐powered boat of 1952, gave a well-received talk at the Brooklands Museum on the evening of Thursday 4 November. He outlined his painstaking research into a spectacular project that should have resulted in a new water speed record but ended in tragedy. Included in his talk — and at length in the book itself — was his assessment of the errors made during the boat’s construction and when running it on the waters of Loch Ness.

Published last May, Steve’s book has received superb reviews. Here are two of the verdicts.

Peter Baker of the website retro-speed.co.uk stated: “A 352-page masterpiece, well-illustrated, painstakingly researched and carefully constructed to reveal, chapter-by-chapter, all the drama associated with Cobb’s attempt on the World Water Speed Record. It is far too cheap at just £30. Not only do I give it five stars, but unless something very special crops up between now and Christmas, I’m making it my Book of the Year.”

Magneto magazine had this to say: “This book details the saga in true detective-story style, thanks to author Steve Holter’s access to key figures and reams of original documents, plus exhaustive analysis of the technical aspects of the ill-fated bid. As a long-overdue crash investigation, it takes some beating.”

Photos by Gary Harman

Mr Le Mans: Tom Kristensen, published by Evro Publishing, has won the Royal Automobile Club’s Motoring Book of the Year (Below £50) award for 2021. The judges were particularly impressed with how candid Kristensen is in sharing the ups and downs from his legendary career, giving an insight into what it takes to succeed at the very highest level. The award was presented at the Club’s Pall Mall Clubhouse in London on the evening of 3 November.

Between 1997 and 2014, Tom Kristensen won the world’s toughest motor race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, a record nine times and finished on the podium on five more occasions. Every time his car made it to the finish, in fact, he was on that podium. It is no wonder that this great sports car driver is known as ‘Mr Le Mans’ to motorsport fans around the world.

Now retired from racing, Kristensen shares in this book his deepest personal reflections and insights from inside and outside the cockpit. He looks back on more than 30 years spent striving for perfection in racing and tells of the battles and setbacks that sometimes seemed impossible to overcome, including a terrible accident in 2007.

Tom Kristensen said: “What great news it was to hear about the prestigious Royal Automobile Club’s book award. I am very humbled and would like to thank the judges. It is fantastic to know that they have honoured a small boy from a gas station with curly, blond hair and dirty hands and taken him seriously. Thumbs up to my Danish co-author, knowledgeable contributors and keen publisher for helping to get my story and anecdotes out to a passionate audience.”

Eric Verdon-Roe, Chairman of Evro Publishing, said: “Working with Tom on this project made me realise why he was held in such high regard by the great teams he raced with. His steadfastness, determination, attention to detail and unwillingness to compromise are some of the attributes that made him so successful. Balancing this with his loyalty to the people he works with and his lack of ego makes him such a great team player.”

Eric Verdon-Roe, Chairman of Evro Publishing, receives Tom Kristensen’s award from Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club’s Motoring Committee.

Evro’s Publishing Director, Mark Hughes, received the Royal Automobile Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Club’s Pall Mall Clubhouse in London on the evening of 3 November. A former editor of Autosport and Classic & Sports Car, he was a long-time Editorial Director of the Books Division at Haynes Publishing and has edited more than 700 books during the course of his career. He joined Eric Verdon-Roe in setting up Evro Publishing eight years ago.

Simon Taylor, Chairman of the Judges, said: “I’ve known Mark for many years and his editorial skills and experience are second to none in the world of motoring publishing. Not only is he exceptionally good at his job, he carries it out in a calm and efficient manner, and has long been a reassuringly professional presence for authors and publishers alike.”

Photo by Peter Baker (retro-speed.co.uk)

At a recent dinner hosted by M1 Concourse during the Woodward Dream Show in Pontiac, Michigan, Pete Lyons was named the Grand Prize Trophy winner of the 2021 Best Automotive Heritage Book for his Shadow: The Magnificent Machines of a Man of Mystery.

A panel of respected journalists led by long-time automotive scribe Csaba Csere evaluated entries according to a carefully designed scoring system, and the best were selected in several categories. Csere’s judges determined six Gold Medal winners, ten Silver, twenty-one Bronze and Five Best of the Best trophy winners in the Automotive Heritage Journalism Competition.

“I feel surprised, honored, and very, very pleased to have received this award,” said Lyons. “Through all the Can-Am and Formula 1 seasons that I covered the wholly unusual Shadows and their mystery-man creator, Don Nichols, I itched to know the obviously singular story behind them. That the telling of it finally fell to me was a singular privilege, and the so-called ‘work’ has been joyous!”

“It is wonderful that the Automotive Heritage Foundation has recognized the excellence of Pete Lyons’s history of Shadow,” said Eric Verdon-Roe, Evro’s Chairman. “It is one of the best books we have published. Pete has the perfect credentials for the task: he was there, following the Can-Am and Formula 1 as a race reporter; he knew all the key Shadow people, including Don Nichols, and interviewed them at length for his book; and he also took superb photos, many of which appear in the book.”

We are often asked if we plan to bring our multi-volume official history of the Le Mans 24 Hours into the 21st century by covering the two most recent decades. The answer is a resounding ‘YES’. These projects are underway with a view to publishing the 2000–2009 volume during 2022 and the 2010–2019 volume the following year, which just happens to mark the race’s centenary. More details will follow soon.

Here is a collection of review comments about Tom Kristensen's memoir from newspapers, magazines and websites in Britain, America and Australia:

“Co-author Dan Philipsen reveals in the preface that Kristensen was ‘uncomfortable’ about the book title as it ‘would undermine the event and its own stature and position in the sport he loves so much’. That is the first of many revelations that provide a well-rounded insight into the pre-eminent sportscar racer of the past 20-or-so years… Anybody reading the book will likely know the broad brushstrokes of his long career, and the high points from which the book takes its name. But thankfully this memoir offers so, so much more.”
Autosport

“A tale of dedication, determination, talent and taking nothing for granted.”
Daily Mail

“Mr. Le Mans is a compelling read, full of passion, honesty and opinion… a genuine, great-value, five-star publication that deserves to be a best seller.”
retro-speed.co.uk

“Kristensen shares his deepest personal reflections and insights from both inside and outside the cockpit.”
motorsport.com

“A long time coming… a must.”
Classic & Sports Car

“When someone as successful as Tom Kristensen speaks, you listen. And when he writes, you read. Sportscar racing fans genuinely owe it to themselves to pick up a copy and engross themselves in one of the most remarkable careers of any driver in the history of motorsport… highly recommended.”
dailysportscar.com

“You should read this book.”
Autocar

“A truly rounded portrait of Tom Kristensen and his remarkable achievements.”
ourmanbehindthewheel.com

“If you are looking for a book that reads like a personal day spent with the humble man from a small town who became one of the biggest stars in global motorsport — all the while being the perfect politician and ambassador, get comfy, have a cup of coffee with Tom and let this beautiful book wash over you.”
themotorsportdiaries.com

“Refreshingly candid, revealing and honest, which is a rare quality in the world of ego-driven racing drivers… exciting, funny and it is frank.”
porscheroadandrace.com

“Mr Le Mans is fascinating book describing his personal reflections on life in and out of the cockpit and the perfect read for any sports enthusiast.”
Motorsport Australia

“Read [this] book. Mr Le Mans? That’s really only the half of it.”
Autocar

“[Kristensen tells us] stories behind the scenes, opening up and providing some of the answers fans have craved.”
Chequered Flag

“This is the definitive story and a must-read for all serious motorsport fans.”
the-race.com

“Kristensen’s passion for his sport and its history shines through in the pages of this memoir… a wholesome, engaging reflection of an incredible career.”
Motorsport News

“From Kristensen never shaving on race day (not superstition but practicality: one less thing to distract or go wrong on the morning of) to contract negotiations to engineering insights, the ups and downs, the vagaries of luck, the importance of family... there is much here to engage the mind and the imagination.”
speedreaders.info

“What makes this book so interesting, and in many ways rare in the modern famous person autobiography field, is how unblinking and true it is… Sure, Kristensen talks about racing, but he also talks about his relationship with his mom and sailing with his dad… he explores what it’s like to be a father himself, his relationship with team-mates, loss in general, the nature of friendship, rivalries… you know, a well-examined life… This book, through and through, is rare in today’s world of pre-fab honesty and pre-packaged emotions… you won’t regret reading it.”
Tony Borroz, automoblog.net

Here is a collection of review comments from newspapers, magazines, radio broadcasts and websites in Britain and America, including the thoughts of three Speed Kings:

“Fantastic… what really stands out is the passion for telling the story of each attempt… exceptionally good value.”
Classic & Sports Car

“Detailed and entertaining… a brilliant book… worth every penny.”
retro-speed.co.uk

“Barry John’s Quest for Speed is unarguably the most comprehensive ‘deep dive’ examination of man’s insatiable pursuit of speed to date. With very high production values, it accurately portrays the progression of speed, its parallelism with emerging technologies, and the larger-than-life figures that drove it relentlessly forward. It brilliantly celebrates the ever-surging velocity of man’s lust for speed with beautiful illustrations and insightful commentary… It is a high-quality collector’s piece and a must-read by any standard of speed as we know it. Aficionados of speed will no doubt treasure this book as a centerpiece of their land speed racing library.”
hotrodenginetech.com

“Thoughtful and informative.”
Motor Sport

“The author’s passion for the subject is on full display.”
motorsportweek.com

“Barry John did a fantastic job on this Quest for Speed book. It goes back to the Blitzen Benz — one of the first Bonneville records in 1914. It’s got the Blue Bird with Malcolm Campbell, George Eyston, Challenger 1 with my dad, Mickey Thompson — the Goldenrod, Burt Munro from ‘The World’s Fastest Indian’, the Burkland Streamliner, George Poteet, the Vesco boys... so many good things… Most of the cars I’ve mentioned are piston-powered cars, which I am in favor of, but it’s got all the jets and everything else in there — a great book by Barry John.”
Danny Thompson (radio interview)

“A labour of love… very well produced on quality paper.”
Octane

“I have every book ever written about Bonneville and there are some good ones, but Barry John’s book Quest for Speed is a really beautiful piece of work. It encompasses record-breaking vehicles in a way that I don’t think any other book has done. Barry has done a fabulous job of covering land-speed vehicles in a unique and comprehensive way.”
Charles Nearburg (radio interview)

“A delightful book… a charming and interesting title that more than justifies its cover price.”
business-money.com

“Read the mesmerizing story of the quest for speed in this beautifully illustrated book.”
Concepts International (USA)

“This is a very informative, entertaining, comprehensive book, and superb value.”
Classic Cars

“What a truly great book! The history of those with a ‘Quest for Speed’ is superb.”
Rick Vesco

“This is an excellent book, concentrating on man’s long term quest to travel ever faster on land.”
historicracingnews.com

“Ideal for a younger audience, especially if you are seeking to wean your kids off computer games and would like to introduce them to the excitement of the real world.”
grandprix+

“What I noticed first, are the wonderful illustrations, on every single page. Beautifully rendered, all of the vehicles are shown in side view, very often with sketches showing technical details… the illustrations are complemented with a well-written story on each vehicle, its record(s), its driver, and in some cases, its patron or designer… I congratulate Barry John on his fine work, and Evro Publishing for making this high-quality book possible. I highly recommend it.”
lacar.com (Don Taylor)

“From the first to the last page, entertaining, exciting, amazing — and all this at a fair price.”
speedweek.com (Germany)

“Fascinating.”
Best of British

“A wonderfully unique book that anyone interested in motorsports would truly enjoy… outstanding.”
Area Auto Racing News (Herb Anastor)

“All sorts of incredible machinery is charted along the way, including plenty of machines that you probably haven’t encountered before… all nicely illustrated in colour with John’s own drawings.”
Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain

“This fantastically illustrated book details nearly 80 land-speed record cars… a great book for speed freaks and engineering nuts alike.”
Classic Car Weekly

“Each machine is illustrated by a highly detailed side view of meticulous draughtsmanship… good value for money.”
The Automobile

Downforce Racing’s Alex Goldschmidt has been speaking to Evro’s award-winning author Jeremy Walton about his new book about the Audi quattro. The topics they discussed included rallying and racing, along with admiring the dominance of Audi Sport over so many disciplines, lasting for over two decades. To quote their verdict on the book: “It definitely gets the thumbs up from us!”

You can listen here:

https://www.spreaker.com/user/jakesanson/jeremy-walton-downforce-meets-18-11-2020?fbclid=IwAR13Mxajrv25sKMuJwDvC9N_NzU2B63OcShEaw-KvkTL-R0Hgl2XaT1JMGU

Pete Lyons’s Shadow: The Magnificent Machines of a Man of Mystery, published by Evro Publishing, has won the Royal Automobile Club’s Specialist Motoring Book of the Year award for 2020.

This hefty book, stretching to 464 pages and containing 600 illustrations, tells for the first time the story of the Shadow racing team, which was active for 11 seasons starting in 1970. One of the judges, Mick Walsh of Classic & Sports Car, commented: “The doyen of motorsport journalism delivers another superb team history.” Another judge, Gordon Cruickshank of Motor Sport, added: “Entertaining and well researched, it pulls aside the cloak of mystery that Don Nichols maintained around himself and his team.”

Enigmatic Nichols — D-Day paratrooper, Army counter-intelligence officer and controversial entrepreneur — created a racing marque that seems as cloaked as the man himself. Shadow was the only US-based team to win a Can-Am championship. and one of only three to score a victory in Formula 1. Pete Lyons lifts the veil from this secretive man and the innovative racing cars and world-class team he created. The author draws on considerable first-hand experience: he was present for Shadow’s two big débuts, in Can-Am at St Jovite in Canada (1970) and in Formula 1 at Kyalami in South Africa (1973), and his numerous interviews for the book included six days with Nichols himself not long before the ‘Shadowman’ died in 2017.

Pete Lyons said: “Ever since October 1971, I’ve believed that motorsport could bring me no more exciting occasion than the rocket ride around Riverside that Can-Am champion Peter Revson gave me in his stupifyingly fast McLaren M8F. As of October 2020, Revvie has a rival.

“This honour so generously bestowed on Evro Publishing and me has sent my personal tach needle perilously near the red. My deepest gratitude to the Royal Automobile Club, as well as to all who helped to tell the story of Don Nichols and his compellingly Quixotic racing team. Putting it together has been a joy.”

This is the fifth time an Evro book has won a Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year award. In the inaugural year of these awards, 2014, the honour went to Evro’s very first book, John Surtees: My Incredible Life on Two and Four Wheels. The 2016 winner was Brian Redman’s memoir Daring Drivers, Deadly Tracks. The Specialist award was given to Karl Ludvigsen’s Reid Railton: Man of Speed in 2018 and to Simon Taylor’s John, George and the HWMs in 2019.

Eric Verdon-Roe, Chairman of Evro Publishing, said: “The Royal Automobile Club’s awards are the most prestigious in our field of publishing and it is a very great honour to receive one. The real credit, of course, belongs to the esteemed Pete Lyons. I heartily congratulate him and thank him for teaming up with us.”

You can watch the awards here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFCaLBGJUQQ&feature=emb_logo