Car Books to Buy for your Friends/Family
Plus, how to get an autographed copy of our new photobook!
HAPPY RACE DAY, especially to people who compiled lists like this one of extraordinary women throughout motorsport history — from Sabine Schmitz to Danica Patrick and many more in between — to give them well-deserved flowers.
The threads were in response to a Vogue cover with model Kelly Piquet, the daughter and girlfriend of F1 drivers who is not a racer herself. Let’s instead remember and celebrate the many women who’ve fought hard to carve lanes for others.
WITH THE HOLIDAYS upon us, it’s a great time to review some of the wonderful automotive books you can buy for yourself or others. This year there’s an embarassment of fantastic choices, starting with our own new release!
Last week we launched Postcards From the End of the World, our exciting new photobook filled with stunning images. There’s travel, adventure, love and loss with a whole lot of spirit (and maybe some sci-fi?). To say the least, it’s a wild ride.
This is the authorial debut for writer and photographer Victoria Scott and we could not be happier to work with her on Postcards. Copies will ship in January, but to get yours autographed by Victoria herself be sure to preorder now! It’s a great gift!
But… that’s not all. There’s a grip of other great car-related books out there, particularly in motorsports nonfiction. Here are four doozies:
Survival of the Fastest by Randy Lanier: A first-hand account of the drug-fueled 1980’s racing scene from the guy who got busted for trafficking.
Racing While Black by Leonard T. Miller: Another biographical tale, following motorsports pioneer Miller in his quest to diversify NASCAR and racing at large.
Racing with Rich Energy by Elizabeth Blackstock and Alanis King: Words fail to capture the ridiculousness of this energy drink magnate’s foray into F1.
Racing Green by Kit Chapman: A science historian dives deep into modern motorsports to explain how racing — yes, racing — helps the environment.
If you’re looking for an easy place to buy any (or all!) of these books, click here for our custom bookshelf on Bookshop.org, which works with small bookstores to service your order — unlike… well, you know.
Full disclosure: As an affiliate of Bookshop.org, we earn a commission on purchases made through our shop.
And those are just a few! There are loads of other car books we recommend, so check out our previous lists which include titles like Faster by Neal Bascomb (and read the live Q&A we held with Bascomb back in 2020 right here).
Also, shout out to dear friend Elana Scherr, whose 2019 book Don “The Snake” Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320 is a revealing portrait with one riveting tale after another. It’s also on our shopping list.
Big congrats to Mark R. Brinker and Myron T. Vernis, authors of the stunning four-volume anthology A Quiet Greatness celebrating the classic cars and motorsports heritage of Japan. Yes, it costs $350. Yes, it looks incredible and worth your time.
And Finally…
APPARENTLY, filming has wrapped on the movie Gran Turismo which is based on the video game I spent way too much time played as a kid. Okay, as an adult too.
David Harbour, Orlando Bloom and automotive influencer Emelia Hartford (featured in our 2019 release Slow Car Fast) all star in the film. Sure! Why not! Sign me up.
Drive hard and be safe. Black Lives Matter.
Don’t forget to follow Carrara Media on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and visit our store to order your copy of Slow Car Fast, The Stainless Steel Carrot or Postcards From the End of the World.