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Richard Williams is one of the most venerable journalists in the sport and as a result, his books and articles can’t be such that they are not worth reading. Same is the case here. The attention to detail paid to even some of the less significant events really makes the book a standout. Enzo Ferrari led a covert lifestyle and most don’t know much about him. Through this book though, many anecdotes and his interactions with drivers come to the fore and highlight the legend that is Ferrari.
With the author being a person who has been associated with the sport since a long time, factual mistakes are not there, which is very important because the F1 fan reads these books for learning more about the rich history of the sport, and nobody has any business in misguiding him/her.
Positive points
The book mostly concentrates on the single-seater division of the Scuderia Ferrari because that is where the Ingegnere was more interested in, although during the early years it was the sportscar division which brought more success. However hard Ferrari tried to match his Formula One rivals on a regular basis, he couldn’t enjoy such glory during his lifetime – the longest being during the mid 70s, with Niki Lauda. The dominance finally came in the form of Michael Schumacher in the early 2000s, but over a decade after the Old Man’s death.
Talking about Lauda, the author pays special attention towards Ferrari’s relation with his drivers and lends more credibility by quoting both the driver as well as Mr. Ferrari. The Old Man always had a aura of mystery around him which was enhanced by the dim lights in his office and the dark glasses he wore to prevent his feelings being known. On top of that, all dealings were always to be done at his office in Modena – however important one might be, he/she had to come to Italy rather than Ferrari coming to visit him/her. Actually, Mr. Ferrari rarely moved out of Italy even for races and preferred to watch them on television.
Another thing which the book gives a very detailed description about is how Scuderia Ferrari came into being and some very intriguing facts about its inception – very few know that the team ceased to exist for a few years in the late 30s because of Mr. Ferrari’s resignation from Alfa Romeo: the team which initially supported the start of the legendary team in 1929 – with the clause that he couldn’t run racing activities under the Ferrari name for 4 years.
Not much is mentioned about his personal life though. Only some very important events such as the deaths of his first son Dino and his wife Laura, while his “second” life with Lina Lardi and younger son Piero are worth a mention.
Drawbacks
There aren’t many to be true, which speaks volumes about the dexterity of the author. One minor point of concern though is the vast number of names mentioned, which makes it difficult for the reader to keep track, especially if he/she hasn’t heard about them before.
Final Verdict
A magnificent read. A hair-raising account of a person whose legend lives on in the form of the spectacle of thousands of spectators waving the red flag with the Prancing Horse emblem every time the cars from Maranello take to the track.
Rating: 9.2/10
