Tazio Nuvolari (1892 – 1953) is widely regarded as the greatest racing driver of all time. During the 1930s into the 1940s his reputation for skill and bravery eclipsed a whole generation of rivals. Even today his name alone evokes a classic era in the history of road And grand prix racing. Yet there is no current affordable biography of him in the English language. In this fascinating assessment of Nuvolari’s life, Christopher Hilton seeks to understand Nuvolari the man – and the Nuvolari legend as it unfolded. Using original documentary material, race reports of the time from several countries and the recollections of Nuvolari’s contemporaries, the author recreates the excitements generated by his driving and the impact it made on motorsport. Nuvolari’s virtuosity at the wheel came with a competitive instinct so fierce that he repeatedly broke cars and his own body. Christopher Hilton is a leading authority and writer on contemporary and historic motorsport and has written more than 30 books on it. He has specialised in biographies of modern Formula 1 drivers like Michael Schumacher and the late Ayrton Senna, but also produced a groundbreaking study of the Donington Grands Prix of 1937 and 1938, as well as the definitive biography of motorcycle champion Mike Hailwood. |