9 books like Power and Glory

By William Court,

Here are 9 books that Power and Glory fans have personally recommended if you like Power and Glory. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Gilles Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Racing Driver

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

The late Gilles Villeneuve may not have been Formula 1’s most successful driver, indeed he never won a world championship, but that did not stop him earning legendary status for his antics being the wheel.

Labelled ‘the craziest devil’ by some of his rivals, Villeneuve was a driver who fans loved because he was always pushing to the maximum and could only operate at the limit – which made him spectacular. I only got to hear about Villeneuve after he died, but I found there was no better book to shed light on what he was like as a driver and as man than Donaldson’s brilliant biography.

By Gerald Donaldson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Gilles Villeneuve as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gilles Villeneuve became a legend in his own time, a driver whose skill and daring personified the ideals of Grand Prix racing, the pinnacle of motor sport.
With his flamboyantly aggressive, press-on-regardless style in his scarlet Ferrari, he captured the imagination of a vast international audience as no other driver has in recent times.


Book cover of How to Build a Car

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

Adrian Newey is perhaps Formula 1’s most famous car designer, and certainly its most successful in the modern era.

For those that love tech, his autobiography charts all his title successes with top teams like Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull. But I especially like this book for the way that it shed light on his personality and some crazy antics.

One of my favourite stories was of him getting expelled from public school after turning up the music at a concert so loud that it cracked some prized 11th-century stained-glass windows!

By Adrian Newey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Build a Car as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Adrian has a unique gift for understanding drivers and racing cars. He is ultra competitive but never forgets to have fun. An immensely likeable man.' Damon Hill

The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.

How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.

A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian's thoughts naturally…


Book cover of The Death of Ayrton Senna

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

Despite his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna’s legend still lives on strong in Formula 1. There have been many books written about him, but the one I have enjoyed the most for the way it both explored the man and career, and the impact of his tragic passing, is this one.

Richard Williams is a fantastic writer and he captures brilliantly just why Senna had this aura – which seems to get bigger with every passing year.

By Richard Williams,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Death of Ayrton Senna as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The most definitive and compelling book about the legendary racing driver, now a BAFTA award-winning documentary.

'For the casual racing fan it's a mighty good read, for the Senna fan it's indispensable' Time Out

Millions of people around the world watched in horror on that fateful day in Imola at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when Ayrton Senna's car careered off the track at 190mph. The greatest driver in Formula One history was dead.

In this classic sports book, Richard Williams explores the complex Brazilian who was a hero in his own country and an icon to everyone who…


Book cover of Bedside Wheels

Jonathan Noble Author Of Formula One Racing For Dummies

From my list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up watching Formula 1 as a fan, and have been lucky enough to turn my passion into my career as a journalist. I’ve covered F1 races since the early 1990’s, travelling around the world and getting to know many of its biggest stars. One of my proudest moments was winning a prestigious Medaglia d’Oro at the Lorenzo Bandini Awards for my contribution to motorsport journalism. Even though F1 has changed over the years – especially becoming a lot more commercial – I think the fundamentals remain: it's of the very best drivers in the very best cars going at it wheel-to-wheel in that all out quest for victory. That’s why I love it.

Jonathan's book list on Formula 1 that get you closer to its greatest legends

Jonathan Noble Why did Jonathan love this book?

The status of Formula 1 legends is not just reserved for drivers, because there have been other big personalities involved in grand prix racing who became household names too.

One of those was commentator Murray Walker, who became the voice of F1 on both television and radio. I grew up listening to Walker on the BBC, so it was little wonder that this mini-autobiography Bedside Wheels became such a big hit for me.

In it he recounted some of his funniest moments covering the sport, as well as offers insight into just why he became famous for his commentary gaffes – which he insists throughout are not gaffes, but predictions that are immediately proved wrong!

By Murray Walker, John Jensen (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bedside Wheels as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It's Everyone's Business

Chris Shipley Author Of The Empathy Advantage: Leading the Empowered Workforce

From my list on giving first-time managers the confidence to lead.

Why am I passionate about this?

I found myself leading a newsroom in my mid-20s. No one took me aside and told me how to lead a group of ambitious reporters, most of whom were half-again my age. Maybe that’s the same for you. There are lots of leadership books, and it’s easy to go astray (A fellow editor quoted Machiavelli a lot; it didn’t work out well for him). Instead, I found good guidance in authors who advised me to be authentic, think differently, and lead with compassion. Many years have since passed, and I’ve had the privilege to lead great teams and mentor many young leaders. We always start with being more human.

Chris' book list on giving first-time managers the confidence to lead

Chris Shipley Why did Chris love this book?

No matter what field you are in or the mission of your team, leadership is about navigating constraints, identifying obstacles, solving problems, and searching for breakthrough innovation.

It can be frustrating, and it can be, well, beautiful, especially when overcoming those constraints delivers new growth for you and your team and new value for your organization. Packed with stories and smart strategies, this book will help you see problems for what they are - opportunities, and give you the tools and the courage to face them straight on.

By Adam Morgan, Mark Barden,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Beautiful Constraint as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An inspiring yet practical guide for transforming limitations into opportunities A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages And Why It's Everyone's Business Now is a book about everyday, practical inventiveness, designed for the constrained times in which we live. It describes how to take the kinds of issues that all of us face today lack of time, money, resources, attention, know-how and see in them the opportunity for transformation of oneself and one's organization's fortunes. The ideas in the book are based on the authors' extensive work as business consultants, and are brought to life in 35…


Book cover of Roberta Cowell's Story

Elizabeth Blackstock Author Of Racing with Rich Energy: How a Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One for a Ride

From my list on changing the way you think about motorsport.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a family obsessed with motorsport, but after seeing the movie Rush in 2013, I fell head over heels in love with Formula 1. After traveling around the world to see racing in far-flung countries, I forged a career writing about the intricacies of a high-speed sport packed with fascinating stories and scandals that date as far back as the very first vehicle. As a woman covering racing, I’ve been a bit of a rarity in the garages, which is why I’ve tried to emphasize the lesser-heard stories of women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ racing community.

Elizabeth's book list on changing the way you think about motorsport

Elizabeth Blackstock Why did Elizabeth love this book?

Roberta Cowell made history as the first British transgender woman to undergo gender-affirming surgery, but that isn’t the extent of her story.

She was also a fighter pilot in World War II who survived five months in a prisoner-of-war camp and a race car driver.

Though she was able to find doctors willing to provide her with the surgery that would affirm her gender identity, she gave up so much in the process, including a race car engineering company and her motorsport career.

Her autobiography is a poignant reminder of how far we've come in the subsequent decades.

By Roberta Cowell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Roberta Cowell's Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in 1993. The purpose of this book is to help those who help others. Research has consistently demonstrated that those in the professions, particularly helping professions, have significantly higher levels of stress and burnout. Studies have shown that the profession with the greatest vulnerability to these illnesses is teaching.


Book cover of Janet Guthrie: A Life at Full Throttle

Elizabeth Blackstock Author Of Racing with Rich Energy: How a Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One for a Ride

From my list on changing the way you think about motorsport.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a family obsessed with motorsport, but after seeing the movie Rush in 2013, I fell head over heels in love with Formula 1. After traveling around the world to see racing in far-flung countries, I forged a career writing about the intricacies of a high-speed sport packed with fascinating stories and scandals that date as far back as the very first vehicle. As a woman covering racing, I’ve been a bit of a rarity in the garages, which is why I’ve tried to emphasize the lesser-heard stories of women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ racing community.

Elizabeth's book list on changing the way you think about motorsport

Elizabeth Blackstock Why did Elizabeth love this book?

Janet Guthrie completely changed the name of the game for women in motorsport here in America.

She was the first woman to compete in iconic races like the Indianapolis 500, and circuits even had to change their rules to allow women into the garage area because of her.

With a physics degree and a pilot's license under her belt, Guthrie changed the name of the game for women in motorsport—but her career fell short thanks to the restrictive nature of the 1970s.

Her autobiography sheds light on the pain and heartache she felt alongside all of her successes.

By Janet Guthrie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Janet Guthrie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this beautifully written book, Guthrie tells her story from the beginning. Nearly two decades in the making, Lady and Gentlemen captures the poignant detail of the complexity of the racing business. On a deeper level, she conveys all that she encountered along the way as a woman in the most testosterone-charged of men's worlds.


Book cover of The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor-Racing Legend

Elizabeth Blackstock Author Of Racing with Rich Energy: How a Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One for a Ride

From my list on changing the way you think about motorsport.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a family obsessed with motorsport, but after seeing the movie Rush in 2013, I fell head over heels in love with Formula 1. After traveling around the world to see racing in far-flung countries, I forged a career writing about the intricacies of a high-speed sport packed with fascinating stories and scandals that date as far back as the very first vehicle. As a woman covering racing, I’ve been a bit of a rarity in the garages, which is why I’ve tried to emphasize the lesser-heard stories of women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ racing community.

Elizabeth's book list on changing the way you think about motorsport

Elizabeth Blackstock Why did Elizabeth love this book?

Hellé Nice had lived a full life before she ever sat behind the wheel.

A career as a model and dancer in Paris enabled her to live a life of luxury in the 1920s, but when she injured her knee skiing in 1929, she turned to a new career: Motor racing.

She went on to compete in races around Europe, setting world records behind the wheel of her bright blue Bugatti.

A freak accident nearly killed her in 1936, and the onset of World War II brought racing to an end. Nice's lush lifestyle saw her accused of being a Nazi collaborator, and records of her accomplishments were scrubbed from the racing world.

Miranda Seymour tracks down Nice's complex legacy and reports it in vivid fashion.

By Miranda Seymour,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Bugatti Queen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE BUGATTI QUEEN is the beautifully illustrated story of an indomitable and fascinating woman, a pioneer of motorsport who revelled in danger. Born in 1900 in a tiny French village, Helene Delangle, aka Helle Nice, became a dancer and a stripper before catching the eye of Ettore Bugatti. Seduced by the combination of machines and speed, Helle Nice went on to have an unprecedented career, competing in numerous Grands Prix and becoming the only woman to drive on the treacherous American speedbowls in the 1930s. She set new land-speed records before a notorious accident which almost ended her racing days.…


Book cover of Faster: How a Jewish Driver, an American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitler's Best

Elizabeth Blackstock Author Of Racing with Rich Energy: How a Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One for a Ride

From my list on changing the way you think about motorsport.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in a family obsessed with motorsport, but after seeing the movie Rush in 2013, I fell head over heels in love with Formula 1. After traveling around the world to see racing in far-flung countries, I forged a career writing about the intricacies of a high-speed sport packed with fascinating stories and scandals that date as far back as the very first vehicle. As a woman covering racing, I’ve been a bit of a rarity in the garages, which is why I’ve tried to emphasize the lesser-heard stories of women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ racing community.

Elizabeth's book list on changing the way you think about motorsport

Elizabeth Blackstock Why did Elizabeth love this book?

The setting is interwar Europe.

The players are René Dreyfus, a Jewish racing driver, and Lucy Schell, a racing driver and American heiress.

As antisemitism crept through the continent, Dreyfus' successful racing career was choked out by the might of state-funded German engineering—at least, until Schell came along.

With her ample fortune and a home in Paris, Schell began funding her own racing team and immediately signed Dreyfus. Later, when the pressures of Nazi ideology threatened Dreyfus' life, Schell funded a "trip" to the Indianapolis 500 in America in order to help him start a new life.

Faster highlights the complex ways that politics, religion, money, and motorsport intertwine, told so compellingly that you won't want to put this book down.

By Neal Bascomb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Faster as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Motor Press Guild Best Book of the Year Award & Dean Batchelor Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism

For fans of The Boys in the Boat and In the Garden of Beasts, a pulse-pounding tale of triumph by an improbable team of upstarts over Hitler’s fearsome Silver Arrows during the golden age of auto racing

As Nazi Germany launched its campaign of racial terror and pushed the world toward war, three unlikely heroes—a driver banned from the best European teams because of his Jewish heritage, the owner of a faltering automaker company, and the adventurous daughter of…


3 book lists we think you will like!

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