Grand Prix: Formula One in the deadly years

Grand Prix: Formula One in the deadly years is the story of a Formula One motor-racing driver in the deadly years of the 1970s.

William Archer, is the consummate risk taker, he is racing Formula One cars in the deadly years of the 1970's where his chance of survival is one in three. Worse odd than a fighter pilot in war time. Deep down he knows that his chances of surviving are slim. Yet he gives those odds little thought as he fights to win the Formula One World Championship in what could be his last season.

To add to the risks, he is  confronted with problems largely of his own making causing infighting in his team while over extending himself financially and emotionally.

His refuge is his yacht Imperialist, on which he spends as much time as possible. And, after years of one woman after another, he finally meets someone whom he can neither take nor leave.

The author shares his experiences, through Will Archer, of driving single-seater racing cars, crossing oceans in yachts, flying planes, and developing property in Central America, accurately putting the reader in the driver's seat of all three, while affording him an insider's view of Central America, the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Customer reviews

"I hope I can do Richard Melville's novel justice. He has created something very unique by combing a deep knowledge of the sport along with what's going on inside the helmet that very few people in the world will ever actually know. The combination of the talent and inner drive to know that you are fully capable of winning a Formula One championship is something that I fully can't comprehend. But the main character in the book, Will, does and does so in a matter-of-fact way. Why? Because it's what he does. He doesn't analyze it any more than a top rated surgeon analyzes what makes them excel. They certainly might ask themselves how they can be better but they don't dwell on it. They do the job because it's who they are. While there are thousands of highly rated surgeons in the world, there are probably less than a hundred drivers who can compete at the level of Formula One and that's what makes them and this book so special.

Being so special in such a glamorous world such as Formula One gives Will access to people, places, and things most of us can barely imagine. However, in his world this is just "normal." In Will's world a "normal" day is "got up, had breakfast, wrecked car and almost died, and had a wonderful bottle of wine with dinner." He's also much more likely to discuss the bottle of wine since it's really the only unique experience of the day!

There is a lot of detail about both sailing and racing which is fun for those of us who appreciate a deeper understanding simply for knowledge's sage. What's fascinating is that the detail has everything to do with Will's approach to life and mastering the details Will knows is one of the keys to his success although I doubt he would say as much. Or he might be surprised when it was pointed out simply because he might see it as self-evident that mastering these skills is a requirement for competing in Formula One and from his perspective competing in life.

Richard Melville takes us on a very special journey into a period of time that will never be seen again. It's a journey well worth taking."

 Mark Rosneck

"I read the above story over two days, as I found it hard to put down.

The adventures of Will portrayed a lifestyle that most men can only dream about. He ticked all the right boxes with Formula One, sailing a Super Yacht and having affairs with beautiful females.

The description about racing in his machine was really excellent; you feel as if you were behind the wheel. This must be the best technical description of Formula One racing ever writt

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