Book Review: McLaren the epic years by Alan Henry
Positives
Negatives
While Jenson picked up an opportunistic 4th in Montreal, McLaren fans will recognise the team’s form is waning in transition to Honda. When the team races without any iconic livery design, they are usually floundering. A good walk through McLaren history is Alan Henry’s “McLaren The Epic Years” which covers the team’s early roots with […]
While Jenson picked up an opportunistic 4th in Montreal, McLaren fans will recognise the team’s form is waning in transition to Honda. When the team races without any iconic livery design, they are usually floundering. A good walk through McLaren history is Alan Henry’s “McLaren The Epic Years” which covers the team’s early roots with Bruce McLaren up to early West McLaren Mercedes success in 1998.
Former team driver Keke Rosberg and then Mika Hakkinen manager writes the book’s foreword. Henry breaks up the team’s history into 11 chapters. The first 2 chapters skim over a long period for the team 1958-70 and 1970-80. For 80’s fans, the next chapters focus on Ron Dennis/McLaren International, Prost v Lauda (83-84), Prost (85-87), Prost v Senna (88-89), Senna Honda (90-92), 1993-94, Mansell (1995) and 1996-1998.
The book includes a good 40 pages worth of color photos from a variety of sources including the Formula 1 Pictures. Most of these are from the red and white Marlboro McLaren liveried years.
Henry later released another McLaren book “McLaren Formula 1 Racing Team” as part of the slimmer Haynes softcover series (which I will do a post on another time). That book is an easier read with much more photography. “McLaren The Epic Years” would probably suit a more senior reader or fan who is interested in more of the behind the scenes McLaren history.
For more serious readers/collectors, in recent times McLaren have their own official books which cover right up to the Hamilton/Button era and are also high quality and a much better investment. But if you’re on a budget, like a lot of late 90’s/early 2000 F1 books, you can now easily find cheap copies of this book online.
Wow Factor or Money Shot: There are a few of Alan Henry’s own personal photos which are quite unique – a beached MP4/11 by Martin Brundle at Idi-Ada test circuit.
Suitable for: older readers and 80’s McLaren fans
