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Tells a good story, but is a disappointment
I've been a fan of Emerson's since the early 70's, and I was excited to see this book arrive, a recap of his entire racing (and personal) history. After reading it, however, I felt like it was missing something. Maybe a few somethings. First, the photography: the book is printed on heavy, glossy paper in a larger format, but almost all of the photos are black & white. There is a 16 page center section of color photos, but it doesn't seem like enough, considering that Fittipaldi raced most of his career long after color photography became commonplace. Most of the photos come from the "Ludvigsen Library", so that may be an explanation. I'm sure it was cheaper to use his own B+W images rather than buy rights to someone else's color stuff. As long as we're on the photos, the last 5 pages consist of shots of Emerson & Family playing paddle tennis, with Emmo clad in Speedo-type shorts and tight T-shirt. These images are the kind you show to your friends to embarass the subjects. Seemed out of place here. Also, despite the claim that Ludvigsen has been friends with Fittipaldi since the 60's, virtually all the quotes have been borrowed from other sources, albeit with credit. Do they ever talk? Finally, the book contained no compendium of his racing career. Where is the list of Grand Prix finishes? His CART racing stats? I guess I don't expect a list of every car and race since his childhood, but certainly his participation in the major series - F1, CART, IROC, etc - could have been listed. I don't know if I can recommend this book or not - I suppose it contains the basic info of his life and racing, but could have been a lot better. It's probably the best book out there about Emmo, but that's pretty faint praise.
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