Product Description

Lewis Hamilton's explosive arrival on the Formula 1 scene has made front-page headlines. In My Story, for the first time Lewis opens up about his stunning debut season in grand prix racing, as well as his dad Anthony, his home life and his early years. The only book with the real story, as told by Lewis. In his first season in F1, Lewis Hamilton thrilled the world of motor racing by finishing on the podium in his first nine consecutive races -- the first driver to do so in the sport's 57-year history -- and drove to victories in Canada, America, Hungary and Japan. But bare statistics alone do scant justice to the amazing impact Lewis Hamilton has had on the sporting landscape. My Story gives the real account from Lewis himself, as he sets the record straight about his colourful life on and off the track. Given a grounded upbringing by his dedicated father in unremarkable Stevenage, Lewis tells about how he first tried out go-karting while on a cut-price family holiday in Ibiza. In his book he gives the real version of events at a motor sport dinner where, as a nine-year-old wearing a borrowed suit, he approached McLaren team boss Ron Dennis with the immortal words that were to change his life forever. He rose rapidly through the Junior and Formula ranks, dominating every series with his raw speed and canny race craft. Here Lewis candidly recalls those key moments that shaped his career and went some way towards compensating for the sacrifices made by his father Anthony in getting his son to the top. Lewis also charts how he got into the sport and was signed up by Ron Dennis, what motivates him, who are his closest friends, how he copes with the constant travelling, and the physical and mental challenges of driving a state-of-the-art Formula 1 car. He looks back in detail at the 2007 World Championship -- the race wins, the frightening crash in Germany, his intense rivalry with team-mate Fernando Alonso, his special relationship with Ron Dennis, and the furore over the Ferrari allegations -- right up to the dramatic last race of the season in Brazil.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #116494 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-17
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
'Lewis will create the benchmark for a whole generation of drivers...He is already turning television viewers back on to motor racing' Jackie Stewart 'Lewis Hamilton is a phenomenon -- nobody has come into the sport and done what he's done' Murray Walker Few 22-year-olds have achieved enough to warrant 290 pages of reminiscence, but Hamilton is the exeption.' 'Hamilton is not only outstandingly gifted as a racing driver, he is genuinely articulate and charming.' The Daily Telegraph

From the Publisher
The inside, official account of the most remarkable story in British sport for many years.

About the Author
Lewis Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in January 1985. By the age of eight he was racing karts, at ten he drove to his first British championship, and at thirteen he was signed to the McLaren team. He made his F1 debut at the 2007 Australian GP and won in Canada, USA, Hungary and Japan during that season, finishing second in the World Driver's Championship.

Customer Reviews

Missed opportunity ...
Considering this is the official offering on Hamilton, I have to say I'm not very impressed. It's OK, but the laughably large amount of blank page around the text says it all. I nailed it in an evening and felt all the unwiser about our nation's newest sporting hero as a result.
A review in The Daily Telegraph last week of all the Hamilton books currently hitting the shelves pointed to 'The Full Story' by Mark Hughes being the best of the bunch. I've now read that as well and I don't know about the other books on offer, but I do know that The Telegraph was right about the official one, Mark Hughes' book is head and shoulders above that.

Glad he drives better than he writes!
I was extremely disappointed in this book. Thankfully it was bought as a gift.
There are at least 12 'I's on every full page. I'm sure he didn't write much of this himself, but I believe it shows the pointlessness of having a book written about your life when you're still in your 20s. No doubt that he's achieved a lot in his young life, but this is a typical 'celebrity book', and given the obesession with celebrities in the UK, there are those who will enjoy it, and good luck to them, but for me it was one of the worst books I have ever read.

Emma
I don't understand why some are rating this book 1 star! I don't know exactly what you were expecting after all this is a 22 year old young man barely into adulthood, although understandably you would be forgiven for forgetting, his maturity belies his age. Evidently some haven't even read it at all but still feel entitled to review? Anyway I personally chose to buy the only book by the man himself (albeit ghostwritten) out of all 7 as I am thouroughly fascinated by his whole being and not just his racing. That curiosity is answered and to put it simply LEWIS IS HIS FATHER'S SON and he leaves you in no doubt at all (if ever there was any) that he is who he is in everyway because of his father, followed closely by his stepmum Linda and brother Nic. The only dissapointment I would say is the deliberate censorship of his real mum and her side of the family from the story, if you ask me that is where the juicy stuff is. So if you are looking for some warts and all story, you won't find it here but that should come as no surprise as he has shown that he is honed to perfection by the PR machine.
It is also nice to relive the joy and pain of this gone season with him so to speak, with the China nightmare poignantly standing out. That was gut wrenching for all that were rooting for him and he allows you to step on the other side, looking from the inside. A lot has been censored but as I said he's into his first year not a great stage to be spilling the beans and all and possibly not that many beans anyway. At best it is a very inspiring story of a young boy with a dream and a super solid family behind him and his dream (or their dream should I say). I shall be looking forward to the sequel, hopefully a tell-all memoir.