Product Description

Richard Burns' career has been a series of 'firsts' - 1993 youngest winner in British Championship history, 1998 first Englishman ever to win an overseas World Rally Championship race, 2000 first in the Greek, Australian and Great Britain rallies; first driver ever to win the British Rally three times in a row. In 2001 he became the first English driver to win the World Rally Championship, an outstanding achievement for a man who is only thirty years old.

This book is a celebration in his own words and pictures of an extraordinary natural talent honed to perfection through years of gruelling training and competition throughout the world. There are chapters on his early life - his first experience behind the wheel was at the age of eight - plus a behind the scenes look at rallying, one of Britain's fastest growing spectator sports. The book covers the role of the co-driver, what it's like behind the wheel of a rally car and all sorts of technical information about the cars to delight the enthusiast.

Illustrated with 100 photographs, this is a book which will not only appeal to rally devotees but also to the fast growing audience of younger fans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #296887 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Synopsis
Richard Burns' career has been a series of "firsts" - 1993 youngest winner in British Championship history, 1998 first Englishman ever to win an overseas World Rally Championship race, 2000 first in the Greek, Australian and Great Britain rallies; first driver ever to win the British Rally three times in a row. In 2001 he became the first English driver to win the World Rally Championship, an outstanding achievement for a man who is only 30 years old. This book is a celebration in his own words and pictures of an extraordinary natural talent honed to perfection through years of gruelling training and competition throughout the world. There are chapters on his early life - his first experience behind the wheel was at the age of eight - plus a behind the scenes look at rallying, one of Britain's fastest growing spectator sports. The book covers the role of the co-driver, what it's like behind the wheel of a rally car and all sorts of technical information about the cars to delight the enthusiast.

About the Author
Career Highlights:
2001 World Rally Champion
1997 7th overall - World Rally Championship
1993 British Rally Champion
1992 British National Rally Champion
1991 Peugeot 205 GTi International Rally Champion
1990 Peugeot 205 Gti Rally Champion

In November 2001 at the age of 30, Richard became the first Englishman ever to win the World Rally Championship. For the last two seasons Richard Burns has been Britain's top rally driver, both years finishing runner-up in the World Rally Championship and earning himself the right to stand shoulder to shoulder with the World's best. Right from the first moment he stepped inside a rally car, Richard was on track for stardom and his list of achievments is undeniably impressive.
Written in collaboration with Jon Desborough, presenter of Channel 4's rally coverage and shortlisted for the 2002 Royal Television Society Sports Reporter of the Year Award.

Customer Reviews

A good read
An enjoyable read, nicely presented with lots of stunning photography. The book was written in collaboration with Jon Desborough of C4 fame.

There's plenty in terms of Richards rise to fame, but I was actually hoping for more in terms of Richards life, past and present. However, the book does give a good insight into the mind of a very talented sportsman, and how he prepares for and attacks a World Rally, although this can sometime come across as being self-opinionated.

At the end of the day, the book is ideal reading for anyone mildly interested in WRC, well worth the price.

Driving Ambition
'Driving Ambition' is a engaging but enjoyable read not just for those intimately interested in rallying, but more generally for those seeking an understanding of the motivation and commitment behind achieving sporting success at the highest level.

The book's conversational style is easy to engage with, and really does provide a very genuine sense of the real person behind the accolades.

Burns is doubtless one of the rare breed of intellectually gifted sportsmen, and his articulate descriptions of what it really feels like to tackle a World Championship stage on the ragged edge are compelling. 'Driving Ambition' is the most genuine and revealing sports biographies I have read.

Even if you're not a Burnsie fan, buy this book now!
I love rallying; so much better than F1. But I wasn't really a fan of Richard Burns - until I read this book. It shows a whole new side to this now former world champ, it should be called 'At home with Richard and Zoe'!! It shows the then world champ's softer side and shows how now he finally managed to win a world championship (and a lovely girlfriend to boot) which made his life more relaxed than ever before.

It charts his rise from the early days in the 1990's, trying to secure drives to the day in Margam where he was crowned champ. BRILLIANT!