Thank you to the publisher and thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this e-ARC. Full review will be available soon

Lewis Hamilton has won seven F1 driving titles and yet, some don’t consider that to be his greatest accomplishment. Being the only Black driver on the F1 circuit, he had to overcome many barriers and challenges that many minority people face whenever they are striving to succeed, in sports or otherwise. He has done gracefully, with great success and has become a strong activist for equality. How he came to this point, in both his racing and his activism, is portrayed in this excellent book by Micheal Sawyer.

If there is any downfall to this book, it would be that for readers who follow F1 or Hamilton closely, there won’t be much new material in the book. As one who would be best considered a casual fan of F1 and only knew about Hamilton’s success with his championships, I found the book to be full of new information that I did not know about him and came away with even more respect for the man than I did before I picked up the book. The many post-race interview transcripts helped formulate this impression, but I can understand where this may be redundant for those who follow Lewis closely.

Because the book deals mostly with Hamilton’s racing and his activism, I did find it to not quite be a “biography” as it is marketed, despite covering most of Hamilton’s life. It is clear how not only the book will read, but also how Hamilton’s life will be shaped when Sawyer writes about the sacrifices and hardships his father makes so that Lewis can race, starting in go-karts and extending until the McLaren team decided to take a chance on the young but talented driver. Even in the go-kart level, it takes a lot of money to dedicate the proper resources to the sport, something the Hamilton family did not always have. Add in the elitism and the racism endured by the family and it makes Lewis’ accomplishments even more astounding.

There is also a great deal of racing material in the book, especially when Lewis’ rivals such as Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso. The latter was his teammate when Lewis was with McLaren racing and the tension between them is covered quite well. The same can be said for the rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen and what is most impressive is the class and humility for which Hamilton handles himself when faced with questions about his rivals. This is true even in the case of the controversial finish of the 2021 F1 season when some questionable ruling on the final lap gave Verstappen the title over Hamilton.

Lastly, the sections that describes Hamilton’s activism, his quotes about events such as the police shooting of Breanna Taylor and his calm demeanor that makes his statements even more powerful. He handles this topic as skillfully and masterfully as he does a race car. In the same manner, Sawyer handles this topic well. While his text when interjecting his own thoughts with Hamilton’s can come across as much stronger, it is written even-handedly and fairly. For all of these reasons, this reader who wanted to learn more about Hamilton believes this is an excellent book for that endeavor.

I wish to thank Grand Central Publishing for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Being a huge Lewis fan, I didn’t know what to expect from this one — Lewis isn’t actually affiliated with this book nor is he interviewed for it. But the 7-time world champion for Formula 1 has a very public life so his story is very out there. This book does a deep dive into his career and life, pulling from many sources and providing context so that even the non or new F1 fan can keep up.

My biggest takeaway is something I already knew but thoroughly enjoyed being reminded of — Lewis’s legacy exceeds what he’s done in his sport. He will forever be known as a great driver — the GOAT, in my and many’s opinion — and a great person. So few athletes get to be both, and this book explains that perfectly.

I really enjoyed this one on audio (would have enjoyed it more had Lewis read it lol oh well)

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5 STARS for Sir Lewis the person
3 STARS for Sir Lewis the book

Marketed as “the definitive biography” of Lewis Hamilton, SIR LEWIS felt more like a highlight reel than a full portrait. Yes, it covers key races, rivalries and Hamilton’s incredible rise as the first and only Black Formula 1 driver, but it skims over the personal depth you’d expect in a true biography.

There’s a lot of filler: lengthy post-race quotes, repetitive explanations of how the sport works, and not much new for seasoned fans. If you’re already in the F1 world, you might find yourself skimming. Hamilton’s story deserves to be told — this just didn’t feel like the full telling.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced reader copy of #SirLewis.

Sir Lewis is a fantastic biography of one of the best sportsmen in the world, and it's from a professor who knows and understands the cultural significance of some of Lewis' choices and decisions. It's a stellar read and one that gives me more insight into one of my favorite drivers. I was so grateful to receive a copy of this book and I learned a lot, not just about F1, but also the man.

A great read for fans of Formula One and a brilliant one for fans of Sir Lewis Hamilton!

As a long-time Formula One fan, and an avid fan of Lewis, I was immediately drawn to this book. It did not disappoint. First, even if you’re not an obsessive fan, this book is truly very accessible. Sawyer does a brilliant job of explaining the rules of racing, making it clear to someone new to the sport, but without becoming tedious or boring for fans who are already familiar. I watch every single race & qualifying, and if I’m being honest, many of the practice sessions. However, this doesn’t mean I didn’t have room to learn, and I found myself picking up little factoids throughout the book.

Lewis Hamilton is more than ”just” a Formula One driver (which, even if he wasn’t, would still be an incredible feat). He is a cultural icon, an advocate, a champion (on and off the track), and Sawyer’s book does an incredible job of capturing a wholistic vision of all that Hamilton is.

While there may be some obvious favoritism of the author towards his subject (Verstappen fans, you may not LOVE some parts of this book haha), he does try to look at everything from a bird’s eye view. However, any slant in the author’s bias, I am likely in agreement with him.

Sawyer handles the difficult subjects with passion and doesn’t shy away from calling things out, much like Hamilton does. There are parts of this story that other authors would avoid, to be “pleasant.” However, that wouldn’t do justice to Hamilton, the causes he holds dear, or, quite frankly, benefit anyone.

If you are a fan of F1 or Lewis Hamilton, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Both me and my husband are F1 fans and we both devoured this book! Really enjoyed the insights and stories and behind-the-scenes look at an incredible driver and the F1 world.

I was very much excited for this book. I love to read F1 biographies and it was about time Lewis got a new one. I just had a tiny bit of issues with what this author used to source some of the things. I have always called out a lot of the issues this sport has and all of them were mentioned, I appreciate it a lot. I just could tell the Max hate was heavy and the mentions Jos being an abuser, which we all know, was just something I did not expect on a book about Lewis, if you know what I mean.

I guess I wanted a bit more focused on Lewis and all the other things he does outside of the sport, than putting down Lewis' competition. That is just a me thing.

Side note:
The respect this author had for Sebastian Vettel had me swooning. That's it.

Definetly an enjoyable read especially if you are a fan of Lewis Hamilton and F1 but I wish they interviewed Lewis would have loved some new insights

I am a huge F1 fan and was very excited to read this book. I feel like I know quite a bit about F1 drivers, but there is always more to learn. I appreciated the insight into the racism Lewis has experienced during his career. It was frustrating and heartbreaking to hear what he went through. The narratives also shed some light on other drivers and their interactions with Lewis, changing some of my perspectives of them. I look forward to watching the difference Mission 44 makes and Lewis’s new journey with Ferrari.

3.5⭐️ almost 4

The book started out a little bit like a worship piece of Lewis, as in he can do no wrong. That got better throughout the book, but at first felt more subjective than objective.

I did enjoy learning about the early part of Lewis’ career and how he got where he is now. He certainly had a lot to overcome & a lot on his shoulders when he got to f1.

Seeing what Lewis had done outside of f1 & in it for equality & justice is inspiring & encouraging. He has used his platform in a courageous way that acts. You can see him coming into his own and more confidence as he matures.

Overall turned out to be more of an enjoyable read than I expected, still maybe not the most objective perspective but I suppose that may not be fair to expect.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a very interesting read as I knew of Lewis Hamilton but didn't know much about him beneath tabloid rumours.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review. I’m new to F1 and Lewis Hamilton is considered one of the greatest in the sport so I was excited to read this. I thought this strayed from the topic of formula 1 a little too much for my liking and I found myself wanting more of that aspect. This book lost me at points, but I did learn a lot and find some chapters interesting.

I went into this thinking it was a biography but it wasn't like that at all. It was more like an introspection of Hamilton's life, career, and impact. This perspective brought to light a lot of the causes Hamilton is passionate about and I think for that reason alone this is an important book.
In addition, I appreciated the racing history and it excited me for the new F1 season. Here's hoping for an 8th championship!

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing. This is out March 4th

“Sir Lewis” follows Lewis Hamilton’s journey from radio cars to his 7 (8) F1 World championships. While reading we witness Hamilton’s single-minded determination to reach the top, even as he challenged racial barriers and opposition at every turn. Lewis has faced racial discrimination and slurs, from fellow drivers and fans, yet he still rises.
I am a huge Lewis Hamilton fan, and cannot wait for the season to start, as Lewis has moved from Mercedes to Ferrari. “Sir Lewis” was a great biography about Lewis with a lot of insight. Michael Sawyer does dissect the 2021 Abu Dhabi race. So, you may want to grab a drink before you start that chapter. I will say I agree with Sawyer on mess of that entire season.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing | Legacy Lit and NetGalley for an ARC. I am counting the days until the season starts. #SirLewis #NetGalley

The introduction to this book is so poorly written that I have put it down for now.

I can't get over the author's poor syntax and unnecessarily graphic depictions of how certain events could have panned out.

The title of this book alone made me excited to get access to this book. I am a fan of Lewis and I already had background knowledge of his life from his carting days into his championships in Formula one. I thought this book was not well organized and the narrative was scattered. Maybe for a new fan this might be something that might be satisfactory but overall the storytelling is not well executed and I expected more. It left me disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

100/5 ⭐️ for Lewis Hamilton
2/5 ⭐️ for this book

I will preface this by saying I went into this book as a huge Lewis Hamilton fan (and still am). I believe their are 2 kinds of people who will pick up this book: big fans of Lewis or folks who are curious about the "Sir" and want to know who this man is that was knighted. Unfortunately, I don't think this book was written for either audience.

At its best, Sir Lewis highlights the specific experience and struggle Lewis had to overcome in being the first Black driver in a very white sport. This is particularly important because so many try to erase Hamilton's Black identity and claim his (and many folk's) struggle to get into Formula 1 is a class struggle. While it's true the sport of by no means a meritocracy and rewards vomit-inducing amount of wealth, there is a specific struggle that Lewis Hamilton has gone through that no other F1 driver has to-datw. The egregious amount of racism, specifically anti-Blackness, he has faced and continued to face is both alarming and unsurprising. Despite this, he has proven himself to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, certainly the greatest in Formula 1.

The biggest weakness of this book is the lack of any new information or access to Hamilton. While the book is meticulously researched, I would recommend folks read Hamilton's autobiography over this book (it is quoted extensively). On top of that, the book is extremely repetitive and over-explains everything about Formula 1. There is an entire chapter dedicated to explaining what qualifying is. This made the book drag so much for me. If you want to give a little primer on F1, do a single chapter at the beginning so folks can skip it if they want. I do believe most people reading this will already know quite a bit about the sport.

Sadly, this was a miss for me.

Learning more about Lewis Hamilton was a delight. I didn't know much about him before reading this book, and that's all changed.