Fast Forward

This book is filled with interesting facts about 18 race tracks around the world. The format is consistent throughout. It has a quick blurb about the race track with a vibrant illustration. Afterwards, there are stats about the race track, some events, a car that has raced there, and a layout of the track itself. It’s a great book for any kids that enjoy learning about cars or races. My only qualm about the book is that I would have liked to see actual photos instead of the illustrations.

This was a fun book, especially for me who isn't really into motor sports. I have been to one or two races myself and I'm always interested in potential topics for novels, so this felt like a good book to review and I guessed right!

The book is quite short, but full-color illustrations of tracks, cars, and drivers, and a wealth of facts on cars, circuits, and interesting events make it seem a lot bigger than it is. It covers circuits and featured cars as follows:

Nürburgring - Porsche 911 GT2 RS
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - McClaren MP4/4 Honda
Suzuka - Honda NSX
Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans - Ford GT40 Mk 2
Albert Park Lake - Maserati 250F
Circuit de Monaco - BRM P57
Monza - Ferrari F1-2000
Goodwood - Jaguar E-Type 4.2
Daytona - 1970 Plymouth Superbird
Bahrain International - Red Bull RB8
Dakar Rally - Mitsubishi Pajero 2005
Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Lotus 38
Pikes Peak - Drive eO PP03
Silverstone - Aston Martin DB5
Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg - Williams FW23
Shanghai International Circuit - Holden Commodore VZ
Laguna Seca - Dodge Viper ACR
Mount Panorama - Holden Torana A9X
There's a short glossary and a longer index at the end, and rest assured it's not just about cars and tracks, the book also has assorted drivers of note and yesteryear highlighted on each page (such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Jutta Kleinschmidt, Michael Schumacher, Jackie Stewart, Alex Zanardi, and a score of others) including career masterpieces, amazing wins, tragic deaths, come-from-behind wins, fistfights, track and racing records, and amazing escapes from accidents.

I found this book fascinating and educational, and I commend it as a worthy read.

This is a great little book to stimulate or renew an interest in motor racing.
The author has embarked on worldwide, whistle stop journey around the most majestic, iconic and historic race tracks. he provides some interesting detail to support why they have become the focus of motorsport and its followers down through the years.
A track layout with ideas of where to pass, length of straights and tricky corners brings the circuit to life and supported with more technical stats. He repeats the process for a car that has burned the track up or won races and posted fasted laps there. Finally in three brief passages he relates famous events or moments from that venue that have added to the folklore or enhanced the circuits standing.
In this fashion he covers 18 circuits, many favourites seen from our TVs or for some places they have visited and enjoyed at first hand.
I liked the style adopted. There is a symmetry in approach and the layout is not crammed with information but in bite size snippets to easily absorbed. It does not read as a book more like a magazine.
Hopefully the price will reflect the lack of photographs that could have inflated its price.
That side it is a work of art in itself and the illustrated action scenes and drawings mark this out as a stylised book that will be treasured by any fan of this great sport. The colours used make for a vibrant production that would be a book you'd be happy to leave around your home and guests delight to pick up and dip into.
A sure winner, let the checked flag fall.

3.5★
"We will also meet some of the world-class drivers who have been the beating hearts of motorsport since it began over 100 years ago.

Perhaps one day your name will be added to the list of famous drivers who have won a Formula One Grand Prix or battled to victory at Le Mans . . . "

This is a highly stylised, artistic look at 18 famous racetracks around the world, the drivers and cars who were made famous on them. In the case of Le Mans (which is really Le Circuit de la Sarthe, something I never knew despite being a bit of a race fan), legendary, died-way-too-young screen favourite Steve McQueen's starring role in the movie "Le Mans" probably put the 24-hour Le Mans race on the map for his fans who'd never heard of any race other than maybe Daytona or Indianapolis. Both of them are included, by the way.

[My Goodreads review includes several screenshots and a photograph. Following are the captions.]

Illustration of the timeless Ford GT-40, the Bentley that won often there, and actor Steve McQueen

You can see how stylised the art is. On this page, I don't mind it. McQueen is sort of recognisable as are the cars.

At the Nürburgring in Germany, it's a different story. I've been there, and the track winds through lush green woods. The illustration gives a rosy, almost sunset glow, and I'm not sure why.

Illustration of a section of the Nürburgring

The facts, as much as I know them (and I also asked someone who does know about this stuff) seem accurate. The illustrations are so simplified that it's hard to tell what's what. We're very familiar with Bathurst (Mt. Panorama) but we aren't sure where the car is supposed to be. From the illustration, many readers would assume this is near the ocean, but it's in the middle of farmland, a long drive inland from the coast. If it's supposed to be the Blue Mountains in the distance, perhaps aqua was not the best colour choice.

Illustration of corner in race at Mt Panorama, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

I wish they'd used actual photos of the people. There are a few who are recognisable to me but quite unflattering. Aussie racing legend Peter Brock was an attractive, boyish-looking guy with very thick dark hair at the time of this "picture" in the 1970s. Before he died in 2006 (another way-too-young), he had a good head of silver hair. This looks nothing like him. It also refers to him in the present tense "He has won", which I found a bit confronting.

Photo of the late Peter Brock, Aussie racing legend

Illustration of the late Peter Brock

The picture of Michael Shumacher isn't particularly flattering, either, and although many race disputes and stories are featured, there's no mention of his horrific, nearly-fatal skiing accident in 2013 that ended his career and has left him tragically disabled.

Illustration of Michael Shumacher where he won his last race at Shanghai International in October 2006.

Having whinged about various things, I have to say I really like this book! The 18 tracks selected are great and some of older readers' favourite cars are here. There's a good glossary and an index at the end.

The tracks go from Monaco to the Dakar Rally, from Japan to Pike's Peak, and the cars include the Jaguar E-type, the Aston Marton DB5 and a bright red Ferrari. What's not to love?

Illustration of the Jaguar e-type

Illustration of Aston Marton DB 5

lllustration of Ferrari F1-2000 at Monza

I love the tracks, the cars, the memories. If the illustrations had been a different style so that the people and locations were more recognisable, I'd have given it a higher rating.
[Disclaimer: I have not fact-checked the details!]

The Amazon website has almost the whole book illustrated if you want to see more and get a copy for yourself. It's being published May 7, 2019.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Wide Eyed editions for the preview copy.

Three and a half stars.

A decent primer for motor sport fans of the future, as the integral race tracks, drivers and cars get a look-in. I'd quibble about a few aspects of it, however – some of the technical gumph about the track and cars I don't even understand now, let alone as a ten year old. I did wonder about the use of cheesy, 70s-looking illustrations instead of photos, but I guess the amount of cigarette advertising that used to be seen around Formula One is one reason not to go to the image archives.

Spectacularly illustrated in modern, vibrant style, Fast Forward would make a beautiful addition to a young car enthusiast’s bookshelf. Gilleard has done an incredible job of capturing the fast-paced excitement and glamour of the race track with page after page of breathtaking illustrations of some of the world’s greatest racing hotspots and fast cars, and Skinner's text matches effortlessly, passionate and inviting.

The book is well-designed and welcoming to its readers, never dumbing down facts and allowing you to flip through and investigate whichever track you may find appealing, with easily-digestible snippets of information scattered over the page.

Fast Forward would have been a dream to get my hands onto when I first found an interest in racing as a tween, and will surely inspire and entertain a new generation of car fans.

Thank you #netgalley for giving me a copy of #FastForward to review. This car book is perfect for my husband and my son. My son is obsessed with cars (so much that he asked to sleep in the new motorized police car we got him). This book is informative and beautiful. I could see taking the illustrations and framing them on a wall in my son's room. Definitely a must for any racing enthusiast.

"Fast Forward" is a beautiful picture book about car racing. Even I myself not into the sport, I couldn't help but to admire every single detail the book offers. An overview on 18 famous race tracks, drivers, random interesting facts, history and such make up the integral part of the book. Some of the technical information, I have to admit, does not interest me at all, but the illustrations captured my attention from the beginning to end. The aesthetic value deserves a 5-star rating. As for the content, since race cars isn't my usual area of interest, this isn't something for me. My son, however, totally LOVES it and he flips through the pages every day. "Fast Forward" is definitely a wonderful book to readers, young or mature, who love automobiles.