Essential reading for motorsport history fanatics

From recent releases to out-of-print gems

I love books. I love books. I've been devouring stories since the day I learned how to read, which came pretty early in my life because my parents were tired of reading to me until they lost their voices. And when I have even the most passing interest in something, there's a good chance I'm going to be reading all about it.

Motorsport history is one such interest (I might even go as far as to say it is my number one and primary interest, superseding all things in life, because there's a 95% chance that at any given point in time I'm thinking about a race that took place when my grandparents were still in school). As a result, I've amassed a pretty serious collection of race car related books that form the foundation of my library — and if you've ever wondered where to get started, boy are you in luck!

Today, I've put together a very lengthy essential reading list for anyone interested in digging into motorsport history. Whether you're looking for a damn good story to sweep you away, or if you're looking for a very specific piece of hard evidence, this list will be a great place to get started.

A few things to note first: Every book on this list is one that I own and have read at least once, so I can vouch for the quality of the publication. If I'm missing something you enjoyed, please leave it in the comments!

And second: I've organized this list into three categories based on the likelihood that you'll actually be able to easily find this book for purchase. I have a lot of great books in my collection that are, frankly, next to impossible to find because they've been out of print for decades. I'm still including them here because they have a ton of value — just know you might have to put in a little extra legwork to get your hands on a copy.