Stirling Moss: The Definitive Biography: Volume 1

Porter is the author of around 30 books, including several on motor racing and four written with Stirling Moss, but this is the book he always wanted to write. Two years’ research has gone into this first volume of two that digs far deeper than any book previously published. Indeed, it is the most in-depth book ever published on a racing driver, and probably any motoring personality and very possibly any sportsman or woman who has lived. This book, though, is no dry account. It is spiced with humor, tragedy and period flavor with liberal doses of quotes from Moss himself and his contemporaries, many of whom Porter has interviewed over the years.The story is an extraordinary one. Starting out as a youth with precocious ability, young Stirling quickly caught the eye when racing the little 500cc racing cars invented just after the war. He soon ventured abroad where they laughed at his little racing car – until he beat them. He became the British Champion at 21 when most drivers were in their 30s, 40s or even 50s. He patriotically insisted on driving British cars and the gallant crusader took on, often matched and sometimes beat the foreign cars with their more powerful engines.
Admirable patriotism nearly ruined his promising career until he was forced to compromise such principles and quickly revived his career and showed he could beat the very best at the highest levels. In the final year covered by Vol 1, he won his first Grand Prix and such sports cars classics as the Tourist Trophy, the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia, all amazing achievements but that in the Mille Miglia has gone down as one of the greatest feats in all sport. Here, is fascinating, authoritative detail in the ultimate work on arguably the greatest all-round driver the world has yet known, a book worthy of a great man.

Author Biography

Philip Porter has written about 30 motoring books, twice winning the Montagu Trophy for best motoring book of the year. A lifelong motor racing enthusiast, that enthusiasm was largely fired by Stirling Moss. Like so many young boys in the fifties, he was Philip’s absolute hero. As a consequence, Philip began successfully competing in motor sport while still at school. He began acquiring classic sports cars long before it became a boom and owns 9600 HP, the oldest E-type in existence. This led to some motoring journalism among his busy business career. He later satisfied his competitive spirit with flying hot air balloons and airships, winning the silver medal at the 1991 European Airship Championships. In 1992 he became the first person ever to fly an airship in Africa. He is Chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society and an active member of the Jerome K. Jerome Society. In 1997 he and his wife Julie founded the International Jaguar XK Club and in 2004 they started the Jaguar E-type Club. Philip edits both monthly magazines and Sir Stirling is Patron of the XK Club. Philip and Julie live in a Tudor farmhouse in Worcestershire and have their offices in an adjoining thatched barn.