Murray Walker, Murray Walker
Murray Walker, Murray Walker
List: $16.99 | Sale: $11.89
Club: $8.49

Murray Walker

Author: Murray Walker

Narrator: Murray Walker

Abridged: 3 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 10/10/2013


Synopsis

The voice of motor racing and much loved public figure – and the man responsible for introducing millions of viewers to the previously inaccessible world of Formula 1 – tells the story of his incident-packed life, with a brand new chapter on his globetrotting adventures since retirement. Murray Walker is a national treasure. When the man who made famous the catch phrase 'Unless I'm very much mistaken… I AM very much mistaken!!!' announced that he was retiring as ITV's Grand Prix commentator, the media reacted as if the sport itself was losing one of its biggest stars. His reputation for mistakes was the making of Walker. He was the fan who happened to be given the keys to the commentary box – and never wanted to give them back. His high-octane delivery kept viewers on the edge of their seats, while his passion for talking about the sport he loved was matched by an all-encompassing knowledge gained through hours of painstaking research before every race. In his book he writes about his childhood and the influence that his father, British motorcycle champion Graham Walker, had on his career. Failing to match his father's achievements on the track after active service in World War II, he made a successful career for himself in advertising which catapulted him to the top of his profession. An offer from the BBC to take over the commentary seat for their F1 broadcasts was too good to turn down, and it wasn't long before the infamous 'Murrayisms' enlivened a sport which until then had been shrouded in a cloak of unfathomable technical jargon and mind-numbing statistics. He also talks about the biggest changes in the sport over the last 50 years, in particular the safety issues which came to the fore after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, which he witnessed first hand. His partnership with James Hunt behind the microphone is the subject of some hilarious anecdotes, while his views on drivers past and present such as Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher make for fascinating reading.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sophie on January 06, 2023

This was a gift for a motor racing enthusiast. It was well received as a book of memories of a great commentator.......more

Goodreads review by Annie on June 09, 2018

I absolutely loved it! Murray Walker has lead a fabulous & fascinating life, much of which is recounted in this book, his autobiography from 2002. Although there isn't a great deal written about his childhood, what there is paints a picture of a comfortable & happy family & it's clear that Murray ad......more

Goodreads review by James on September 11, 2018

Simply brilliant. This book is entertainment from cover to cover, whether you're a race fan or just love interesting bios, Murray Walker's story fills the bill. Part of the charm is that he writes much like he always commentated--which is to say, on the fly, and it makes the read that much more ente......more

Goodreads review by Wyktor on February 04, 2020

An excellent autobiography as well as a chronicle of British motorsport from the end of the First World War to the present. It covers early motorcycle racing, especially the Isle of Man TT races, motorcycle trials (in which Murray was a competitor), the beginnings of motocross, all types of car racin......more

Goodreads review by Anthony on June 16, 2020

I picked this out of a Covid-19 Free-on-the-Street box. When I was teaching, I used to channel-hop before going to bed, and rather liked Formula 1 Highlights and Murray Walker’s enthusiastic commentary. I muted him once and thought how boring it all was without him, so I thought I’d see what he had......more


Quotes

‘The sheer force and sincerity of his enthusiasm has long made him the most imitated as well as the most loved broadcaster in British life’ Daily Telegraph ‘Well written…a real page-turner’ Classic Bikes ‘An entertaining read’ The Sunday Times