A new book from Richard Jones
Glamourous surroundings. Tiny, narrow streets. Drivers metres away. Just three of the things that make Monaco such an iconic location.
The Monaco Grand Prix is considered one of the most prestigious and important races in the world, forming one third of the Triple Crown of racing alongside the Indianapolis 500 and 24 hours of Le Mans. It is also the subject of a new book by Heritage customer Richard Jones.
A key element that has attracted people to Monaco, aside from the glitz, is the proximity to the action. Especially before the 1970’s, spectators were quite literally roadside to the race (unless seated on a yacht in the harbour or a balcony above the action!) Over the years this has led to some incredible, if not slightly shaky, photography from the event.
The excitement of Monaco has also been captured through other mediums, including video and traditional art. One such piece of art by Nicholas Watts recently served as the inspiration for Richard Jones to delve deeper into the 1958 event.
Richard tells us in Every Picture Tells a Story – The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix about how he spotted the original Watts oil painting of the 1958 Monaco GP at Birmingham’s Classic Car Show. His daughter, Sarah, prompted him to take the plunge into the depths of his wallet to buy it, and then inspiration struck.
‘Some races stand out because of individual performances that have become legendary. There are others that stand out because they reflected a subtle change which affected the whole of the sport. The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix was one such race.’
There is no stone left unturned in Richard’s fascinating retelling of the event which saw Maurice Trintignant take first place in a rear-engine Cooper Climax.
Throughout the book, Richard dives into all of the aspects of the race, from the practice and qualifying laps through to the lasting legacy. He gives us an in-depth look at all of the key players – both man and machine – along with the race location itself.
What is it about Monaco that is so alluring? What makes the Monaco Grand Prix in particular so prestigious? And why was 1958 such a pivotal year?
Richard gives us the answers to these questions and more in Every Picture Tells a Story – The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. He has also written two other books: Putting Wales, Carmarthenshire and Llandovery on the Map, a straightforward history of the development of maps in the area and Through the Lanes and into the Forests which is the story of rallying in the 1960’s; probably its most exciting decade.
How to get your copy
The book is available directly from Richard, simply email him at [email protected]
The cost is £12.00 including P&P and payment can be made through PayPal to the email address mentioned above, or Richard will send bank transfer details on request.