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Racing in the Dark

How the Bentley Boys Conquered Le Mans

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Racing in the Dark

By: Peter Grimsdale
Narrated by: Peter Grimsdale
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 SHORTLISTED FOR THE RAC MOTORSPORT BOOK OF THE YEAR
'Glorious...gripping and sometimes tragic' Robbie Coltrane
The inspirational story of the Bentley Boys and Le Mans – the race they made their own.
Le Mans, 1927. W.O. Bentley peered into the dusk. His three cars, which had led from the start, were missing. Two years running he had failed to finish. Once again he was staring into a void. Racing, his shareholders told him, was a waste of money. This race looked like being his last.

W.O’s engineering skills had been forged on the Great Northern railway and in the skies of the First World War, where Bentley-powered Sopwith Camels took the fight to Germany’s Red Baron. Determined to build and race his own cars, he assembled a crack team from all strata of 1920s Britain, from East End boys Leslie Pennal and Wally Hassan to multi-millionaires Woolf Barnato and Tim Birkin, men in search of adventures to blaze their way out of the dark past.

They dedicated themselves to building the perfect road and racing car. In the hayloft above their workshop, the first Bentley was born and soon it was the car of choice for the fast-living upper classes. They raced at the fashionable Brooklands circuit and then set their sights on the fledgling 24 Hours Le Mans race. An audacious goal for a British car, yet the Bentley Boys rose to the challenge. But on that night in 1927, after the biggest crash in racing history claimed their cars, could they still pull it off and put British motor racing on the map?

In the 1920s, Bentley Motors burned brightly but all too briefly; yet its tale, filled with drama, tragedy, determination and glory still shines a century on. Historical Motor Sports Sports Racing

Critic reviews

'Glorious... As a later Bentley boy myself, all the time she was mine, as I accelerated up many a twisting highland road, I imagined (OK, dreamt) what stamina it must have taken to hammer even such a superbly engineered masterpiece for 24 hours at Le Mans! Thanks to your gripping and sometimes tragic story, which allows you the feeling you "were there", I now feel I kind of know.' (Robbie Coltrane)
‘A comprehensive look into the lives of those integral to the Bentley story and how they helped establish a legacy that is still revered today.… Well researched, informative and gripping enough to satisfy motorsport fans wishing to learn more about one of Britain’s greatest manufacturers.' (Stefan Mackley)
'Grimsdale has nailed it once again, this time charting the early story of Bentley... the engagingly readable prose that makes for a genuine page-turner. Such is the research here, and so well crafted is the story, that this threads every facet together brilliantly... The result is unmissable for anyone with a passing interest in the birth of Bentley and of Le Mans.'
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This is the second title from Peter Grimsdale that I have completed. I loved the first book ‘High Performance’, and am pleased to say that ‘Racing in the Dark’ was equally impressive. Each chapter is a short story in itself. The narrative flows, and if you’re interested in motor racing and motoring history I’m sure that you won’t be disappointed. The author (who is also the narrator) has an engaging voice which helps make each chapter a pleasure to listen to.

Another masterpiece from Peter Grimsdale.

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I really enjoyed expanding my knowledge on the early days of Bentley Motors. Gripping story all the way to the end, would definitely recommend to anyone who is in the vintage car world!

Excellent Story of W.O and the Bentley Boys

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a very impressive history of Bentley and particularly the aspects relating to le mans.
a superb read

brilliant motoring history

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A great read and read perfectly by the narrator. For lovers of British Motoring, Engineering and motorsport you can't go wrong with this.

A brilliant glimpse of British motoring history.

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a fantastically interesting book, about the amazing history of one if the biggest car manufacturer in the world, and the man, and people behind it's creation, and the making of the legend.

a must read/ listen

a fantastically interesting book

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