The party will be beautiful, this weekend, in the Sarthe. For the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a famous endurance car race, all the elements are in place to make the 2023 edition exceptional: many festivities have already begun in the streets of Le Mans, while the event ticket office displays full since December 2022. The result of attractive and less costly new technical regulations, big names in motorsport are making their return to the top of the competition, offering an unprecedented and devilishly sexy starting grid. See you on Saturday, June 10 at 4 p.m. for the start of hostilities!
Exceptional event, exceptional interest: it is no surprise that many books have come out to commemorate one hundred years of history. Here is a small selection:
Special mention for the way in which the great cars that have marked the competition are evoked, during comparative double pages, such as Ford vs Ferrari. An inexhaustible mine of information, coupled with a feast for the eyes.
Interesting exercise, although a bit confusing, it is in the form of a novel that 24 Hours and Misfortunes of Le Mans is told. Some exchanges transcribed inside are therefore not to be taken as cash. This does not detract from the flavor of the transcribed anecdotes.
“24 Hours and Misfortunes of Le Mans”, by Stéphane Bois, Guillaume Nédélec and Bob Garcia. (280 pages, Editions du Rocher; 19.90 euros)
What seduces here is the pleasure of delving into the archives, the book being richly embellished with press clippings from all periods, and numerous photos.
“24 Hours of Le Mans 1923-2023 a century of passion! », by Dominique and Antoine Pascal, Jean-François Krause (124 pages, Éditions Ouest-France; 19.90 euros)
At the controls of this luxurious book, two references of the famous race: Jean-Marc Teisseidre and Thibaut Villemant. After covering the event for years for specialized magazines, each year they are responsible for writing the Annual Book of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A competition that has no secrets for them.
While Jean Graton, father of the series who died in 2021, would also have been 100 years old this year, it is only natural that a “Dossier Michel Vaillant” is dedicated to the centenary of the famous race. Combining comic strips, archive photos and enriching texts, it’s a very original way of approaching the myth.
“Dossier Michel Vaillant, 100 years of Le Mans”, by Laurent Beauvallet, Christophe Bourgeois, Jean-Philippe Doret and Guillaume Nédélec. (130 pages, Dupuis Editions; 26 euros)
Consult our file: Centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
