To Hell and Back Audiobook By Niki Lauda cover art

To Hell and Back

My Autobiography

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To Hell and Back

By: Niki Lauda
Narrated by: Ryan Wichert, Kevin Eason
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Niki Lauda drove a car for sport, but crossed the line between life and death and fought back to even greater glory. Even people who know nothing of Formula One have heard of his crash at Nurburgring in 1976, when he was dragged from the inferno of his Ferrari so badly injured he was given the last rites. Within 33 days, he was racing again at Monza. His wounds bled; he had no eyelids. He was terrified. A year later, he reclaimed his World Championship title.

In To Hell and Back he reveals how he battled fear to stage a comeback that seemed beyond human endurance. Then it’s Lauda vs Hunt, an epic rivalry later dramatised in 2013’s Hollywood blockbuster Rush, as he looks back on the strict childhood and parental disapproval that he believes gave him an ‘addiction to excellence’. There’ll never be another like him.

©2020 Niki Lauda (P)2020 Penguin Audio Motor Sports Sports
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Blunt. To the point. Honest. Just like Niki was.

It might lose you here and there as it moves fast, but at least you won't have to deal with filler moments.

As the man himself

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Amazing Story!!! nice narrative, gotta love niki after this book..... Every chapter of his life is simply fascinating

Amazing!!

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Lauda is one of Formula 1’s biggest legends, having won three world championships as a driver (two for Ferrari and one for McLaren) and several others in a managerial position at Mercedes. He is most famous for his dramatic and successful return to racing after barely surviving severe burns from a horrific accident (thus, the title, To Hell and Back).

His signature no-nonsense style can be appreciated in the writing. Some of the stories are epic, such as his confrontations with team bosses Enzo Ferrari or McLaren’s Ron Dennis. His account of the nightmare accident that permanently scarred him and his unlikely comeback is quite amazing, well worth the price of this book.

Unfortunately, he didn’t write about his own turn as one of the team bosses at Mercedes, which would have been fun to hear. Instead, there is an addendum that covers his later years, written and read by motorsport journalist Kevin Eason. Some of it is interesting, but it feels distant and detached. Also, I found the part concerning the crash of one of Lauda's commercial airplanes unnecessarily morbid.

Over all, it's a mostly entertaining, decently narrated audiobook about a unique character, but it could have been better.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

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