Motoring book review

TAKE RISK!
By Richard Noble
ISBN: 978 1 910505 51 9
£18.99
EVRO Publishing

One of the UK’s foremost speed kings is undoubtedly Richard Noble, the holder of a series of World Land Speed Records. He first returned the record to our country, when he drove Thrust2 to a remarkable 633mph in 1983. Although I had a personal fascination for the project, much like any young chap, my first sight of that ‘car’ was at the Initial company’s headquarters in Bradford, West Yorkshire, where it was parked innocuously outside the building. Noble’s subsequent involvement in the ThrustSSC project of 1997, which brought the first supersonic record (763mph) back to Britain, with Andy Green as its driver, cemented his status. I was a lot closer to that project, having reported on it on several occasions. Over 264pp of charming autobiographical text, Noble provides highlights of the eleven record-breaking and aviation projects in which he has been involved. Interestingly, it is not a ‘first person’ cocktail of experiences, which serves to underscore that Mr Noble is not only generous in his applause for others but also recognises their contributions in a series of high risk adventures, to which he has been dedicated. Each chapter of this small format hardback concentrates on the diverse range of projects on which he has worked extensively and include both Thrusts 1 and 2, the Atlantic Sprinter, JCB Dieselmax and both aeronautical and water speed records. A very brief introduction provides an understanding of Richard’s drive and determination, which is evident in each of the chapters. A small section in the centre of the book is reserved for both monochrome and colour photographs relevant to the contents. In many peoples’ eyes, Richard Noble is a modern-day hero. He has not won every battle but he is a championship quality communicator and this title underlines his contribution to society.