The books are still in stock (both editions have sold fast) for immediate despatch. ONLINE ORDER FORM IS HERE.


Due to the volume of information that has come in, content is now 447 pages, together with a very large number of unseen photographs (images total over 1000) of Mike at work and play, some taken only a day or two before his death. Many people who knew Mike have talked to us freely, including his fiancee, now Jean Ireland. There are 120+ listed contributors.

New witnesses to the crash scenario have come forward and we also have a report of the Post Mortem that discloses previously unpublished facts. We have to thank those photo archives that have generously donated much of their relevant content for the book and many other people for all the time and energy put into assisting progress in various ways. The book includes the first ever attempt at providing race car numbers for all races Mike took part in, an invaluable aid for identifying and dating photographs.
Tony Bailey

Listen to Mike!
Note: many people have asked to hear what Mike sounded like - here's your chance to hear Mike talk about his race at the British Grand Prix in 1958 where he finished second to Peter Collins, you can play this short MP3 sound file... More recordings coming soon!

Tribute Site Success
 
Since the Tribute Site was created in 2006, we've been completely taken aback by the volume of visitors and also really pleased with the amount and quality of information that's been sent to us from people who knew Mike or encountered him while at events and so on.

In particular, we have had contact with a number of people who actually worked with or knew Mike over longer periods – and this is in addition to those we were already aware of. Several of these were Tourist Trophy Garage employees and they have not told their story before.

Using these memories and those of others, we are pleased to announce that a new book on John Michael Hawthorn’s life has now been completed. It is authored by Tony Bailey, who lives near Hassocks in West Sussex, and Paul Skilleter from Barton on Sea in Hampshire. Paul also published the book which was launched on the 20th November 2008 in advance of the 50th Anniversary of Mike Hawthorn's death (22nd January 2009). It also includes the initial research on Mike undertaken by Paul Roach in the early 1990s plus a wealth of other never-before-published material about Mike. We had a number of well known authors on board to assist in making this an enthralling read.

The Book
This new book primarily concentrates on Mike's personal life together with full details of his racing career, the latter introduced by respected journalist Doug Nye. We have much input from many who actually knew him in daily life and have come forward with their stories. It also includes some relevant articles that have been previously published only in specialist magazines. As well as a standard edition, there will be a signed leather bound Limited Edition presented in a slip case.

Mike's motor racing career is covered with many photographs, and the book singles out for close examination his special relationship with Jaguar – the cars and the company. This includes a detailed examination of Mike’s role in the 1955 Le Mans disaster, for which many believe he was unfairly blamed, and the circumstances surrounding his death in VDU 881, the 3.4L saloon he fatally crashed on the Guildford by-pass on 22 January 1959.

His many personal cars that he owned and also in some cases, raced, are covered in as much detail as possible. Existing owners have been interviewed worldwide for period photos and facts from the time of Mike's ownership.

New facts
New information emerges about many events, especially the day of his death including eye-witness accounts from the Hawthorn's cottage 'daily' and an on-the-spot TT Garage employee. These start early on the morning of his fatal crash, detailing events inside his home up Folly Hill through to when he left the garage for the Guildford bypass and on to what happened at the TT after the crash - these accounts have never been published before.

We have also had access to many personal handwritten letters from Mike to his family while he was away - even to telegrams advising of Leslie's crash and subsequent death. These are all reproduced and transcribed in the book.

This is in large format, a 447 page hard-bound publication printed on semi-gloss art paper with jacket, size approx. 225mm x 297mm and with over 1000 photographs and illustrations – the majority never seen in any book before. It is produced in conjunction with Paul Skilleter Books - Paul wrote and published the best selling acclaimed book on Norman Dewis, for which he recently won the Guild of Motoring Writers Montagu Award for the best researched and written motoring book of the year. He also published the recent major Ecurie Ecosse history by Eric Dymock.

The Mike Hawthorn book will be of similar high quality to these books and will form a companion volume to them. Due to the specialised nature of the book, only a limited number of the standard edition will be produced, together with a very special leather-bound edition with slip case, signed by the authors and someone closely connected to Mike, for those who want the best.

For some eight months, the project had taken on a life of its own with offers of help and information arriving daily from all over the world, some of major interest and importance to Mike's memory. Artist Paul Dove has kindly allowed use of the striking cover portrait that inspired the book's title and the book also features his latest painting 'Victory under the Sun'. Stuart Spencer has also donated a custom rendering of Mike in the 1955 Jaguar D-type for the book.

The cost of the standard edition is currently £49.95 plus shipping when ordered directly via the Paul Skilleter Books web site (cover price is £60).

The signed Special Edition (limited quantity) costs £150 plus shipping - it comes complete with an especially made Tourist Trophy Garage badge affixed to the slip case cover.

The contents are:

Title: Mike Hawthorn
Introduction
Preface
Chapter One:	The impossible dream - Mike's school days and adventures
Chapter Two:	The Family Business - The Tourist Trophy Garage Ltd
Chapter Three:	Life with the Hawthorns
Chapter Four:	Mike's Personal Cars
Chapter Five:	Le Mans 1955
Chapter Six:	VDU 881: a very special Jaguar
Chapter Seven:	The Champion's girl
Chapter Eight:	The Road to the World Championship
Chapter Nine:	What really happened in 1959?
Chapter Ten:	Saying Goodbye
Chapter Eleven:	Memorials
Chapter Twelve:	Memorabilia
Chapter Thirteen:	The Mike Hawthorn art gallery
Chapter Fourteen:	Recollections
Appendix One:	Career Results in depth 1950 - 1958
Appendix Two:	Experiencing the D-type
Index

Mike on advertising duty for Smiths Watches. The young boy is John Shaw whose father worked at the watch company. John kindly sent us this and other photos - do you have anything similar that we could use in the book for the next edition?

Interested in the Book?
If you are interested in the book then you may place an order HERE.

IMPORTANT: INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE PROVIDED
The book contains much information kindly provided by visitors to the web site. This paragraph informs you that if you supplied photos and or text or even just comments to us for use on the site, we may have used such material in the book (unless you stated conditions for other use at the time such as for photographs). We will naturally provide attribution for all material used (but not e-mail addresses of course).

Michael's Tuck Box surfaces after 50 years!

In the May 2008 issue of Jaguar World Monthly you will find an article by the site's creator and author Tony Bailey on an amazing find - Mike's original School 'Tuck Box' from the war years likely at Ardingly College. This has been unseen for over 50 years and I had full access to it via its current custodian. Read how it came to the family that owns it and what was in it .... This is naturally covered in the book but in more depth.

"Somehow, when you first look at and touch this little wooden box, with the name ‘J M HAWTHORN’ painted in black on the lid, you can’t help but think how the legendary Mike Hawthorn must have used this so often as a youngster, possibly sitting on it to sort his cigarette cards.

The chest itself is sturdily built in wood with metal corners and reinforcing plates. It has a lock but no longer a key. The remains of a luggage label on the side indicates that the trunk was sent on the Southern Railway from Farnham Station, most likely to Ardingly College in Sussex where Mike spent the war years from 1942 as a boarder ..."

“... I was on my way to School with Michael - there was a set of traffic lights in Farnham at the bottom of a hill on the way to the school. I remember Michael stopping there once and another car pulled up alongside us. Michael obviously knew the other driver and that he was indicating he’d like to race Michael away from the lights and up the hill! Michel didn’t, though, and I assume that was because I was in the car.

“I didn’t know him as a racing driver, of course - he was just a man to me, but very amiable and he seemed to get on with almost anyone.”