Brock is back

There have been books before on the late-and-great race ace but they have mostly focussed on his years at the top of Australian motorsport and his legendary following as Peter Perfect.

This time there's a new book, one that could easily be called 'The Early Years'.

Road to Glory, from Allen &Unwin, goes back to the beginning and does a great job of telling the story of Brock's youth, his first experiences in cars, his time in the army and his start in racing with a Holden-powered Austin A30. The book wraps in 1972, after rolling through his start with Harry Firth at the Holden Dealer Team, following his first win at Bathurst in a Torana.

Colin Fulton did the words and has created an enjoyable, flowing yarn that covers all the characters and fills in a lot of the gaps from earlier books. He has done plenty of research and brings a real warmth to his story.

But the thing that makes the book is the classic pictures, including some truly great images, shot by Terry Russell. The book is worth buying just for the pictures, which include wonderful images of track action in the 1960s and 1970s.

The whole package hangs together impressively and it's a book to savour, not just speed-read looking for the juicy bits and the crash pictures.

You can tell that Fulton was passionate about the project and Russell's pictures are more special because he was Brock's brother-in- law through his first wife, Heather.

The book costs $49.99 and is definitely one to have.

But it's not the only impressive motoring book in shops today, or in the near future.

Bob Watson has done a terrific job on the history of the Light Car Club of Australia, called Phillip Island to Fangio, and deserves to do well at $30 through www.bobwatsonrally.com.au We're also still waiting for the first Craig Lowndes book, written in a collaboration with the very talented Mark Fogarty. It promises an exclamation mark at the end of a year that has produced some memorable and essential reading.