An Adventurous Life - Softcover

Roger Nathan; Stephane Gutzwiller

Softcover

ISBN 10: 095539340X ISBN 13: 9780955393402

Publisher: Stephane Gutzwiller, 2017

Synopsis

This is the second edition of the story of a young man aged 17, with a taste for adventure started a motor racing career that lasted from 1961 to 1970. From becoming the youngest winner of the coveted National British Autosport Championship at 20 in a Lotus Elite in 1963 to a highly successful 1964 season in a Brabham BT8 Climax. He also became the leading Hillman Imp conversion specialist, pushing the all conquering Mini's from the rostrum. After meeting the renown Frank Costin, the highly successful Costin-Nathan series of sports racing cars were produced. An entry with the prototype C-N in the international Coupes de Paris at the Montlhery Autodrome resulted in the lone C-N beating the might of the works Fiat Abarth's, a real David and Goliath scenario. When he retired from racing aged 27, Roger held a total of 29 international lap records more than any other British driver. Most of these were gained driving cars his own cars manufactured in North London. He then moved from racing to flying and became inadvertently involved in two civil wars, the first in the Middle East and the second in Sierra Leone. The later high risk event is however, not covered in this book..

About this title

About the Author

Roger Nathan left school aged 15 to work in Hamley's of Regent Street London.After a brief and successful selling career he moved to the family motor business and became interested in motor racing. Aged 17 he started his racing career in a Lotus Elite. At 20 he became the youngest driver to win the coveted National British Autosport Championship. Next followed a highly successful season with a Brabham BT8 Climax including winning the Martini International Trophy race at Silverstone.He went on the become the leading Hillman Imp conversion specialist. And started designing and building with the renowned aerodynamics expert Frank Costin, his own series of sports racing cars named the Costin-Nathan. These were highly successful with a GT version built for the Le-mans 24 hour race in 1967. This was followed by the Nathan GT and the Astra series of sports racing cars. They were unique in having a wooden monocoque construction, all were winning and record breaking cars. During his career, he achieved more international lap records than any other British driver a total of 29 mainly in cars of his own manufacture.Aged 27 he left motor racing to start flying. This involved him inadvertently, becoming involved in two civil wars, the first in Lebanon in the Mid-1970's and the second in Sierra Leone, West Africa in the Mid-1990's. During the latter he was instrumental in securing the release of 6 Italian Nuns held captive by rebel forces. The Nuns later met with the Pope at the Vatican. Additionally, other 'special missions' were undertaken on behalf of the United Nation and others, during this volatile period. He was awarded a Commendation from the UN for services rendered.While in West Africa, he started his own successful airline service in the region and additionally established lucrative gold and diamond alluvial mining operations in Sierra Leone.He now lives in London, acting as a consultant and is presently managing an epic restoration project of the prototype Costin-Nathan that emerged as a 'Barn find' after being 'lost' for 45 years. 21 February 2017

Review

Son of a dealer in luxury cars and childhood friend of Bernie Ecclestone, it is hardly surprising that, despite ill health as a small boy, Roger Nathan eventually gravitated towards motor racing as a teenager. But what happened next is a different story, as An Adventurous Life reveals. In an age when team sport already dominated motor racing, the thought of an individual in a self-built wooden car even taking on the likes of Fiat on the track would have seemed laughable. For him to have the audacity, nerve, strategy and guile to beat them at their own game - and to keep on beating them for the best part of a decade - is a tale worth reading. The Costin-Nathan Story is just part of this tale, and there is more to come about Nathan's exploits in later life, after he hung up his racing helmet, but this book, co-authored by Stephane Gutzwiller, a friend and fellow enthusiast, focuses on the 1960s, when drivers lived on the edge, were lucky to win even a book token for risking their lives in a big race and took part for the thrill, the competition and the hope of glory. Nathan writes so that you can smell the oil and petrol, feel the gravitational pull at the corners and hear your heart racing as he accelerates through his split-second advantage to take the lead. Even at the age of 19, he understood the psychology of competing under pressure and where and when to apply force.In the end, though, this is not a book about cars; it's the story of one man and what makes him tick. Roger Nathan is in part a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but he also has a clear and plain vision about life and going after what you want. Peeling back the layers of this character is at the heart of this book and is the best reason of all for paying close attention throughout its 184 pages. You will not be disappointed. Ivan Macquisten. Journalist and writer.

Edition details

• Publisher: Stephane Gutzwiller
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 095539340X
• ISBN 13: 9780955393402
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 184