24 Hours cover art

24 Hours

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

24 Hours

By: Richard Williams
Narrated by: Richard Attlee
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

About this listen

 Award-winning writer Richard Williams tells the remarkable story of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the world's most iconic motorsports events, which celebrates its centenary in 2023.

The event was created by a group of Frenchmen in 1923 and remains uniquely compelling to spectators, to the major motor manufacturers who continue to see it as an opportunity for priceless publicity, as well as to drivers hoping to add their names to its distinguished roll of honour. Between the wars, those manufacturers included Bugatti, Bentley and Alfa Romeo. Subsequently, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ford, Porsche, Audi and Toyota have all been serial winners, guaranteeing the continuation of ferocious inter-marque rivalry.

Over the decades the race acquired a rich folklore, including stories of leaking petrol tanks being sealed with chewing gum, one competitor making his last pit-stop for a fill-up and a glass of champagne, or the woman who drove her MG through the night wearing a fur coat. Competitors have included princes, debutantes, drug smugglers and a Nazi spy. Leading Hollywood film-makers lured to the romance of the race include Steve McQueen, who conceived and starred in Le Mans in 1971, and James Mangold, who made Le Mans ’66 in 2019. But in 1955 it had also been the scene of the greatest tragedy ever to befall motor racing, when 82 people were killed by a competing car, an accident that for a while threatened the sport’s entire future.

From the Bentley Boys of the 1920s, through record-breaking multiple winners Jacky Ickx and Tom Kristensen to modern stars such as Allan McNish, 24 Hours celebrates the skill, courage and technical brilliance of the men and women who gave the race its worldwide renown.
 Europe France Motor Sports Sports War
All stars
Most relevant
This Audiobook is a stunningly in depth study of the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Even the most knowledgeable motorsport fan will learn things from this book. The evolution of the race from its humble beginning to what it is now is quite simply a remarkable story.

Stunning history of the great race

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a fascinating and entertaining book, it had me gripped from the start, a facinating history in great detail, which taught me, opened my eyes too, and reminded me of the pure brilliance of the world greatest race,

i thought i knew a lot about le mans before this book, i can honestly say i didn't know a thing,

i can't recommend more, for motorsport fans or fans of history in general, this book takes us through the highs,the lows, the good, the bad, the dark times of both world wars, and it's recovery and to the things that created the legend

highly highly recommended

a fascinating and entertaining book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really interesting book, covering year by year history of the worlds greatest race right up to 2023.

Wonderful Book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fabulous account of the history of Le Mans. The Greatest race of them all, by far.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.