The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit

Phil Hill, a lowly California mechanic who, defying all expectations, became the first American to win the Grand Prix championship. In the tradition of Seabiscuit and The Right Stuff, Cannell's high-octane narrative evokes the lives of the daredevils who tempted fate each Sunday by driving well over 150 mph without benefit of seat belts or roll bars.

Written with the pacing of a novel, The Limit pits Hill against his Ferrari teammate, German Count Wolfgang Von Trips, as they jockey for the...