excellence ? August, 2002

A French Kiss With Death: Steve McQueen and the Making of LeMans
By Michael Keyser with Jonathan Williams.
464 Pages, 855 B&W photos. Bentley Publishers, Cambridge, MA. Available from Bentley Publishers (800)423-4595 or www.BentleyPublishers.com $59.95

Michael Keyser's first book and accompanying film, The Speed Merchants, documented the world of sports car racing from 1969 to 1972. Keyser's second book, A French Kiss With Death, revisits the era to examine the making of the famous Steve McQueen movie, Le Mans.
Keyser first lays the historical groundwork of the movie, starting with the history of motor racing in the cinema. Next, he tells the story of Steve McQueen, from his tumultuous childhood to his eventual rise to stardom. Keyser then focuses on the Le Mans 24-hour race itself, from its beginning through a detailed review of the 1970 running on which the movie was based. Much of the movie's actual racing footage was shot from a modified Porsche 908 that ran in that race ? and despite many stops to reload the cameras, the car actually places ninth overall in the race!
The second half of the book tells the story of the making of Le Mans. Keyser introduces us to many participants in the production, from the director to the race drivers hired to create the high-speed thrills to the French translators. Their stories, which range from production issues to descriptions of life on the set, are fascinating. There's plenty of automotive action as well; Derek Bell and co-author Jonathan Williams have many tales of life behind the wheel during the filming. In one notable story, Bell and Jo Siffert trap McQueen's 917 between their cars and force him through a section of the track at racing speed ? McQueen was as white as his Nomex when he got out of the car. It's also revealed that the 917 that crashes in the movie was actually a disguised Lola; a real 917 was deemed to valuable to destroy.
A French Kiss With Death is highly recommended for McQueen fans, behind-the-scenes movie buffs, and racing enthusiasts alike ? but be prepared for an unflinching look at McQueen. There's something for everyone, though Porsche does not play a leading role. The book features hundreds of excellent photos, while the writing is lively, the pace brisk, and the personal stories spellbinding. Once the action was rolling, I found the book hard to put down; Keyser's work proved much more entertaining than the movie it explores. ? Aaron Jenkins.