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This spine-tingling title and the "King of Cool's" intense headshot telegraph the excitement to be found under the book cover. Keyser's observant and engaging storytelling weaves together screen legend Steve McQueen's rugged, individualistic life, his love affairs with motorcycles, cars, racing, partying and women, along with a story of exceptional filmmaking, including the breakthrough, Oscar-winning cinematographic techniques used to capture the visceral essence of racing's most famous event for the silver screen.

Throughout 464 highly charged pages, "A French Kiss with Death" dazzles the reader with the "King of Cool's" roller-coaster life of adventure and accomplishment. The book contains more than 725 photographs and illustrations, most seen for the first time and many shot during the actual "24 Hours of Le Mans." Providing an unforgettable ride, "A French Kiss with Death" pulls readers rapidly into the exotic, heady, cutthroat world of international sports car racing. Keyser's longtime friend and ex-racer Jonathan Williams also contributed to the book.

Average Customer Rating:

Gets better with every re-reading	Customer Rating:
I've owned the original hardcover since 1999 so I have had some experience with this book over the years. Prices on eBay were getting so high for the hardcover that I was tempted to sell it. Fortunately, this softcover came out so I'm keeping the original. General auto racing fans should stay away. Steve McQueen and Le Mans fans should jump in head first! A real treasure!

Not enough McQueen	Customer Rating:
Upon reading the reviews for this book, I was prepared for the extensive information, history, and background of Le Mans. But, I purchased the book because I was a fan of Steve McQueen. I realized for me there was too much info about Le Mans, before it got to the actual parts of the shooting of the movie. I still haven't finished the book and will continue to plow through it.

Fantastic

Customer Rating:

One of my favorite automotive films of all times is Le Mans. Not only is the race itself an epic, but the making of the film Le Mans was also an epic in and of itself. Steve McQueen was responsible for it from start to finish. It was a labor of love for him. But the movie was not well received by the critics... they felt there was too little dialog and very little plot. For automotive enthusiasts, it's a masterful and unique depiction of the famous event - you'll feel as though you were there because of the very well done in-car sequences. I consider this film as a must-see for all enthusiasts. This books covers the life and filmography of Steve McQueen as background. The main focus, however, is on the film itself - and the book offers an incredibly detailed view of the making of the film. You'll rarely see this level of detail about any film, much less an automotive racing film! It's surprising that this level of memory even still exists. And, of course, if you are ever going to go to the Le Mans race itself, this book would be excellent background reading.

It's just like being there!	Customer Rating:
This book is for anyone that likes Steve McQueen, vintage sports car racing, or the movie Le Mans. Of course there's everything there is to know about the movie itself, but there's also a Steve McQueen bio, a history of that era's race cars, AND a history of the Le Mans race too! It's a big book that takes a while to read and once you're done with it, you're gonna want to read it again.

Glad I bought it

Customer Rating:

I'm not a huge Steve McQueen fan but love his LeMans film. I've watched it loads of times and every time I'm more hooked. I've just finished reading the book and looking forward to watching the film again as I know the experience will be even better. The information about the filming and McQueen himself shows the passion and desire for realism with which it was made. It took me a while to get round to getting the book but as a huge fan of the film I'm really glad I bought it.