"Bernie's Game" was completed some time ago, but publication was delayed due to threats of litigation from the subject in question. My understanding is that the book was modified before finally making it to the bookshelves, however the less than flattering light in which Ecclestone is portrayed makes me wonder whether this is correct. More significantly, the book contains details about certain deals that Bernie would no doubt have preferred to keep under the table. If Ecclestone did in fact insist that the author reconsider the inclusion of certain observations or pieces of information, it seems odd that others were allowed to remain.

Whatever the case may be, the fruits of Lovell's labours make for interesting reading. The book begins as a fairly conventional biography, but quickly shifts its focus to the relationship between Ecclestone and the sport that he all but reinvented. Even outside F1, racing is full of characters who are wealthy on a scale that is very difficult to achieve without stomping on a few people along the way. Bernie's wealth is off-the-scale even by F1 standards, and if this book even tells part of the story then the bodycount of those who were sacrificed in his interests is impressive.

Lovell is not intimidated by either the reputation of his subject nor the complexity of his dealings, which contributes immensely to the value of his work - even if he does wear his fearlessness just a little too proudly on his sleeve occasionally. It's not hard to detect a certain relish in Lovell's words as he clears away a smokescreen to reveal the exact nature of a particular transaction involving Bernie, particularly one where is apparent just how badly the other party was shafted. But considering how rarely the true nature of the business side of Formula One makes it into the public arena, it's forgivable.

To do this kind of book properly requires a special mix of traits. The first of these is the one that weeds out an awful lot of the writers who would be otherwise qualified to write a book such as this - an inclination to devote so much time chasing the badly overgrown paper trail that is F1's finances. I can name more than one excellent Formula One writer whose eyes glaze over at the merest mention of words such as "Kirch Media".

But on top of that, you need sharp analytical skills, an eye for details (particularly those hidden between the lines), and a lot of patience. There's no mention of any background experience (or even interest) in racing in Lovell's short bio on the dust jacket, but this does not appear to have hampered him much, and he seems to possess all the other attributes in droves. He does outsmart himself occasionally, however. His description of Albert Park as "one of Melbourne's most attractive parklands" prior to the construction of the Grand Prix facilities points either to an author who had never been there before 1996 (and may not even have been there now), or to one who has read too much of the literature released by the anti-GP protesters. That's fairly trivial, however his description of former Premier of the State of Victoria, Jeff Kennett, as the "Premier of Australia" was a rather more glaring error that made me wonder whether other similar mistakes had slipped through unnoticed elsewhere in the book.