‘Bluebird and the Dead Lake’ by John Pearson

My Review (5 stars out of 5)

Following Donald Campbell’s 1964 attempt on the world land speed record, John Pearson spent several weeks with Campbell and his team in Australia’s remote outback, waiting for conditions on the saltpan of Lake Eyre to meet the standards required for a successful record attempt. Aiming to hit speeds of more than 400 miles an hour, the conditions had to be perfect, but it seemed that everything – the weather, the sodden lake, and even the attitudes of some of the team – were against him…

Taking place only a few years before Donald Campbell lost his life in an attempt at the water speed record on Coniston Water, Pearson’s account might easily have been a rather tedious and boring narrative of the technical difficulties involved in driving a car at high speed. However, the author has produced an engaging and fascinating book based on his time in Muloorina, detailing the many setbacks facing Campbell’s team. Relating problems with the Bluebird itself and the poor condition of the thirteen-mile-long track, to the wavering moods of the technicians, the press, and even the official timekeepers who questioned Campbell’s ability, Pearson writes in a style that is not only easy to read but is at times quite beautiful in its descriptions of the landscape.

An appealing and compelling read.

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