Two Summers offers a fresh, revealing and highly personal window into the culture of Grand Prix racing as it was during the 1954 and 1955 championships. The core of this book is devoted to individual portraits of the twelve races that comprised the 1954-55 seasons in which the W 196 R participated. Of those races, Fangio won seven and Moss won two.

With its carefully-crafted observations and conclusions, given added drama by its richly-detailed illustrations, there are numerous examples of the energy and dynamic nature of these racing seasons – not the least being abundant evidence that Fangio was indeed the ultimate master of the art and science of racing a Grand Prix automobile, and that the W 196 R was the instrument with which he honed his skills. This book captures the decisive moments when victory - hanging in the balance - was tilted towards Fangio by his own steady hand on the wheel and iron discipline.

The W 196 R's racing days may be long gone, but it remains a shining star of Mercedes-Benz' participation in motor sport heritage events worldwide.

It's this timeless appeal of the W196R that gives this book its vitality, charm and enduring attraction.

Robert Ackerson lives in Schenevus, NY. Formerly a public school teacher, he now writes full-time on a wide variety of automotive topics. His books cover everything from American classics such as Ford pickup trucks (including Veloce Publications' two-volume history of the Ford F100 and F150 pickups), Jeep CJ, and Chrysler 300, to Mercedes racing cars, in his books Two Summers and Return to Glory.