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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ F1's is a major contributor - and recommendations do not come higher than that. , the Guardian's brilliant chief sports writer, analyses the state of play at Ferrari - something of a specialist subject - in the wake of their worst season in years. And the book's co-editor, of Motorsport News and the Daily Telegraph, adds his own expertise and trademark humour. Between them and the other contributors, including veteran F1 journalists Maurice Hamilton and Alan Henry, they ensure it is a great read throughout.

As ever, one of the book's major selling points is its photography, from leading F1 snappers such as and .

Autocourse is not flawless. Although it has been updated, the design remains a bit flat and uninspired. But that is a minor quibble.

The book feels - and is - weighty and substantial in both meanings of the words. And, overall, if you're looking for a coffee table-type review of the season with glorious photography that gives you plenty to get your teeth into - and an excuse to zone out at those moments when the whole Christmas thing has got too much - you can't go wrong with it. Even at £40.

Also worth investigating is - My Championship Year, the Englishman's diary of his triumphant 2009 season.

Written with the excellent Daily Telegraph journalist , it's a good read, detailing Button's tumultuous winter after Honda's pull-out and then his progress towards the title on a race-by-race basis.

It's interesting and illuminating throughout, but it is arguably most effective when it is providing little behind-the-scenes glimpses of Button's thinking at various stages of the season.

So readers learn his thoughts on team-mate 's ; Button's concerns post-Hungary that the championship was slipping away from him; and various other key moments during the season.

There are also sweet little snapshots into his private relationships, including with girlfriend , and how he fills his time between races.

It's fascinating stuff and highly recommended, not just to fans of Button.

Then there is - 2009: A Revolutionary Year. This is a compilation of posts from the blog of the former commentator.

Allen's blog, written in a casual, approachable style, is one of the best ones out there, so it's no surprise to find that he is a reliable guide to the season.

He's informed and insightful, bang on the money on some things, less so on a handful of others. But then, as I know only too well, that's one of the occupational hazards of trying to report the news in a world as as F1.

There are few pictures, and you'd think you would have to be a pretty committed fan to want to go through again a series of columns that, as they are reproduced as they were written at the time, lack the benefit of hindsight - and even more so to want to pay £9.99 for articles that are freely available on the internet. But it is surprisingly fun to take your time looking back through the year and re-trace all the key developments as they happened.

There are plenty of other books out this year, of course, including the Official F1 Season Review, produced in conjunction with magazine, which has a number of interesting features. Among the best are the teams and drivers reviewing their own seasons, which is a novel idea and works well. It has to be said, though, that overall it does not quite match its rival Autocourse for that quality feel.

A couple more books that were released earlier in the year are worth a special mention.

Anyone wanting an F1 book to really get their teeth into over the Christmas holidays could do worse than pick up a copy of Mail on Sunday journalist 's Prost v Senna, and the paperback reissue of 's acclaimed James Hunt - The Biography.

The core of Folley's excellent, very readable, book is a long interview granted by Prost, which helps no end in offering fresh insights into the most compelling rivalry in F1 history.

Likewise, Donaldson's book is a brilliant warts-and-all account of the life of one of the sport's most popular and swashbuckling figures.

Both are well worth a tenner or so of anyone's money.