Book Review – Brunel – The Man Who Built the World Reviewed by Kim Henson Title: Brunel – The Man Who Built the World Author: Steven Brindle Published by: Weidenfeld and Nicolson 200 pages; paperback Price: £9.99 ISBN: 978-0-7538-2125-1 The extraordinary engineering achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel (following those of his father Marc Isambard Brunel) were as … [Read more...]
Bookshelf
Our pick of motoring related books covering a wide variety of fascinating subjects
Book review – An Austin Anthology II
Book Review – An Austin Anthology II. Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: An Austin Anthology II Author: James ‘Jim’ Stringer Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd; www.veloce.co.uk 112 pages; hardback Price: £15.99 UK; $25 USA. ISBN: 978-1-787114-26-5 Regular readers may remember that some time ago on this website I reviewed James (Jim) Stringer’s fascinating book entitled ‘An Austin … [Read more...]
Book Review – Making Tracks
Book Review – Making Tracks – A whistle-stop tour of railway history. Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: Making Tracks – A whistle-stop tour of railway history Author: Peter Saxton Published by: Michael O’Mara Books Limited 192 pages; softback Price (UK): £7.99 for printed version ISBN: 978-1-78243-768-0 in paperback format; 978-1-78243-332-3 in e-book format Of course Wheels-Alive … [Read more...]
Book review – Triumph Cars – The Complete Story (New Third Edition)
Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly Title: Triumph Cars – The Complete Story (New Third Edition) Author: Graham Robson/Richard M Langworth Published by: Veloce; Veloce.co.uk 256 pages; hardback Price: £40 UK; $65US ISBN: 978-1-787112-89-6 The Triumph story, as this book shows, goes back as far as the nineteenth century and bicycles, later succeeded by the motorcycles for which the … [Read more...]
Retrospective Book Review – Around France in an 8 H.P. Car
Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: Around France in an 8 H.P. Car Author: Jackson Budd Published by: Stonevale, London, in 1949 212 pages; hardback Availability: Long out of print, but used copies (only) are often available on the internet Price (UK): Typically between £7 and £25 ISBN: Pre-dates ISBN system! There are, of course, many fascinating new motoring books available, but … [Read more...]
Book review – MGB – The Illustrated History
MGB – The Illustrated History (4th edition). Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Authors: Jonanthan Wood/Lionel Burrell Published by: Veloce; veloce.co.uk 248 pages; hardback Price: £35 UK; $50 US ISBN: 978-1-787113-62-6 Over half a million MGBs were built during the model’s eighteen year life and the rorty MG remains one of the most popular and useable of classic cars. Veloce’s reprint … [Read more...]
Book review – Land Rover Design – 70 Years of Success
Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Title: Land Rover Design – 70 Years of Success Author: Nick Hull Published by: Veloce; veloce.co.uk 240 pages; hardback Price: £50 UK; $80 US ISBN: 978-1-845849-87-0 There are many technical and historical books about the ubiquitous Land Rover, but Nick Hull takes a different approach, celebrating its seventieth birthday by charting its styling … [Read more...]
Austin A30/A35 book – available via Kim at Wheels-Alive…
Austin A30/A35 – Read all about these small but big-hearted classics... Kim tells more... It is more than 50 years since the very last Austin A35 (a van version) came off the production line, but in fact the story of these cars dates back to the late 1940s, when the Austin Motor Company was instrumental in earning vital Dollars for Britain (following the financially crippling War effort), and … [Read more...]
Book Review – Setting Up a Home Car Workshop
Reviewed by Kim Henson... Title: Setting Up a Home Car Workshop Author: Julian Edgar Published by: Veloce; www.veloce.co.uk and www.velocebooks.com 160 pages; softback Price: £19.99 UK; $32.50 USA. ISBN: 978-1-787112-08-7 Since my schooldays I have been working in, planning, and hopefully improving my various home garages and workshops, all with the aim of making life easier in … [Read more...]
Book Review – A fascinating children’s story about a long-dormant Jaguar XK120 and its re-awakening
The XK Files: 120. Reviewed by Kim Henson. Author: Jennifer Barker (and illustrated by Robin Lawrie) Published by: Porter Press International Ltd; https://porterpress.co.uk/ 128 pages; softback Price: £6.99 UK; $9.99 USA. ISBN: 978-1-907085-72-7 When I was a lad I used to love reading, as well as being interested in motor cars, and I was always excited to find books that heavily … [Read more...]
Book Review – The Perfect Car
The Perfect Car... Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Title: The Perfect Car (The Biography of John Barnard) Author: Nick Skeens Published by: Evro Publishing www.evropublishing.com 591 pages; hardback Price: £40 UK; $60 USA. ISBN: 978-1-910505-27-4 John Barnard’s remarkable design career encompassed two periods at McLaren, plus two stints at Ferrari as well as working for the Americans Parnelli … [Read more...]
Book Review – Derek Bell: All My Porsche Races
Book Review – Derek Bell: All My Porsche Races. Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Title: All My Porsche Races Author: Derek Bell and Richard Heseltine Published by: Porter Press International: https://porterpress.co.uk/ (...and signed by Derek Bell if purchased direct). 304 pages; hardback Price: £45.00 UK ISBN: 978-1-907085-65-9 Derek Bell’s long career divides into two parts: … [Read more...]
Book Review – The Test (Testing Times).
An absorbing novel centred on motor sport in the 1970s – Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: The Test (Testing Times) Author: Jeremy Walton Published by: Independently published 320 pages; paperback Price: £7.00 UK ISBN-10: 1976989779 ISBN-13: 9781976989773 How to Buy: Shop in Amazon UK-books-Jeremy Walton-The Test (Average customer review 4.5 out of 5 stars, eight customer … [Read more...]
Book Review – Racing Colours (Motor racing compositions 1908-2009).
Book Review – Racing Colours (Motor racing compositions 1908-2009). Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Title: Racing Colours (Motor racing compositions 1908-2009). Author: Simon Owen Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd; www.veloce.co.uk 188 pages; hardback Price: £14.99 UK; $24.95 USA. ISBN: 978-1-787111-94-3 Musician and artist, Simon Owen’s penchant for painting racing cars dates … [Read more...]
Book Review – The Good, the Mad and the Ugly
Book Review – The Good, the Mad and the Ugly. Reviewed by Kieron Fennelly. Title: The Good, the Mad and the Ugly Author: Peter Dron Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd; www.veloce.co.uk 256 pages; hardback Price: £14.99 UK; $24.95 USA. ISBN: 978-1-787111-84-4 The author looks back over 40 years’ motoring journalism and reflects, hardly surprisingly that that fings ain’t what … [Read more...]
Book Review – An Austin Anthology
A fascinating new book about Austins – with a different historical approach... Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: An Austin Anthology Author: James ‘Jim’ Stringer Published by: Veloce Publishing Ltd; www.veloce.co.uk 112 pages; hardback Price: £14.99 UK; $25 USA. ISBN: 978-1-787111-91-2 All motor car manufacturers have interesting and often offbeat aspects to their history, many of … [Read more...]
Book Review – Reliant Three-Wheelers; The Complete Story
Reliant Three-Wheelers; The Complete Story. Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: Reliant Three-Wheelers; The Complete Story Author: John Wilson-Hall Published by: Crowood; www.crowood.com 176 pages; hardback Price: RRP £25.00; Crowood website price £20.00; also available new on the internet for £10.00 or less. ISBN: 978-1-84797-806-6 Three wheels on your wagon? Three-wheeled vehicles … [Read more...]
Book Review – Porsche Boxster and Cayman – The 987 Series 2004–13
Title: Porsche Boxster and Cayman – The 987 Series 2004–13 Author: Brian Long Published by: Veloce; www.veloce.co.uk 180 pages; hardback Price: UK £40.00; US $60 ISBN: 978-1-787110-81-6 Kieron Fennelly reviews a new title covering Porsche’s well-liked mid-engined modern classics… The appearance in 1976 of Paul Frère’s definitive 911 Story, now in its ninth edition, started an … [Read more...]
Book Review – Jaguar XJR-9: Owner’s Workshop Manual
Title: Jaguar XJR-9: Owner’s Workshop Manual Author: Michael Cotton Published by: Haynes Publishing; haynes.com 164 pages; hardback Price: £25.00 (but at the time of writing, currently on offer on the Haynes website at £18.75) ISBN: 987-1-785211-13-3 Kieron Fennelly delves into a volume covering the history and development of Jaguar’s iconic XJR-9, and the races in which it … [Read more...]
Book Review – The Volvo estate car: Design icon and faithful companion
Title: The Volvo estate car: Design icon and faithful companion Author: Ashley Hollebone Published by: Veloce Publishing; www.velocebooks.com 160 pages; hardback Price: £19.99 ISBN: 978-1-787110-75-5 Kieron Fennelly investigates a new book about the oh-so-solid and wonderfully spacious Volvo estate cars… To devote a book to a car that was neither a style icon nor had any sporting … [Read more...]
