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There isn’t no call to go talking of pushing and pulling. Boats are quite tricky enough for those that sit still without looking for further for the cause of trouble.


¯ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring


77166 WEIRD CARS: A Century of the World’s


Strangest Cars by Stephen Vokins The author has worked at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu for 30 years. His spare time is devoted to writing, broadcasting and enthusing about cars, so his knowledge of them is extensive. In this new second edition of his


‘utterly bonkers and strangely fascinating’ book, over 250 automotive oddities, with descriptions and photos of each entry, are featured. Among these are many of the most bizarre, in some cases unbelievably ugly, and downright awkward vehicles it will ever be your privilege to see, but this is not a volume that wants to ridicule and scoff. Rather it seeks to applaud and celebrate these eccentricities of the motor industry. Today’s cars are built safely and efficiently, but this was not always the case, as readers will be able to see. Some vehicles, such as the Aerocar, were built to fly and others, like the Amphicar and the Amphibus were meant to float. Here they all are, in a book packed with facts, fun and follies that is sure to delight petrol-heads everywhere. 288 paperback pages absolutely bursting with photographs in colour and b/w. £12.99 NOW £4


77157 MILITARY AVIATION DISASTERS: Significant Losses Since 1908 Second


Edition by David B. Gero Each year, dozens of military aircraft ranging from fighters and bombers to trainers and transports come to grief. Based on extensive research, carried out over many years, the author has pieced together details of major


military disasters worldwide, during the 100 years from the earliest days of powered flight to the present day, between 1908 and 2009. This revised, updated and fully illustrated second edition now includes the second Gulf War and the conflict in Afghanistan, and the author has aimed to include every individual incident that caused at least 20 fatalities, although some noteworthy incidents with fewer casualties have also been covered. The book remains the most comprehensive reference work on the subject. Each entry includes full details of the aircraft involved, its operator, route, the location of the crash, the loss of life and, where known, the reasons behind the disaster. A sombre but also fascinating analysis. 192 paperback pages 26.5cm x 21cm illustrated in b/w with detailed photos. £9.99 NOW £4.50


77155 MAHARAJAHS AND THEIR MAGNIFICENT MOTOR CARS by Gautam Sen


Acknowledged as the ‘father’ of Indian automotive journalism, the author founded one of India’s first car magazines and this is reflected in the detailed text that accompanies the superb


photos of the gorgeous cars featured in this impressive volume. The Indian maharajas’ love affair with the automobile began as far back as 1898 when a European firm imported three ‘horseless carriages’ into British India. They completely changed the lifestyle of Indian royalty, triggering an enthralling new passion that persists to this day. The choicest cars with the most unusual coachworks were required to satisfy the varied tastes and demands of the rajas and maharajas, including ceremonial throne cars, hunting vehicles with search lamps and gun racks, automobiles for weddings and state processions and even cars in which ladies could travel in secluded purdah. Each wealthy family tried to outdo the other in terms of pomp, glamour and splendour. Not all of their purchases were in good taste. Consider the Ford belonging to a prominent landowner, who favoured overpowering silver repoussé decorative work and lace curtains, or the gold-plated Daimler of an ambitious merchant. The strangest limousine of all must surely have been the famous Swan Car of Calcutta - a 1912 Brooke with the front end fashioned to look like a swan that hissed steam from its nostrils, but our overall favourite is the pink Cadillac de Ville! During the first half of the 20th century, several thousand wonderful and exotic machines were owned by the 500 very wealthy Indian princes, but only a few hundred still survive. Some of them are with collectors and


museums in Europe and America, others remain in India, with the ageing and


declining Indian royal families of yesteryear. This luxurious book celebrates the most remarkable of these magnificent cars. 384 pages 30cm x 24.5cm lavishly illustrated in glorious colour. With map.


£40 NOW £20


76864 BRITISH RAILWAY STATION ARCHITECTURE IN COLOUR FOR THE MODELLER


AND HISTORIAN by Robert Hendry


Railway architecture was at the cutting edge of style in the 20s and 30s when Art Deco combined elegance with functionalism. The first Art Deco railway hotel is Oliver


Hill’s curving white Midland Hotel at Morecambe, familiar to us from Poirot and other inter-war films. It is pictured here behind the long platforms of the railway terminus with its unusual ivy-clad central hall. Very different in style is Donald Matheson’s 1903 Arts and Crafts station at Wemyss Bay, with cosy half-timbering giving it a domestic feel, although the elegant concourse, swinging round to the pier where the Caledonian Steam Packet steamer departed, is a masterpiece of engineering. The glory days of British railway architecture were in the High Victorian period represented by Liverpool Lime Street, the work of the celebrated Gothic Revivalist Alfred Waterhouse, although his magnificent North Western Hotel, pictured here, is a pseudo-Renaissance design. An unusual style for a railway station is found at Market Harborough, whose 1884 Queen Anne style façade is visible from the train. The destruction of Euston’s Doric Arch cast a permanent shadow over the reputation of British Rail’s architect of the time, Dr F. F. C. Curtis, and buildings in the so- called “Brutalist” post-war style, exemplified here by Coventry and Wolverhampton stations, are now out of favour. 96pp, softback, numerous archive photos in colour.


£14.99 NOW £5


76922 ROCKET MAN: And Other Extraordinary Characters in the History of


Flight by David Darling David Darling has brought together a cast of daring dreamers and their airborne (or not) contrivances in this hugely entertaining take on the human fascination with flight. The Montgolfier brothers are rightly famous, but what about the thoroughly disagreeable but


arguably more successful Jean-Pierre Blanchard? Treacherous as a weasel, he was the first to fly a balloon across the Channel before he hit upon the idea of sending his very attractive and much younger second wife Sophie aloft in his hydrogen filled death-trap; she did survive several flights before her inevitable fiery demise. American Lincoln Beachey, “Insanity in a pin- stripe”, performed some incredible stunts to the delight of huge crowds from 1911 until his luck ran out in 1915 and across the pond in war-torn Europe we learn of the Canadian RNAS fighter ace Raymond Collishaw, his amazing kill record, multiple crash-landings and scraps with von Richthofen et al. Howard Hughes, created aircraft, records and headlines and then, as we enter the jet/rocket age, things get seriously quick and dangerous. Meet the pilots of the original US X-planes, designed to break the sound barrier and which ended up touching space at Mach 6, and the guy after whom this book is named, “rocket man” Yves Rossy, who simply straps a seven foot carbon wing and four jet engines to his back and blasts off into blue. 210pp, photos. £12.99 NOW £5


77158 MORRIS MINOR: The


Official Photo Album by Jon Pressnell


Engineered by Alec Issigonis, the eccentric genius who went on to create the Mini, the Morris Minor was cleverly designed to have


maximum interior space for its modest size, and to have high standards of road-holding and handling. The Morris Minor is a British institution. Over its 23-year life more than a million were made, including the characterful ash- framed, half-timbered Traveller, which was the world’s last ‘woodie’ station wagon, and the tens of thousands of vans used by the Post Office. Today it is one of the most popular of classic cars with a huge fan base around the world. Making lavish use of original factory photos, this superb volume is a wonderful information-packed voyage through the history of the car in its many guises, from the first prototype of 1943 to the last GPO vans of 1972. Written by a leading expert and supported by the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, it is an essential book for every Minor owner - past, present or future - and for every enthusiast of the lovable little Morris. The evocative photos are accompanied by detailed commentary on the many Minor variants, including the ‘MM’ Sidevalve Cars, the ‘Cheesegrater’ Series II, the ‘Slatted-grille’ Series II, and more. 176 nostalgic pages 26cm x 25cm to drool over, packed with super photos in colour and b/w.


£19.99 NOW £8.50


77163 SPITFIRE HUNTERS: The Inside Stories Behind the Best Aviation Archaeology TV


Documentaries by Simon Parry For many years, Aviation Archaeology - that is, finding the wrecks of long-lost aircraft - has captured the public’s imagination. Millions have watched the TV


documentaries as legendary fighters and bombers have been lifted from their muddy graves. Popular history shows such as Channel 4’s Time Team and BBC2’s Time Watch and Meet the Ancestors have featured these excavations, as have one-off prime-time programmes. Using first-hand accounts from the men and women who made the programmes happen - the Spitfire Hunters - this stunning book details these historic excavations to tell their gripping inside story. The wreckage of most crashed aircraft was cleared superficially, but there was a war on. Time and resources were dedicated to recovering the bodies of killed airmen and, although scrap was valuable, there was no time and no equipment to salvage deeply buried


More Transport next page


77146 ASTON MARTIN: A Racing History


by Anthony Pritchard A big and glamorous Haynes publication as befitting this classic car. Clearly setting out the marque’s evolution through its various ownerships, the book recalls the chequered race record, starting at Brooklands in 1921, looking in detail at the great days


of sports car racing through the 50s and early 60s, and coming all the way into the modern era with Aston Martin’s return to the track in 2005 with the DBR9. That car’s battle with the Corvettes and Maseratis on the race circuits of the world today are the latest in a line of competition Aston Martins that stretches back nearly 90 years. One of the greatest names in motorsport, names such as Coal Scuttle, Green Pea, Razor Blade and Sweat Box were raced or used for record attempts at Brooklands or elsewhere. Two 1500cc cars with twin overhead camshaft engines even ran in the 1922 French Grand Prix. By 1926 A. C. Bertelli was running the company and in 1928 Aston Martin entered the Le Mans 24 Hours Race for the first time. Financial problems hindered any real development in the 20s and 30s and it was not until 1947 that the company could afford a sustained competition programme. Post-war, they raced the DB2 series of sports saloons and a succession of racing cars, all painted light metallic green. After the DB3 of 1951 and the DB3S of 1953-57 came the brilliantly successful DBR1 cars. The company also raced unsuccessful Formula One cars, promising GT and GT Prototype cars and, during Ford’s ownership, the group C AMR1 cars of 1989. Prominent drivers, race performances, car specifications and histories, experimental and racing engine designations, selected project numbers are accompanied by 250 historic photographs including period colour images and a text by a respected automotive historian. 384 very large glossy pages.


£35 NOW £17


wreckage. Records were at best perfunctory. But now, more than 70 years later, it is a different matter. The work of many people over recent years has led to the recording of a huge volume of data for the first time, before it is lost forever with the passing of the last eyewitnesses. This fascinating volume, amongst other exciting discoveries, details the finding of a Zeppelin, the excavation of a Dunkirk Spitfire, a tragic mid-air B-17 collision, and the exposure of Britain’s most intact aircraft wreck. It will hold aircraft buffs spellbound. 128 paperback pages with colour and b/w photos and map. £19.95 NOW £5


65471 SWINDON: The Legacy of a Railway


Town by John Cattell and Keith Falconer In the pioneering days of early Victorian railway engineering, Gooch and Brunel created a sizeable engine house and works to the north of Swindon. The Great Western Railway became by far the largest employer in the region. In 1984, due to rationalisation within British Rail Engineering, many of the works buildings were under threat. A photographic record was begun but their significance for railway history was such that a more detailed study was felt to be justified. This remarkable book, now reissued in paperback, is the result of that project. It traces the architectural history of the railway engineering works and the associated railway village. 181 large format paperback pages with maps, illustrations and plans in colour and b/w. £40 NOW £5


74907 VETERAN MOTOR CARS by Michael E. Ware


The author is a retired Director of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu where he worked for 38 years. He studied photography and in 1959 formed his own business specialising in motor-racing photography at Beaulieu. The veteran and Edwardian periods of motoring are his favourite and he greatly enjoys driving cars of this era. Veteran cars are those made no later than 1918 and the first model basically comprised the frame and bodywork of a horse-drawn carriage fitted with a petrol engine. Our Shire handbook describes how the motor car developed in the 1880s and 1890s. 32pp, paperback, photos. £4.99 NOW £1.75


75088 SURVIVOR: The Unrestored Collector Car by Kris Palmer


!


This thought-provoking book is the first to celebrate the trend of preserving rather than restoring our collective automotive heritage. It explores the issues and challenges that confront the non-restorer, whether the vehicle is ‘display only’ or whether it will see regular use over unlimited miles. Here, in all their glory, are such awesome ancient vehicles as the Ramped-Up Garnet Mustang GT, the ’23 Model T Hot Rod, the ’32 Fords and the magnificent Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona as well as many more. 202 pages, photos in colour and b/w. £14.99 NOW £4.50


75219 HOW TO READ INDUSTRIAL BRITAIN: A Guide to the Machines, Sites and Artefacts that Shaped Britain by Tim Cooper A historian tells the story behind the creation of the railways, canals, bridges and pubs that make up our everyday surroundings. He also recounts the history of the roads, factories and workhouses that transformed the British landscape forever. Here are the back-to-back houses in the former ‘cotton capital’ of Ancoats, Manchester, and the industrial complex at Saltaire, West Yorkshire, which was described as ‘equal to the palaces of the Caesars!’ 198 pages with line drawings, b/w photos, list of places to visit and select glossary of architectural and structural terms. £12.99 NOW £4


76771 CLASSIC AMERICAN CARS: The History, Origins: Book & 6


Prints by Charlie Morgan The largest automobile- manufacturing country in the world, America has always been synonymous with glamorous cars. The first American National Automobile Show was held in Madison Square in 1900 with over 50 exhibitors, but by the 1920s Chrysler, Ford and General Motors had a virtual monopoly of the market. Henry Ford


pioneered the assembly line in 1913, claiming that each car was assembled in 93 minutes. An early 20th century advertisement for a Chevrolet coupe?, “finished in lustrous Duco”, prices it at $715. Other classic Chevrolets featured here include the Corvette, Camaro, Impala and Bel Air. The first car was the Ford Model-T, or “tin Lizzy”, with a petrol feed operated by gravity. Other Fords featured include the Thunderbird, Mustang and Falcon. The Duisenberg Model-J was intended to compete with Rolls Royce and Mercedes-Benz in the luxury grand touring market, but the thirties was no time to be launching a high-range car and the company went to the wall. The Packard Super Eight was a luxury car that fared better, but the Packard Company also made aircraft and could afford to ride out the lean years. Other iconic cars featured in this book include the Studebaker Commander, Pontiac GTO, Dodge Coronet, and Plymouth Road Runner. 64pp, softback, colour and archive photos on every page. Presented in a glossy cover together with six 8" x 10" prints. ONLY £6


76786 HARLEY DAVIDSON: The Story of a Motoring Icon Book and Six Prints by Clyde Hawkins


Bill Harley and Arthur Davidson worked on their new engine in a garden shed and when it was ready they installed it in a bicycle frame, but it was not powerful enough to take hills so they went back to the drawing board. Finally,


in 1903, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company was born and by the 1920s they were the biggest motor-cycle manufacturer in the world. From the earliest days, the way the pistons connected to the crank produced the distinctive Harley-Davidson rumbling noise that was cherished by proud owners. The bar and shield logo was introduced in 1910 and again was a distinguishing feature that helped to promote the brand. Sidecar design was streamlined around 1912 and in the next two years H-D developed a racing department, officially joining the motorcycle racing circuit in 1914. Both World Wars gave a huge boost to sales when H-D supplied the U.S. military, and following World War II, sales again increased as ex-servicemen bought motorcycles for civilian life. H-D was now in competition with the lighter models manufactured in the U.K. and also with the products of eastern technology, prompting the company to introduce a series of redesigns in the 70s. Beautifully packaged in a glossy folder together with six 8" x 10" prints, the book takes the story up to the present. 64pp, softback, lavishly illustrated with archive photography. ONLY £6


77148 BRITISH TOY BOATS 1920 ONWARDS: A Pictorial Tribute


by Roger Gillham Here a concise yet comprehensive record of products of the major manufacturers of British


waterborne toy boats from 1920 onwards, plus a listing and description of all models made, also includes a gripping look at many of the smaller, lesser-known manufacturers. The 1930s were the golden age for toy boats and especially yachts. England probably ruled the watery world of ponds and lakes during this period, with quite serious model yacht and boat competitions being arranged at venues around the UK. Numerous seaside resorts actually built special ponds for yachts and clockwork vessels. The ‘loose’ definition of a toy boat here is one that was relatively inexpensive, powered by sails, engine or motor and designed for use on the water, but that would also have been available in most toy or hobby shops - which ruled out boats whose high original purchase price would prevent them from being put into the toy category. However, the sheer variety of the type of craft, and differences in price and quality make for interesting reading and the photos are superb. The most prolific toy-boat-producing companies were originally family concerns: the three Lines brothers (Tri- ang), Frank Hornby (Meccano/Hornby) Frank Denye (Star), Geoffrey Jenkins (Bowman) and John Sutcliffe (Sutcliffe). A thumbnail account of the history of the various companies is included in each chapter and the final section documents how the Lines family eventually became, at one time, the world’s largest toy manufacturer. 141 softback pages 25cm x 25.5cm lavishly illustrated by 550 detailed images mostly in colour, with glossary.


£19.99 NOW £6.50


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