Archive for Items Categorized 'Other Genres', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

The Race to the Future: The Adventure That Accelerated the Twentieth Century

by Kassia St. Clair

Automobiles, electric lights, wireless telegraphy, the first synthetic plastic—everything is changing all at once. Ironic: The 8000-mile drive in 1907 from Peking to Paris happened at the same time newspapers touted “the triumph of the horse.”

Made in America, The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne

by Christopher Payne

You may think the US has outsourced most of its manufacturing but in fact it is the world’s second-largest manufacturer. Still, it ain’t what it used to be, and while output is up, employment is down. But put all that aside and simply look at what’s happening on factory and shop floors.

Three Men in a Land Rover

by Waxy Wainwright, Mike Palmer, Chris Wall

Three school friends, a £400 Landy, wanderlust in the name of a bigger cause: the United Nations. This 1969 adventure makes for a unique tale, not least because it could hardly happen today because the world has not become a friendlier or more stable place since then.

Battle of Britain The Movie: The Men and Machines of one of the Greatest War Films Ever Made

by Robert J. Rudhall & Dilip Sarkar

You may not have seen the original 1969 movie but outtakes from it found their way into more than a dozen movies between 1971 and 2010. This book explains why and how the movie was made, with special emphasis on the aircraft used.

Jock Lewes, Co-Founder of the SAS

by John Lewes

This early admirer of Hitler became so disillusioned with the Nazi regime’s methods that he volunteered for an elite British outfit specializing in counter-espionage, the Special Air Service and became its principal training officer.

The Bomber Mafia

by Malcom Gladwell

Planning to watch the movie Oppenheimer? A nuclear bomb!? Why had other military strategies not broken Japan’s ability to fight? Because no matter what the strategists of the Bomber Mafia thought, pinpoint hits from high altitude were not achievable in those days.

America’s Greatest Road Trip!

by Tom Cotter and Michael Alan Ross

A couple thousand miles, a couple thousand photos and, hey presto, a book! And for once he’s not on the trail of the next barn find. Initially he thought he’d drive an ‘80s Corvette. That would have been a whole different trip! Instead a brand-new Ford Bronco and Airstream trailer—provided free by their respective makers—do the honors.

Barbie™ i can be™ President

by Christy Webster

Hey, nothing escapes our attention . . . not even Barbara Millicent Roberts of Willows, Wisconsin (no kidding) . . . because nothing is as simple as it seems. When she hit the scene in 1959 she was the first adult-bodied doll, now she holds a commercial pilot’s license (again, no kidding). She may not be President yet but now she can add “major movie star” to her resume.

Norbert Singer – My Racing Life with Porsche 1970–2004

by Norbert Singer & Wilfried Müller

He almost became a rocket scientist. He almost went to Opel instead of Porsche. His very first assignment helped win Le Mans at a crucial time. No looking back now—his entire career was spent at Porsche, which would go on to win 16 overall race victories with cars in which he played a key role.

Good Connections, A Century of Service by the Men & Women of Southwestern Bell

by David G. Park Jr.

Once upon a time, telephones were connected directly in pairs by wire. Obviously inconvenient and self-limiting. Telephone exchanges, local loops, trunk lines—all words the modern cellphone user has never heard. This book brings you up to speed.

Rolex: Special Edition Wristwatches

by Braun, Häussermann, Niemann, Wimmer-Olbort

Auction house Christie’s says Rolexes gain value faster and more steadily than any other brand so even if you don’t want one on the wrist, you may want to put one in the safe—but read the book first. It covers all the bases, from history to manufacture to values.

Horology: An Illustrated Primer

by Barry B. Kaplan

Not a trick question: what date followed Oct. 4, 1582? Or Sept. 2, 1752? From exploring what happens when we don’t agree on how time works to showing how a watch operates to analyzing the industry, this excellent book sorts it all out.