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

Peace was Their Profession—Strategic Air Command: A Tribute

by Mike Hill, John M Campbell & Donna Campbell

The title is derived from the Strategic Air Command’s motto “Peace is Our Profession” which insiders—who have earned the right—often amend to include “War is Our Hobby.” An alternate version is “Peace Through Strength—Victory Through Devastation.”

Jaguar, All the Cars

by Nigel Thorley

Thorley has written several excellent books on the marque. While past books have concentrated on specific models, this one covers the entire range of cars since the beginning, with a particular emphasis on postwar vehicles.

American Military Vehicles of World War I

An Illustrated History of Armored Cars, Staff Cars, Motorcycles, Ambulances, Trucks, Tractors and Tanks

by Albert Mroz

For better or worse, war, or even the prospect of war gives rise to a degree of need and sense of urgency that accelerates development of whatever tools are deemed necessary to gain supremacy, be it throwing rocks at each other or splitting the atom.

American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I

Illustrated Histories of 225 Manufacturers

by Albert Mroz

Mroz presents here an illustrated history of 225 of the American companies that manufactured cars, trucks, or motorcycles for the civilian market in 1917 and 1918.

The Ferrari Phenomenon: An Unconventional View of the World’s Most Charismatic Car

by M Stone & L Dal Monte

It is obvious from the first sentence that the authors asked themselves the same question a reader would: Another Ferrari book? Inspired by their own biographical moments both of them have a long-standing desire to contribute to the Ferrari universe.

Profiles of Flight: V Bombers Vulcan, Valiant and Victor

by Dave Windle, Martin Bowman

Unlike the multitude of often look-alike car models there are many fewer models of airplanes, few enough to be easily recognizable on sight. Among the bombers, the three featured in this book are especially distinctive.

Porsche 917: The Heroes, the Victories, the Myth

by Födisch, Neßhöver, Roßbach, Schwarz

What distinguishes this large-format book from the many others on this model is its approach. While the car and its history are described in all pertinent detail, it is first and foremost an appraisal, or, better, anappreciation of the car, written by the very people who knew it best.

Intermeccanica, The Story of the Prancing Bull (1st ed.)

by Andrew McCredie & Paula Reisner

Sports cars with sexy Italian coachwork and solid European and American mechanicals. Half a century later Intermeccanica still turns out high-quality hand-built vehicles.

Pegasus, The Heart of the Harrier

by Andrew Dow

Being one of the most innovative gas turbine aircraft engines ever developed, it is gratifying to see a book dedicated to the Rolls-Royce Pegasus, arguably the world’s first successful VTOL aircraft engine. VTOL has been an aviation goal for decades with many failures along the way.

Fuerza Libre 1919–1942: Grand Prix, Sports Cars and Specials Racing in the Pampas

by Guillermo D Sánchez

There is no greater compliment to pay a book than to say it covers new ground. Unless you are South American and lived at the time of the Fuerza Libre, pretty much everything in this book will be new to most.

Tatra, The Legacy of Hans Ledwinka

by Ivan Margolius & John G Henry

Who actually designed the original air-cooled volkswagen? Was it Ferdinand Porsche, or was it a Tatra creation appropriated by the Nazis? This book gives you the Tatra side of the story.

Stirling Moss: All My Races

by Stirling Moss and Alan Henry

Forty-seven years after his career-ending crash during testing in 1962 Stirling Moss turned 80 in 2009, the year this book was published. It must be nice to turn 80 and be able to look back on a full and unusual life.