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

Kidnap of the Flying Lady: How Germany Captured Both Rolls-Royce & Bentley

by Richard Feast

A catchy title—that makes sense only to people who already know the story. Or think they know. Fact is, it will be another few decades before the material facts of this episode will become unsealed.

Watkins Glen, the Street Years 1948–1952

by Phillipe Defechereux

People who like round numbers will know that the year this book was published—2011—was the 50th anniversary of the first Formula 1 Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. That was 1961, by which time The Glen had been successfully hosting races for over a decade.

Porsche: The Sports Racing Cars 1953–72

by Anthony Pritchard

This book covers Porsche’s air-cooled, rear-engined competition models from the 550 to the 917. It also includes F2 and 1 cars because of their connection to the cars in the WSC Championship and GT Prototype classes but it excludes the 911 (except for the 911R) because it is not a dedicated competition model.

Bandini

by Franco Fabbri & Cesare Sangiorgi

Ilario, that is, not Lorenzo, the ill-fated Ferrari pilot. Ilario (1911–1992), known as “Lili” to his close friends, was a remarkable man who during the course of some 30 years created the jewel-like Bandini sports racers.

The Airplane: A History of Its Technology

by John D Anderson Jr.

Almost all such books begin with the Wright brothers—not the first to fly and certainly not the inventors of the airplane—and it is ironic to consider that none other than Wilbur W. once ruminated, in a fit of despair: “Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!”

Vulcan Test Pilot: My Experiences in the Cockpit of a Cold War Icon

by Tony Blackman

Although there have been many books written about the Vulcan bomber program, this is the first to be authored by one of the project’s test pilots. Blackman logged over 1300 hours flying 105 of the 136 copies built and offer here a first-hand commentary

Delage, Styling and Design

by Richard S Adatto and Diana E Meredith

The most challenging aspect of this book is keeping one’s attention focused on the words that are printed on the pages. That’s simply because the images keep pulling you back to look some more. Few can resist the visual feast of those lush, lovely sculpted lines created by the fabled French coachbuilders.

The Ambulance: A History

by Ryan Corbett Bell

Bell surveys the critical moments in ambulance history “from the dusty byways of Byzantium to our modern asphalt boulevards.” reaches deeper than merely describing the vehicular aspects of ambulances but aims to explain their origin, purpose, and development in the larger context of advances in medical care and societal growth.

From Balloon to Boxkite: The Royal Engineers and Early British Aeronautics

by Malcolm Hall

It’s not for nothing that the British Royal Engineers’ motto is “Ubique” (Everywhere). In their 900-year history they have been involved in every major conflict the British Army has fought in the far-flung British Empire, here and there and—everywhere.

Legendary Car Engines: Inner Secrets of the World’s 20 Best

by John Simister

The engine as object of desire—all this book is missing is centerfolds! The point of this exercise is not to offer a clinically detached appraisal of engineering doohickeys but to give visual expression to the notion of an engine being the heart or soul of a car.

Secret Aircraft Designs of the Third Reich

by David Olaf Myhra

Unless you already know a bit about this subject you’ll probably be surprised how many hundreds of advanced aircraft projects were on the drawing boards at the end of WWII. In political terms it’s a good thing that that’s were they stayed, denying Germany the technological supremacy that would have altered the outcome of the war.

Something Quite Exceptional: Hugh Easton and the Battle of Britain Memorial Window for Rolls-Royce

by Adam Goodyear

Many aircraft have been, and are, powered by Rolls-Royce engines. In the WWII context it is of course the Spitfire with its Merlin engine that tops the list. It played a pivotal role in the Battle of Britain, where, against formidable odds the pilots of the planes it powered turned the tides of war.

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