Book Review Thread

Post by **Steve Holmes** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:40 am

I've been asked by a couple of members to start a thread where people can post reviews of motoring and motorsport related books they've read, and share their thoughts with others. This is a great idea, and I'd like to hear peoples thoughts on what they've read, what they recommend, and what they don't.

So have at it boys!

AMCO72 · Post by **AMCO72** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:56 am

This could be interesting. I have a theory which I want everyone who reads 'theroaringseason' to disprove. It is that guys who collect, restore and drive historic race cars and motor bikes, are not into reading. I asked a guy one day, after unsuccessfully trying to sell him a book that I was sure he would want, whether he could READ....he said..'.I used to be able to'.!!!!!!! And by reading I don't mean workshop manuals. I have hawked good books round swap meets, secondhand bookshops, and auction houses, and I have had, to put it mildly, a luke warm reception. I managed to divest myself of a large number of what I call general titles at auction through Crows Nest Books in Hamilton but you couldn't say I made a fortune. I now concentrate on ONE subject.....the LeMans 24 hour race and even that one subject would be almost impossible to complete. Right, thats enough of that. To start this thread off I have recently read what I consider to be essential reading for all the sort of people who subscribe to this forum. Is the Ron Roycroft story by Scott Thomson. Now I know this is not new, has been out 4 or 5 years, but it really is a history of NZ motoracing from the 50's, until Ron retired in the 60's. Really shows the incredible lengths Ron went to to compete from one end of the country to the other. Includes all the old favourites that we read about here......the GeeCeeEss and lots of others. Plenty of good photos from the family album, mostly b & w. Five hundred pages of absorbing reading. Get it from your local library. Only one problem.....is a very cheap binding and the copy I took out was falling to bits.....a book like this really should have been hard back as it is something you would keep in your collection. Now that's hardly a review in the real sense of the word, but it might start the ball rolling.

pallmall · Post by **pallmall** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 6:15 am

An interesting comment at the beginnning, which probably is correct as I have a fairly huge motor sport library, but no longer have any classic type cars, or any desire any more to collect, rebuild, or race and show any cars. I very much enjoy and appreciate observing and looking at the work and efforts of others though.
The Scott Thomson book is a must have for a NZ Motor Sport collection, as is his small book on the Dunedin street races.

nzboss · Post by **nzboss** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:06 am

Mark Donohue's "The Unfair Advantage" has got to be one of the most well written motor sport biographies I have read.
You could get a real feel for what Mark was doing (or trying to do), with enough technical information to keep it interesting.
Quite hard to find now, but well worth hunting down.
An absolute classic in my view.
Sam Posey's biography is another good read.
Maybe I am stuck in that era!

Two biographies I am waiting for.....
Jackie Ickx and Roger Penske

bob homewood · Post by **bob homewood** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:23 am

Bit of a hard question on the Books ,I guess without being smart I have read my share over the years,yes the Scott Thompson,Roycroft story was a pretty good read and a good addition to the shelves,but the one which I read recently ,I found really good was Kim the Kiwi on the Konig
This is the life story of Kim Newcombe, a little-known Kiwi mechanic who in 1973 came second in the 500cc grand prix motorcycle championship.I found this was a fascinating insight into albeit motor cycle racing ,but you could relate it to any form of motorsport the grass roots engineering and development I am sure many of us can relate to our own pursuits and scarifices of our own branch of the sport. I hope I have not gone of topic here

AMCO72 · Post by **AMCO72** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:39 am

This was the guy who adapted outboard motor technology to motor cycle use and was really successful. Isn't it amazing how these kiwis at the bottom of the world managed to take on the WORLD and WIN. John Britten was the best known probably, but there are others who need to be remembered.

bob homewood · Post by **bob homewood** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 8:54 am

Gerald ,yes a amazing story and one which I reckon every true blooded Kiwi should read ,its a great reflection on our National pride and the can do attitude this country had

thunder427 · Post by **thunder427** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:20 pm

bob homewood wrote:Bit of a hard question on the Books ,I guess without being smart I have read my share over the years,yes the Scott Thompson,Roycroft story was a pretty good read and a good addition to the shelves,but the one which I read recently ,I found really good was Kim the Kiwi on the Konig
This is the life story of Kim Newcombe, a little-known Kiwi mechanic who in 1973 came second in the 500cc grand prix motorcycle championship.I found this was a fascinating insight into albeit motor cycle racing ,but you could relate it to any form of motorsport the grass roots engineering and development I am sure many of us can relate to our own pursuits and scarifices of our own branch of the sport. I hope I have not gone of topic here

Bob, there is a great short film on this subject,Kim Newcombe,on http://www.NZ on screen.com...go to 'Watch',then left margine then click on 'sport' ; 'Love,Speed and Loss'(2005); just amazing what Kim achieved in a country where he could hardly speak the language!!!

Also check out .....Circuits of Gold/Ivan Mauger/1987....Grand Prix Downunder/1957.......regards thunder427/MJ

jim short · Post by **jim short** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:01 pm

thunder427 wrote:Bob, there is a great short film on this subject,Kim Newcombe,on http://www.NZ on screen.com...go to 'Watch',then left margine then click on 'sport' ; 'Love,Speed and Loss'(2005); just amazing what Kim achieved in a country where he could hardly speak the language!!!

Also check out .....Circuits of Gold/Ivan Mauger/1987....Grand Prix Downunder/1957.......regards thunder427/MJ

yes a good film his wife and son were at the film opening several yrs. back the strange thing he complained about the corner that killed him the day before, asked for some haybales that was refused, but they put them up after his crash

bob homewood · Post by **bob homewood** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:21 am

Another good read I found was Can-Am Challenger by Peter Bryant it tells his personal story,of his career in one of the greatest eras in motorsports history. Bryant started his career as a lowly fabricator in Colin Chapman’s original Lotus Cars workshop. He later became a freelance racing mechanic, until in 1962 he was engaged as a mechanic in Formula 1
in 1964, fate took him to America. It was here that Peter made his mark in motor racing—as the designer of the most successful American-built race cars during the heyday of the Canadian-American Challenge Cup. His cars broke new ground in the use of advanced materials such as titanium, as well as emerging ground-effect technologies. It was an amazing achievement for a guy with no formal training in design or engineering. But Peter overcame these limitations through a ability to learn by doing and an incredible capacity for hard work. He also had a great sense of humour that reveals itself in this story
In all I believe it tells a great story and certainly one that will appeal to those of us that can relate to a working background in Motor Sport

bob homewood · Post by **bob homewood** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:49 am

jim short wrote:yes a good film his wife and son were at the film opening several yrs. back the strange thing he complained about the corner that killed him the day before, asked for some haybales that was refused, but they put them up after his crash

Yes it was along those lines Jim ,if you read the book it was almost as though they didn't give a dam about the riders safety in those days,Kim was actually part of a group that had decided enough was enough and it was time to do something about it

beowulf · Post by **beowulf** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 9:44 pm

So little time and so many good books to read. I used to read anything and everything about motorsport, but latterly I have become a little choosier. Now I do not waste time on a bad book
One of my favourites is a little book called "By Brooks too Broad for Leaping".A selection of Denise McCluggage pieces she wrote for various automotive magazines. She was an excellent driver as well as a friend of many of the drivers of the time. If you can find a copy grab it.
Bargains are still around. I picked up a copy of "Those Bentley Days" by Hillstead for $30. What the seller didn't know was that there was a newspaper article about the 1930 International Double Twelve-Hour race at Brooklands signed by one of the winners F.C.Clement.

Post by **Steve Holmes** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:30 pm

OK, strictly speaking, this book is neither motorsport or historic related, but may be of interest to any petrolhead who enjoys having a nosey inside the garages of fellow car nuts. I finished this book earlier this year, and its due to hit the shelves at the beginning of November, retailing at just under NZ$40.

I travelled around NZ visiting 22 Kiwi hot rodders and 6 hot rod businesses, and took photos of the insides of their garages, at their car and automobila collections, and the general stuff they hoard as enthusiasts. Its 184 pages, all in colour, and God knows how many photos!

Was a lot of fun to put together.

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