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Drive!: Henry Ford, George Selden, and the Race to Invent the Auto Age
From the acclaimed author of Birdmen comes a revelatory new history of the birth of the automobile, an illuminating and entertaining true tale of invention, competition, and the visionaries, hustlers, and swindlers who came together to transform the world. In 1900, the Automobile Club of America sponsored the nation's first car show in New York's Madison Square Garden. The event was a spectacular success, attracting seventy exhibitors and nearly fifty thousand visitors. Among the spectators was an obscure would-be automaker named Henry Ford, who walked the floor speaking with designers and engineers, trying to gauge public enthusiasm for what was then a revolutionary invention. His conclusion: the automobile was going to be a fixture in American society, both in the city and on the farm---and would make some people very rich. None, he decided, more than he. Drive! is the most complete account to date of the wild early days of the auto age. Lawrence Goldstone tells the fascinating story of how the internal combustion engine, a "theory looking for an application," evolved into an innovation that would change history. Debunking many long-held myths along the way, Drive! shows that the creation of the automobile was not the work of one man, but very much a global effort. Long before anyone had heard of Henry Ford, men with names like Benz, Peugeot, Renault, and Daimler were building and marketing the world's first cars. Goldstone breathes life into an extraordinary cast of characters: the inventors and engineers who crafted engines small enough to use on a "horseless carriage"; the financiers who risked everything for their visions; the first racers---daredevils who pushed rickety, untested vehicles to their limits; and such visionary lawyers as George Selden, who fought for and won the first patent for the gasoline-powered automobile. Lurking around every corner is Henry Ford, a brilliant innovator and an even better marketer, a tireless promoter of his products---and of himself. With a narrative as propulsive as its subject, Drive! plunges us headlong into a time unlike any in history, when near-manic innovation, competition, and consumerist zeal coalesced to change the way the world moved.
not rated $14.99 Add to cart
Driven by Desire: The Desire Wilson Story
The story of the driver rated by many as the best woman ever to race cars, and the most capable ever to have driven in Formula One. Her 50-year career began at the age of five in South Africa, moving to Holland and England and then the USA, before gaining renewed life at the famous Goodwood Revival historic race events. This fascinating story shows that a woman can, and did, fight her way to the top of motorsport.
not rated $55.00 Add to cart
Dyno Don: The Cars and Career of Dyno Don Nicholson
Many fans of drag racing consider the most interesting era to be from the 1950s through the 1970s, the years when the sport really took off. During that period, so much changed from a speed and technology standpoint that people often refer to this time as the golden age of drag racing. Drivers often became associated with a particular manufacturer, such as Chevy, Ford, or Chrysler through sponsorship, factory team rides, or sometimes simply their own preference. The more successful drivers became household names in the drag racing community. Chevy had Grumpy Jenkins, Pontiac had Arnie "the Farmer" Beswick, Mopar had Sox & Martin and Dandy Dick Landy, and Ford's most successful driver of the era was the legendary "Dyno Don" Nicholson. Nicholson's first wins on a national level were actually in the early 1960s in Chevrolet products. He became extremely successful on the match-race circuit. Then, in 1964, he switched over to Mercury with the new Comet after General Motors enacted a factory ban on racing activities. He won 90 percent of his match races that year. He stuck with Ford and Mercury products and won throughout the 1960s and 1970s, even after Ford also pulled the plug on factory team sponsorship. He made it to the final rounds in nearly 50 national events during that period, in addition to winning championships, awards, and match races along the way. If you are a fan of a certain era of racing, a Ford fan, or certainly a "Dyno Don" fan, this book will be a welcome addition to your library.
not rated $49.98 Add to cart
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Earnhardt Nation: The Full-Throttle Saga of NASCAR’s First Family
A colorful, fearless portrait of the larger-than-life first family of NASCAR, the Earnhardts, and the rise of the world's fastest stock car racing organization. More than sixty years ago, Ralph Earnhardt toiled in a cotton mill in his native North Carolina to support his growing family. Weekends he could be found going pedal to the metal at the dirt tracks, taking on the competition in the early days of box car racing and becoming one of the best short-track drivers in the state. His son, Dale Earnhardt Sr., would become one of the greatest drivers of all time, and his grandson Dale Jr, would become NASCAR's most popular driver of the 2000s. From a simple backyard garage, the Earnhardts reached the highest echelons of professional stock car racing and became the stuff of myth for fans. Earnhardt Nation is the story of this car racing dynasty and the business that would make them rich and famous --- and nearly tear them apart. Covering all the white-knuckle races, including the final lap at the Daytona 500 that claimed the life of the Intimidator, Earnhardt Nation goes deep into the fast-paced world of NASCAR, its royal family's obsession with speed, and their struggle with celebrity. Jay Busbee takes us deep inside the lives of these men and women who shaped NASCAR. He delves into their personal and professional lives, from failed marriages to rivalries large and small to complex and competitive father-son relationships that have reverberated through generations, and explores the legacy the Earnhardts struggle to uphold.
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Eddie Irvine: Life in the Fast Lane
Life in the Fast Lane gives a fascinating and revealing insight into the inner sanctum of the most enigmatic team in Formula One. Eddie talks frankly about his colleagues, the Formula One lifestyle, the driver's regime, his family. This book captures the true essence of the gruelling yet glamorous lifestyle of a Formula One driver. It candidly looks at the trappings of Formula One, the models, the planes, the boats, the cars and the houses but at the same time gives an honest portrait of the man behind the playboy image. Controversial, fast-living, outspoken and charismatic, this is Eddie Irvine at his finest.
not rated $18.00 Add to cart
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Eddie Irvine: The Luck of the Irish
A title in the GRAND PRIX HEROES series, which charts the racing career of the Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine, following his career from his time in Formula Ford in 1983, Japanese Formula 3000 during 1993, his struggle with Jordan and lucrative move to Ferrari as partner to Michael Schumacher.
not rated $20.00 Add to cart
Emerson Fittipaldi: Heart of a Racer
Emerson Fittipaldi, in 1972 was crowned the youngest-ever World Champion at the age of 25, won the title again two years later to prove that he was one of the most outstanding talents of his generation. He and his brother Wilson realized their dream of creating the first Brazilian Grand Prix car. After a brief retirement, the bold Brazilian forged a second magnificent career in IndyCar racing, in which he scored wins in ten consecutive seasons. In this latest addition to his well-received driver biography series, Karl Ludvigsen - Emerson's friend since the 1960s - tells the whole enthralling story.
not rated $90.00 Add to cart
Enzo Ferrari Pilota Corse e Vittorie del Mago di Maranello
English: Enzo Ferrari, the magician from Maranello, started his racing driver career in 1919 and ended it in 1924. Five years only, but very important to form the man who was destined to become one of the contemporary myths, one of the very few living Italians to be known all over the world. The volume, written by one of the most attentive historians of Italian motoring and personally reviewed by Enzo Ferrari, traces, with a large photographic documentation, largely unpublished, Enzo Ferrari's career as a racing driver in the 1920s and 1930s: the uphill races, the Targa Florio, the Mugello Circuit, the Alpine Cup, the victory in the Acerbo Cup, in Pescara. Italian: Enzo Ferrari, il mago di Maranello, ha iniziato la sua carriera di pilota da corsa nel 1919 e l'ha terminata nel 1924. Cinque anni soltanto, ma molto importanti per formare l'uomo che era destinato a diventare uno dei miti contemporanei, uno dei pochissimi italiani viventi ad essere conosciuto in tutto il mondo... Il volume, redatto da uno dei piu attenti storici dell'automobilismo italiano e rivisto personalmente da Enzo Ferrari, ripercorre, con un'ampia documentazione fotografica, in gran parte inedita, la carriera di Enzo Ferrari come pilota da corsa negli anni Venti e Trenta: le corse in salita, la Targa Florio, il Circuito del Mugello, la Coppa delle Alpi, la vittoria nella Coppa Acerbo, a Pescara
not rated $95.00 Add to cart
F1: Through the Eyes of Damon Hill: Inside the World of Formula One
F1: Through the Eyes of Damon Hill is the dramatic behind-the-scenes story of the world of Formula One racing. It is a story of global proportions, deep human feelings and sporting magnificence which sweeps from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne through to the grand finale in Japan, where the nine-month season ends. In his own words, Hill charts the roller-coaster emotions and excitement of the marathon 16-race Grand Prix circus. He describes the strains, and pressures behind the garage doors; the massive effort required to revive a title challenge with his new Jordan team, the fears and thrills. Brilliantly illustrated, here is the world's fastest, most seductive - and expensive - sport as it really is. From the clamour and glamour of the pit lane to the privacy of the motor home, Damon Hill describes what it feels like to compete with Schumacher, Coulthard, Villeneuve and others for the 1998 Formula One World Championship. This is no 'Diary of a Season' fanzine but an intensely personal, thematic account of the most seductive sport of all - its rivalries the crucial importance of technology, and the pencil-thin margin between the chequered flag and failure.
not rated $61.00 Add to cart
First Principles: The Official Biography of Keith Duckworth OBE
This book chronicles the life of Keith Duckworth OBE, the remarkable engineer famous for being co-founder of Cosworth Engineering and creating the most successful F1 engine of all time, the DFV. Although the company's engines are given due prominence, this isn't an intricate technical examination of their design, but a more rounded look at the life and work of their designer - work which included significant contributions to aviation, motorcycling, and powerboating.
not rated $68.00 Add to cart
Forced March to Freedom
The prisoners of Stalag Luft III endured two forced marches across Germany in the final months of World War II. This is an illustrated diary recorded at the scene. Canadian, Robert Buckham was employed as a graphic artist in several studios in Toronto and as an art director in a Montreal advertising agency prior to enlisting in the RCAF. Twice rejected for aircrew because he was too tall, he was finally accepted for pilot training in May of 1941. He was posted overseas in early 1942 and eventually joined 428 Squadron, 6 Group, based in Dalton, Yorkshire, where he flew Wellington X bombers over Germany and German-occupied France. His aircraft was downed on April 8, 1943, on his tenth operational flight. He and his entire crew were captured. Imprisoned in Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Germany, where he recorded the scene in small drawings and paintings, which were eventually rolled and carried on two forced marches in a tube created from soldered Klimcans. The forced marches brought him to Stalag 8B, Lubeck, where he was finally liberated.
not rated $35.00 Add to cart
Frank Barr: Alaskan Pioneer Bush Pilot and One-man Airline
Frank Barr was one of the most interesting of the early aviation pioneers in Alaska. At age 28, the former calvalryman, parachute jumper and test pilot, signed on to a Yukon gold expedition in 1932 as a back up pilot. After the expedition failed to find enough gold, Frank Barr stayed in the north country and spent the rest of his career as a bush pilot. He flew every early plane from the Jenny to the Super Cub, carrying passengers and freight to remote villages in Alaska and the Yukon. In 1948 Barr was elected to the Territorial Senate, and held that seat when in 1955 he one of the 55 Alaskans chosen by the people to write a state constitution. Today Alaska's state constitution is considered one of the best state constitutions ever written. Alaska was admitted to the union in 1959. In his later years he flew bush routes for Alaska Airlines and became manager of the northern division. Even in retirement down in the lower forty-eight states, he conducted tours to Alaska and Mexico until he finally retired for good in 1974.
not rated $12.95 Add to cart
Gilles Villeneuve: Immagini di una vita / A life in pictures
Six victories, two pole positions, eight fastest laps and 13 podium places - statistics that are anything but striking. In Formula 1 today, there are drivers who have won a great deal more, but Gilles Villeneuve cannot be evaluated by numbers alone- simply because there is no way of measuring the level of excitement that he brought to racing. Even though he has been dead for over 30 years, the legend of the Canadian, who was killed on 8 May 1982, is still imbued with strong emotion - Gilles the "Aviator" as Enzo Ferrari nick-named him, the driver for whom the expression "Villeneuve Fever" was coined. From his "crazy flight" at Fuji in 1977, his first GP win at home in Canada in 1978, the unforgettable 1979 season followed by a year of purgatory, his epic success at Monaco in 1981 and the in-house duel with Didier Pironi at Imola in 1982, to that last "crazy flight" at Zolder. GILLES VILLENEUVE: Immagini di una vita/A life in pictures relives the legend, with previously unpublished pictures and authoritative text by Mario Donnini.
not rated $82.00 Add to cart
Gilles Villeneuve: La vita di un pilota leggendario
Italian: Un pilota che con il suo stile e la sua personalità ha incarnato lo spirito più autentico delle corse di Formula 1. Gerald Donaldson, giornalista e commentatore sportivo, ha raccolto in questo volume le testimonianze delle persone che con Gilles hano vissuto e che lo hanno seguito dai primi esordi fino alle epiche competizioni della sua carriera in Ferrari. Ne esce un quadro realistico, veritiero e variegato che ci restituisce, attraverso il racconto approfondito e dettaglito delle sue corse e della sua vita anche al di fuori dei circuiti, l'immagine dell'uomo Gilles, con le sue emozioni e i suoi affetti, le sue delusioni e le sue conquiste, impegnato nella grande gara della vita ancor prima che in quella dei bolidi della Formula 1.   English: A driver with his style and personality embodied the most authentic spirit of Formula One racing. In Gilles Villeneuve: La vita di un pilota leggendario, Gerald Donaldson, journalist and sports commentator, has collected the testimonies of people who have lived with Gilles and who have followed him from the earliest times to the epic competitions of his career with Ferrari. Donaldson provides a realistic, truthful and varied picture that gives the in-depth and detailed story of his races and his life outside the circuits, Gilles the person, with his emotions and affections, his disappointments and his achievements, involved in the great race of life even before that of the Formula One racing cars.
not rated $80.00 Add to cart
Gloria – A Lifetime Motorcyclist: 75 Years on Two Wheels and Still Riding
Gloria Tramontin Struck rode a motorcycle for the very first time at age 16 in 1941. Women simply didn't ride motorcycles in 1941, but at the urging of her older brother, a very reluctant Gloria gave it a try, and it changed her life forever. She has been riding ever since, and at age 89, still rides regularly and continues to participate in cross country rides. As you might expect, any woman regularly riding a motorcycle in an era when women didn't ride motorcycles has a lot of stories to tell. InGloria Struck: 75 years on Two Wheels and Still Riding, Gloria shares with you all of her favorite stories, from back when she was being raised behind her father's motorcycle shop in Clifton NJ, through 75 years of riding tales, all the way to the present, where she is rightfully celebrated at motorcycles rallies and events. Complementing her life and riding stories is an extensive scrapbook of photos, over 100 of which are included in this autobiography. Also included are anecdotes provided by fans, friends and admirers. Of course, Gloria's book and her stories, are as much about overcoming prejudice and personal obstacles, as it is about riding motorcycles. Because of that, this book resonates with riders and non-riders alike. The message is about more than riding, it's about meeting and conquering life's challenges with courage and humor.
not rated $33.98 Add to cart
Graham Hill: Master of Motor Sport
Graham Hill's career was one of the most remarkable in modern motor racing. It spanned 20 turbulent years in the history of the sport. His first racing cars were the conventional front-engined cars of the 1950s, which were painted in national colors. In his final races, in the 1970s, he drove sophisticated, bewinged rear-engined cars that carried the colors of their commercial sponsors. At his peak in the mid-1960s he was at the forefront of grand prix and sports car racing, competing against the very best drivers of the era - Clark, Surtees, Gurney, Rindt, Stewart. Today his name, along with theirs, evokes one of the classic ages of motor racing. John Tipler's new biography of this determined and popular man recalls the great victories in his long versatile career - his two Formula 1 world championships and 14 grand prix wins and triumph at the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours. But he also explores Hill's background and character and shows how his courage and persistence earned him a pre-eminent position as one of the best all-around drivers and outstanding competitors of his day. He also considers Hill's later move from driving to team ownership, a new stage in a tireless career which was so cruelly cut short when he and the principal members of his team were killed in a plane crash in 1975.
not rated $86.00 Add to cart
Grand Prix Heroes: Clay Regazzoni
This Clay Regazzoni DVD is part of the Grand Prix Heroes series. Each DVD profiles a racing great, with action footage and period interviews from the Brunswick archive that reveal why these names still cause excitement today. They are not detailed life stories, but celebrations of the skills and colourful characters that defined a motor racing era.
not rated $24.99 Add to cart
Greg Biffle (The Reedy Series)
The Reedy Series 2006 commemorates the top drivers annually on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit. This limited edition, collectible series comprises 5 individual foldout books that depict 5 Chase drivers and their special years. The 4-fold format enhances the book's lavish illustrations, provided by stellar Cup photographers Nigel Kinrade and Brian Czobat, and helps deliver a unique form of storytelling (by Josh Stevens) to the world of NASCAR. No other NASCAR collectible features rich, high-action illustrations displayed in this format, and no series offers exciting capsules of the top drivers and their special years.
not rated $9.00 Add to cart
Greg Moore: A Legacy of Spirit
What is it about Greg Moore that caused so many to fall in love and so many to be devastated when he died? Greg's life was a celebration of youth, spirit, accomplishment, and charity. He was doing what he loved, with people he loved and respected. He was succeeding as an automobile racer and, even more, as a human being. He inspired everyone to act openly, positively, and with good humor. His easy grin and natural outgoing friendliness captured people's hearts and minds. When you met him you felt he was a friend for life. He made people like he was one of them, whomever they were. If you got close enough to say hello, to catch his eye, you felt you knew him. And anyone who knew him well thought of him as a man beyond his years, unusually free of the conflicts of youth. Although he seemed settled and mature, Greg Moore still revealed a sense of adventure and wonder. His achievements as a driver were impressive and have assured him a place in the galaxy of greats. Yet his spirit of sincerity and goodwill is the abiding memory that will live on. Through the memories of his family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and Greg himself, Greg Moore: A Legacy of Spirit tells the story of this remarkable young athlete. Through photographs and memorabilia that trace his life and career, we are given a lasting image of a life lived well, but far too short.
not rated $80.00 Add to cart
Hawker: One of Aviation’s Greatest Names: A Biography of Harry Hawker, MBE, AFC
Traces the life of Harry Hawker, his early life in Moorabbin, Victoria, his move to England, introduction to flying, his role in WW1, founding his company which produced Schneider Trophy-winning aircraft between the wars and the Hurricane of WW2.
not rated $76.00 Add to cart
Hobbo: Motor Racer, Motor Mouth: The Autobiography of David Hobbs
Englishman David Hobbs--'Hobbo' to his friends and fans--is one of motor racing's most remarkable all-rounders. In a 31-year driving career he raced in almost every imaginable category: endurance sports racers, touring cars, Formula 1, Formula 5000, Indycars, IMSA, Trans-Am, Can-Am and even NASCAR--he has done the lot. And on top of that he has been a television commentator in America for nearly 40 years, bringing wit and wisdom to the screen, latterly as part of NBC's Formula 1 team. Now, at last, this very popular racer has put down all his experiences in this highly readable memoir that will be welcomed by racing enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic.
not rated $90.00 Add to cart
Il Cavallino Nel Cuore: Autobiography of a designer
For the first time, one of the major names in Italian car design tells his story from the beginning; from when he made his first sketches on paper, unbeknown to his parents and not only of cars, to reaching a point at which his name became synonymous with some of the best known and most important cars on the international front. In his 23-year career at Pininfarina, Leonardo Fioravanti, who was first a designer and architect, then managing director and director general of 'Studi & Ricerche' department, created some of the most beautiful Ferraris of all time; they ranged from the 1965 250 LM sports coupe Speciale to the immortal 1968 Daytona through to the 1975 308 GTB and GTS and the 1984 288 GTO, as well as the P5 and P6 of 1968. While continuing his Ferrari essay during his Pininfarina career, Fioravanti also guided the creation of numerous other projects, among them the Dino road car, the 1980 Pinin four-door prototype and went on to the 1984 Testarossa and the 1987 F40. He worked for the Fiat Group from 1988 until 1991, during which time he took on the roles of deputy director general of Ferrari, later became responsible for advanced design CRF and then head of the Fiat Styling Centre. In 1987, he founded Fioravanti srl, an architectural studio, and in 1991 he extended his services to industry, in particular the design of means of transport. Images of an epoch, designs from his own personal archive never previously seen and, above all, a passionate first person account. Those are the key elements of this outstanding book which, through the creations of Leonardo Fioravanti, covers over 50 years of the history of automobile style and culture.
not rated $144.00 Add to cart
In the Shadow of Eagles: From Barnstormer to Alaska Bush Pilot: A Flyer’s Story
A celebration of the great age of aviation with pioneer flyer Rudy Billberg, whose experiences included air show stunt pilot, bush pilot, and fighting forest fires from the air.
not rated $57.00 Add to cart
Inside Hot Rodding: The Tex Smith Autobiography
This brand new 255-page hardbound book offers a glimpse into the rapidly developing hobby from LeRoi “Tex” Smith’s point of view. Tex, a diehard hot rodder, spent more than half a century building, driving and writing about all types of vintage tin. He was a member of the Hot Rod Magazine editorial staff during the ’60s, worked for the NHRA, won the AMBR with his experimental “XR-6” in 1963, and helped found Street Rodder, Rod Action as well as the Street Rod Nationals in the early ’70s. His style was unforgettable far from politically correct but always honest. 54 chapters with background of Tex's life inside and outside the publishing world of hot rodding in the USA.
not rated $60.00 Add to cart
Inspired to Design: F1 cars, Indycars & racing tyres: the autobiography of Nigel Bennett
Nigel Bennett's unique autobiography describes his life and career, from growing-up influenced by car design, to his education and the building of his 750 specials. He describes his work as Firestone Development Manager, recounting many tales of the outstanding designers and drivers of the period. Detailing his work in Formula 1, as a Team Lotus engineer, and then as Team Ensign designer, he also covers his Indycar designs at Theodore, Lola Cars and Penske Cars. Life after his retirement, his involvement in boat design and with modern F1 teams, are also recounted.
not rated $59.99 Add to cart