Book Reviews, April 1961, April 1961

“The Author’s and Writer’s Who’s Who,” edited by L. G. Pine. 454 pp., 9 9/16 in. x 6 1/10 in. (Burke’s Peerage Limited, Mercury House, 109-119, Waterloo Road, London, S.E.I. 45s.)

This weighty tome, by the publishers of Burke’s Peerage and Burke’s Landed Gentry, is a directory of authors and writers. It pays motoring scribes the compliment of including their biographies with those of the other authors instead of relegating them to a separate section. It is thus possible to ascertain when such well-known motoring writers as Laurence Pomeroy, Denis Jenkinson, William Boddy, Cyril Posthumus, etc., etc., were born, where they were educated, how many children they admit to producing and, of far greater value, what they have had published. This guide should thus be useful to P.R.O.s, Publicity Managers, Advertising Executives and others who have occasion to commission free-lance articles for the Motor and allied industries.

” Who’s Who in the Motor Industry.” 600 pp., 8 3/4 in. x 53/4 in. (Temple Press Ltd., Bowling Green Lane, London, E.C.1. 42s.)

Here is another edition, the fifth, of this invaluable reference work. It includes biographical details of more than 1,500 personalities in the British motoring world, with 28 pages devoted to the many motor clubs, including one-make organisations. While new sections include an extended list of insurance companies, a section devoted to motoring sport with addresses, etc., of competition managers, race circuits, British racing teams, etc., and a section covering the motoring journalists. The Motor Industry itself is covered by some 6,500 entries. Organisations, associations, professional bodies and Government departments, where these relate to motoring, are also included. Unfortunately the Index is a bit misty, H. W. Motors Ltd. being quoted as on page 30, whereas this entry is on page 265, and, glancing through the biographical section, we cannot remember Harold Nockolds ever being Editor of Motor Sport, although, pre-war, he was our Continental Correspondent.—W. B.

Dunlop have issued the 17th edition of their useful “Touring Atlas of the British Isles,” revised to include new and projected by-pass roads and motorways. This is a pleasant, coloured atlas, very easy to read, with numbered main roads, and it is nice to find a one-page through-route map included, for so often long journeys are difficult to plan on maps that do not overlap. The general scale is 12 miles to the inch and this soft-cover atlas costs 7s. 6d. It has an index, which could be more comprehensive.

Ian Allan Ltd. include, in their A.B.C. series, a little book about scooters and three-wheelers. It gives specifications and, of particular value to those who like to be able to identify the make of every vehicle on the road but who find the many different scooters baffling, an identification guide. Altogether 33 makes of scooter, six sidecars and nine three-wheelers are dealt with in ” Scooters and Light Cars.” The pictures are very clear and include a number of attractive scooter girls; the price is 2s. 6d. and A.B.C. books are published by Ian Allan Ltd., Craven House, Hampton Court, Surrey.

Some time ago Motor Sport commented favourably on a keyring with an Austin 850/Morris Mini Minor motif, manufactured by Richard E. V. Gomm, of 63, Ford Street, Hockley, Birmingham, 18. Well finished in chromium plate and jewellers’ enamel by this firm, which is a member of the British Jewellers Association, and realist, these miniature cars, some 1 3/5 in. long, are in correct colours of the full-size models and are excellent for identifying the keys—so that hubby doesn’t depart for the office with his wife’s car-keys, for example. The keys to the Editorial Mini Minor have been thus identified since we received a Gomm key-ring and the finish has proved durable and scratch-proof. So we are delighted to know that a Renault Dauphine and a Volkswagen, each available in one of six colours, and priced at 4s. each, have been added to the range. These pleasing key-rings are available from Halfords, the better garages, etc. They would make good prizes at one-make car club events.

 Venner Limited, who make parking meters, amongst other things, have introduced an amusing buzz-clock or personal timer, which can be said to buzz, not too loudly, at any pre-set time from zero to one hour. Of a size to be worn on the watch chain or keyring, the movement is Swiss and this timer, while not quite the job for clocking lap times (!), is a good reminder for those using parking meters (although here the actual maximum limit is two hours), or wanting to be reminded of when a given T.V. programme is due to start, for boiling an egg, waking up in time while snatching a brief sleep at a rally control point and so on. Called the Memopark, this timer costs 22s. 6d., and is made by Venner Limited, Kingston By-Pass, New Malden, Surrey.