BOOK REVIEWS, August 1950, August 1950
BOOK REVIEWS
THE STORY OF BROOKLANDS, Vol. III, by W. Boddy. 250 pp. (Grenville Publishing Co., Ltd., 15, City Rood, London, E.C.I. Price 12s. bd.) The Sport already Owes much to V. ‘toddy. lind I believe that It great &al of the preseut-dhty enthusiasm and Following for mot or-racing is due to his efforts during the war. and
post-war years. His pompilation of a complete history of Brooklands. though undoubtedly a labour of love, must have, nevertheless, proved It very exacting task.
Volume III. which I have been asked to reView, is a thoroughly good book. It succeeds in the difficult task of providing a complete factual record of what happened, and at the same time conveying tlw atmosphere of those days so twrfeetly that the reader who remembers them is transported back to very I lappy days in that itteerly fascinating place.
Other than a referenee Iii InySelf in t Index, that really applies to A. CuddenFletcher, I Van Only find two small mistakes.
On page 591, The Who bee.’ It is stated that ” Unthird or ‘ C ‘ car was taken a.: the fastest. in each team for handicap purposes—in fact, the C-tyiw car was the slowest, the ears starting in the following order : A. II, C. On page 670, 1 930 Iniernatioutil Trophy : 11. is stated that Arthur ltobson, well though Ite hanilledl the ex-Fairfield 1.100-c.c. E. never painto the.picture.Arthur Dobson did not drive that car. If Ile, ill fall , drove any car at all in that. race, it was his own 1 1-litre
handled most Of the time by Cyril Paul. I ant surprised! Butt Bodily omitted to mention a rather exciting innovation wItieh took place during 1933, when the track was hired to a film company to ttrodltwe ” Car of Dreams.Many B.A.It.C. members took part in the shooting, and a very amusing though dangerous afternocm’s motoring took place. Sixty or seventy ordinary mem hers-4(4r I he most part not 1161.01-5 -drove their touring and sports ears round the track l’or the him. company. 1 1 ‘am there, Itowever ! The ears were int:trio-led to motor round slowly in a light bunch wheel to wheel. but despite the urgent requests
of the producer. inevitably, each circuit ended in a monumental diet-, oft VII Wit II I 11C slowest cars hemmed in at the top of the banking ! There w:ts 110 107.5 or lihe. however, but on. mn, company had to cult the sequence front the finished production ! Life was less restricted in those days. :Ind it does one good to recall them. I COMIllend his volume It. evt•ryone, ? 1S 110011 In pf/St -War (-lit liiisi8sts Whn will glean l’rom its pages much of the tradition that Ow circuits have inherited, its to those wIto Will rceall with nostalgia the glory that was (awe Brook lands.—A. ItivEns * * * *
Flow: ScriErt limn:, autographed by Bob Gerard!. Versonally autograttlied by Bob Gerard, -1940 Arkievemelds will be sent free Iii tlw first 50 applicants whose requests Sill opened at byrou ‘Ill /ler olliee
tomorrow. lteaders WILO arc ttithick:t; and miss the aritographed edition will receive unsigned copies.
.5 best, seller with an annual distribut km running into lens of thotts,andts, ” Achievements” is the Castro’ Handbook of records on land and in the air and its 30 pages are packed with action photographs or spcca cycnts. A stweial fealttre of this year’s Imolt is a sect ion devoted to (;era.rd’s success(-s in the Jersey International ‘toad It:ter! and the British Empire Trophy Itace. Il retiop,As loom. he loade by post and should be toldlressed to ” .1elrievrancitts,Thrron Scoter, 1 5-11’, City Itoad, London,
Mo-ron Ixors-ritv,by II. C. Castle ((lecke cf. Coekran, Ltd.. 72-78, Fleet Street. E.(7.4, 328 PP., .21s). ‘flits large and handsomely produced hook sets Mit 10 outline, rather than detail, II n’ early struggle and experinwnt., later achieventratt and subsequr-nt expansion and fulfilment, in the establishment of our great. Motor Industry. Naturally, even allowing for the size of this book, several such volumes woul(1 be needed to tell the run ,torr, but Mr. Castle presents an adequate and easilyread survey. Inevitably. in view of the spate of motoring books, SOIlle Mat erittl is a repelitirm from works by Other authors, sitelt as ” I htiniler,by St .1 Nixon, aml “‘ft te Magic of a Name.by II. Norkolds, etc. Et’en so, the authittlots included reference to a Vast variety of makes andi models. comutercial :ts well its privatecar, tvith 14 notable degree of writing
prowess. Thc numerous illtist rat ions embrace many planographs whielt will lw especially pleasing lo Mrtron Sewer readers, but the colour-id:des al tlw end lose .solitc of their appeal becattse 511111e, if chit “ii, hay,.
:tdverlising matter in various jourrtals. Tills book includes a (1181(1 (I dill the first TI’. race and many referelIMS Ill racing, record-breaking and to shawlsears. Aedatraey is essential in a reference book such as this and SL high standard seems to haVe been reached. tin high. indeed, that one finds oneself carping at a 1111)1k/11 Mddell Call,: I he first :11.(:. or 1925 thc original M.G. Midget or ill:10 811(1 at a Iii!’. in the text tvItielt edottfuses the four-cylinder .Anzatti engine with the six-cylinder A.C. The Nlorgan Co. is also given as making only four-wheeled ears, but surely lltd• three-twin-der Fordengine(‘ Iodate’ 1 is still made, if only to special order
Tlw 1101:1; actually lots 100 halt-Ione photographs and 30 colour-plates, is well indexed, and is both pleasing to peruse andl a useful work of reference.
V. B.