Book reviews, August 1951, August 1951
IMAGE IN THE DUST, by Warwick Scott. (Peter Davies, 38, Bedford Square, W.C.1, 254 pp., 9s. 6d.)
This is a sexy novel, rather over-written for effect, by one who is said to have driven racing cars, about a racing driver and his love tangle. It serves as a reminder that so far no really great novel about motor racing has appeared. The descriptive matter about the running of the hero’s car, a ” twelve-cylinder hybrid with a two-stage supercharger and torsion suspension,” run on Castro! R, is mainly accurate, except that a practice crash converts the torsion bars to leaf-springs with U-bolts and rivets, and that one blower seems to two-stage quite adequately. British racing drivers should read this to keep them cheerful—they will derive much anutsement from seeing themselves as author Scott sees them! But we would remind others who are about to get this novel that 9s. 6s. buys nearly three gallons of petrol . . .
This 1951 edition of ” British Cars” by Peter Chambers (6s., or 6s. 6d, post free, from P.C Publications, 7, Newhall Street, Birmingham, 3) has arrived. It aims to record photographically every model of all British cars year by year, and give detailed tabular specifications and prices of each. It falls down this year only in respect of the Morris Minor tourer and four-door saloon, 2½-litre Riley, Citroen Six and, of course, shows very similar models to these, Each maker’s badge is illustrated, although that for Morgan hits trot been modified to show a + sign in place of the top “4,” as appears in the current badge of the Plus Four. We like this publication.
Every so often to those on its mail list comes the beautifully got up De Haviliand Gazette, in which, apart from learned aviation articles, are found some of the best jokes and cartoons in any aeronautical or motoring publication. The June issue contained a supplement “The Story of the Gipsy Engine,” being a paper which J. L. P. Brodie, M.I.Mech.E., F.R.A.e.S., Hon. M.S.L.A.E. presented before the f.M.E. last April. It Illustrated many real aeroplanes, of the period 1927-50, so powered, and pictures of their engines.
A new quarterly, Auto Course, has appeared, which seeks to tell anyone everything he or she could wish to know about the grandee epreuvee, It Is full of charts and figures and splendid photographs and is in four languages; a job of work of which Redacteur en Chef, Directore, Chefredakteur S. Sedwick can be proud. The annual subscription is 30s. There is no truth in the rumour that in future Motor Sport will he published in Esperanto.