Books

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Motor Racing – the early years
Brian Laban

Here are 350 pages of truly stunning images, running from 1894 up to the end of the 1950s. The range of content is wide, from grand prix racing and sportscars to grass-roots racing, beach races, speed trails and hill climbing. There are great shots of Land Speed Record cars and a good deal of driver, mechanic and crowd portraits as well. The tri-language (English, German and French) format does limit the depth that the captions can reach, but that’s a very minor niggle. It’s impossible not to stop and immerse yourself in every evocative spread of this wonderful book, and the very low price makes it astounding value. RR
Published by Könemann, £19.99. ISBN: 3833113545

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33
Peter Collins and Ed McDonough

From the earliest 1964 prototype to the T33/TT12s which took Alfa to victory in the ailing World Sportscar Championship in 1977, via the Stradale road car and a variety of concept cars from the likes of Pininfarina and Bertone, it’s all here. A wealth of images fills the pages, and co-author McDonough has even provided driving impressions of several variations on the theme. Memories and fascinating anecdotes from Autodelta drivers, and copious references to contemporary reports punctuate the text, and there are comprehensive factual appendices. It’s sub-titled: ‘The development and racing history,’ and it doesn’t stint on either aspect. NP
Published by Veloce, £39.99. ISBN: 1904788718

24:16 – 24 Hours, 16 wins
Norbert Singer with Michael Cotton

This is a must for all endurance-racing enthusiasts and collectors of books on the subject. Michael Cotton is a respected writer, especially on this subject, while Norbert Singer is one of the legendary Porsche engineers, best known for his wins at Le Mans and his development of the 911 for the racetrack. This is a work which takes the reader right into Zuffenhausen and Weissach, and while the design does get over the top on a few pages, the book reveals some of the magic and discipline that made Porsche such an irresistible force at La Sarthe. RS
Published by Coterie Press, £39.95. ISBN: 1902351304

The halcyon days of motoring
A B Demaus

Of those who have collections of motoring photographs, I have been impressed by that of A B Demaus, well-known vintage historian and one-time owner of side-valve Aston-Martin and Arab cars. He has now produced a book of well presented pictures of motorcycles, cyclecars and cars, many of rare makes, in town and country settings, at picnics, after accidents and in competitions. The 222 varied shots, in roughly chronological order, include almost forgotten venues, road scenes with accompanying backgrounds, and famous and less well-known personalities, with useful detailed historical captions. Lots of nostalgia and some surprises, such as finding two Bugatti Royales in Herefordshire. WB
Sutton Publishing Limited, £14.99. ISBN: 075094532

Midget car speedway
Derek Bridgett

This is specialist stuff, a little book that could probably only happen in the eccentric byways of English publishing. This is about as far away as you can get from the rich and glamorous side of our sport. But, importantly, this is the story of how ‘ordinary’ people could afford to design, build and race a car. Midget Car Speedway follows the fortunes of the sport from its early beginnings in the USA through to its arrival in the Potteries via Wembley, Southampton and Glasgow. If this sounds an unlikely tale, it is. But here is a serious appraisal of a branch of motorsport that gave a whole new swathe of people the chance to go racing. RS
Tempus Publishing Limited, £12.99. ISBN: 0752438700