Read any good motors, John?

[mercrocker]

Transverse, innit....

[AutoshiteBoy]

We have our very own author who graces these pages. Motorpunk who I bought the mx5 off. I've read a few. Good crack.
Search for Rich Duisberg on amazon.

I bought a couple of his books.

[brandersnatch]

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In this anthology edited by L. J. K. Setright is the best description of riding a motorcycle I’ve ever read. It’s a short story called Passacaglia and Fugue by Setright himself. Reading it you can feel the wind in your face and taste the bugs in your teeth. A remarkable tale of a ride on a BSA Gold Star.
I’ve got a small collection of Setright books. A great writer although I can’t claim to understand everything he wrote.

[mercrocker]

Sadly missed, old Len.

[brandersnatch]

Very true. I first read his work in Bike magazine in the ‘70’s. His autobiography is well worth a read too.

[cros]

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Hopwood's book is a good insider account, best writer for me about mechanical things has been LTC Roly. His autobiography details testing the first British diesel Lorry and his cyclecar exploits.

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Outside the remit of this thread perhaps, but his other books are superb, particularly Red for Danger.

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[Asimo]

Been reading a couple of books bought because of this thread: the Gerald Palmer autobiography and the POW camp magazine. Both enjoyed and both will be staying on my shelves. Cheers!

I have many of the LTC Rolt books. In "Landscape with Machines" Rolt writes of his Alvis. His son is still using (as a car rather than a classic) that same car. A mutual friend has just made some adapters for it's engine to take Micra sparking plugs!

[panhard65]

I am reading the Alf Francis book as recommended in this thread and it really is good.

[christine]

That was me , i lent mine to someone and didn't get it back .. Valuable book now ..
Was it in that book ,he "roadside repaired" a Ford v8 in the transporter , buy removing a piston and rod ,and wrapping the big end with a bit of leather from his belt and a hose clip to keep the oil pressure . and carried on on 7 cylinders to the race ?

Adrian Newey - How to build a Car , ain't bad either

[panhard65]

Yeap that is one of the stories, I am about half way through. It certainly was a golden age and really not much has changed since then other than the getting pissed all the time. His advice on how to drive long distances through Europe probably shouldn't be followed now. He says that stopping regularly for a coffee and a brandy is the best policy, the brandy would just make me want to sleep.