Transportation Books

I received this book for Christmas and was just purchasing one for a friend. Kris Palmer strikes me as a guy that would abandon a comfy couch in front of a fire to bang his knuckles on rusty bolts in a cold garage.... just because. As the front lapel indicates, this book is a perfect fit for guys that are drawn to tinker in their garages because it's a book about "us". My garage itself might not be worthy of a cover shot, but what happens in it is no different than is described in each chapter of Dream Garages. Mr Palmer's book is a wonderful insight into how other enthusiasts have grown in their own garage, turning dreams into reality. I really enjoyed reading about the fruits of their love, it's not about the vehicle they're working on or where they hang their tools, it's about the passion we share to shape our projects within the walls known as the garage. Nice job Mr Palmer!

My husband is building a detached shop, so I got him this book for Christmas. He absolutely loved it. The cars in the book are as great as the garages. I hope I didn't give him too many ideas for his own shop!

I like this book. It is not intended to be a "how to" for designing a garage. That subject has been well covered by other titles. This is about great cars and the people who own/collect them. I find its interesting to learn how serious car people get the bug and rearrange their lives to accommodate their passion for cars. This book spans a broad array of car people - from methodical collectors with expansive storage facilities, to the gear nuts whose space reflects their own personalities. Where else are you going to see a collection of every year Ford and Mercury woody produced up to the early fifties?

Dream Garages is disappointing. The book does not really focus on garages (like Ultimate Garages by Phil Berg), but has stories around somewhat interesting car people, with their garage only as an afterthought. I have all the garage-type books, and this one is my least favorite.

A thorough investigation of the history, design, techniques, and developments of gaff-rigged craft, both workboats and yachts. A comprehensive review of all major British and American types and some European ones as well, enliven with stories of those who built and sailed them. The book may benefit from a larger selection of illustrations, especially line drawings and sail plans.

Like Tom Cunliffe's "Hand Reef and Steer," John Leather's "Gaff Rig Handbook" is an excellent resource for someone building, restoring or merely interested in gaff rigs. I go back and forth between those two as the "best source", but in reality, I think both should be in your library (they are in mine, and both are well used).

On my boat building site...I reviewed "Gaff Rig Handbook":

"This was suggested as the best resource out there on the gaff rig, and after a long wait while [I]obtained this book from England, I can report that it is everything people say it is. Great text, clear illustrations, and quite a bit of information not found elsewhere makes this my favorite of the books listed."

The most recent edition, published by Wooden Boat Publishing in 2001, is now available. The content is much the same ... in fact, I can't find a difference ... with the prior edition, so no need to "buy again" if you have an older copy. But if you are serious about gaff rigs, and Gaff Rig Handbook isn't in your library ... it should be!

I thought I understood gaff rig until I got into this incredible book. It truly is the definitive text on the subject. Be warned - this is not necessarily an easy book to read. It is dense, profound stuff, and there are many places that will stop you in your tracks as you read paragraphs over and over, trying to tease out and understand all the multilayered detail. But once it's accomplished, the lights go on, and you have a new understanding that a more "readable" treatment would never have afforded. The illustrations are marvelous, whether it's the crisp, highly detailed line drawings of rig details or the wonderful rare old photographs of the glory days of this marvelous rig. Truly a must read. And it isn't just a tribute to the racing yachts - this is a book of working sail, where men's lives and livelihoods depended on their watercraft.

Also highly recommended is "Hand Reef and Steer", by Tom Cunliffe, which is a much more readable and user friendly text for the gaff rig owner/sailor

Leather's book is probably the best resource on the Gaff Rig that I have seen yet. Great text, clear illustrations, and quite a bit of information not found elsewhere makes this my favorite of the books I've reviewed. While Leather is a Brit, he does have quite a bit of info on American gaffers as well, including a chapter on the fishing schooners of New England. Each major component of the gaff rig is treated with a chapter (Mast and Spars, Running Rigging, Standing Rigging, etc.) and then adaptations for several specific types of boats (catboats, sloops, cutters, smacks, yawls, schooners, etc.)

If you're only buying one book on gaff rig, this should be it. Full of useful information, supported with many practical diagrams (not all of them original,) it is a first-class resource for anyone contemplating building a gaffer, or converting from a different rig.

Note that this book is described by the publisher as an "extended" 3rd edition of the book originally published in two editions under the title "Gaff Rig". I am not clear how much additional information has been included in this new edition, but the change in title indicates that there might be considerable differences between this "Handbook" and the two earlier "Gaff Rigs."

The Pirates Own Book: Authentic Narratives of the Most Celebrated Sea Robbers is a great book! A must for any pirate fan - for sure!

I liked this book BECAUSE it tells the story of various pirates in history in their own words. Also the diversity of the featured pirates was interesting. This book takes you into their world, paints you a vivid picture of the places they roamed, their adventures, and their downfalls. I recommend this book to anyone intrigued by pirates.

After you've read a few dozen books on pirates and piracy, you start to notice that they, mostly, repeat the same stuff over and over again. There IS material in here that I have not seen in other books; however, a good portion is rewritten from Captain Charles Johnson's A General History of Pirates.

The book is reprinted from the 1837 version and an entertaining read. It is not generally a children's book. As to the factual nature of the narratives, it's hard to say. Like several of the other pirate books I have reviewed, this one is an important part of balanced view of what piracy is really about. P-)

"The Pirates Own Book" is written in old, Nineteenth Century English, which provides the reader with an archaic atmosphere that allows a better undestanding of the characters and their times. Its illustrations are worth mentioning because they are beautiful and imaginative engravings that have been reproduced in some of the most important works on Piracy. The book covers a wide period in History: from the Medieval Norman and Danish Sea Robbers to the cases of piracy in the first half of the Nineteenth Century. Even though, it lacks to mention the ancient Mediterranean Piracy in the times of Alexander and, later on, in the Roman Times. Something really interesting of this book is that it includes narrations of pirates from all five continents, demonstrating that piracy has existed in all the seas since Maritime Commerce was applied. The lives of some of the least known pirates, such as the Chilean Vincent Benavides and the Spanish Benito de Soto are covered in this volume. "The Pirates Own Book" is highly recommendable for all readers interested in piracy, for it is mentioned as first hand source in many works.

A compilation of contemporaneous stories about pirates, which was compiled in the early 1800s. It is a very, and I want to stress very, general overview on pirate lives. It sounded to me like a good compilation of stories when I received the book however; it seemed to be information obtained for a child's use. This is not a scholarly type of source in the least and should not be read as such. It is however, a good general overview of the basic biography of major/famous pirates.

Thank you Mr. Maxtone-Graham for this eagerly anticipated tome for my collection. When you first told me of it's imminent release, during a QE2 crossing almost two years ago, I've been on pins and needles. It's been one of the highlights of my season, and I'm not at all disappointed. I received the book before lunchtime and listened to my hunger pangs as I turned each page unable to put it down.

This book is a good balance of text with photos I have never seen before. Being an artist and designer, I am impressed with the layout and design, noting especially the cover and inside composite illustration. And it's printed in Italy! The historical perspective is complete and accurate as always. It's a must have for the SS Normandie enthusiast, design student, or maritime historian.

I love chapter two with your inclusion of the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs of 1925. I had the privilege of seeing an art deco exhibit in London at the V&A, and one of the exhibits was brief film footage of a crossing on Normandie in colour. What a treat.

The fold outs of the deck plans are very interesting showing how CGT had a complete vision of the deco style that didn't end with the furniture or interior embelishments, but extended to the overall architecture of the ship. It's also interesting to see the overviews of the cabins on those decks, and as to the whereabouts of the surviving relics today.

Someone told me how he once had seen a friend off on Normandie, commenting how it was the most beautiful ship he had ever seen. The generous photos in this book give me an idea of what he experienced. Especially the large photo of the lift, which is wonderfully placed at the end. These photos are all nicely restored with nice tonal balance.

A better book couldn't be possible given the short life of this ship. I always enjoy reading your eloquent style, and, as a quintessential historian, your personal perspective is superb. Thank you again for this most inspiring addition to my collection.

As a huge fan of the Normandie, and an avid reader of Maxtone-Graham's classic "The Only Way to Cross," I pre-ordered NORMANDIE with great expectations. Unfortunately, the book's promise was not met. In fact, this volume comes as close as any liner book can to being downright irritating. How so? A grab bag of complaints, in no particular order: the illustrations, by and large, are fairly common images of the Normandie - there is very little novelty here, and even more annoyingly, the pictures and captions don't relate to the nearby text. Find something of interest, and you'll have to search through the pages to locate the relevant passage, often chapters away. The text itself is pompous, pedantic and preachy, full of absurd phrases such as "nay," and "let us away," which might actually be amusing if they weren't merely indications of a strangely disjointed and dissatisfying narrative that delves into excruciating levels of detail one moment, then glosses entire subjects the next. (All the more surprising from Maxtone-Graham, whose earlier works are master examples of witty, concise prose.) Worst of all, Maxtone-Graham has fallen into that most hideous of modern affectations, influenced no doubt by the Cameron-Winslet-DiCaprio set, of dropping the determiner before ships' names, as if vessels somehow were living people. While referring to liners in this way might make for more vivid movie-making, in a work with scholarly pretensions, it's merely exasperating, especially when taken by the author to new, more ridiculous heights. In the current volume, even the Normandie's deck names come alive, in lines such as: "Sun deck sported," "Promenade deck boasted."

O tempora, o mores!

The volume does contain some nice touches, however: the fold-out, colorized deck plans and cutaway view are a great feature (though strangely the author chose to publish the flat-plan views, rather than the isometric plans made for the Rio cruise, which are much more revealing.) The chapter on the artistic development of le style paquebot is quite good, providing the reader with genuine insights into the genesis of the Normandie. And despite the lack of novel views, kudos must be granted to whomever cleaned up and rendered the book's black and white photos into sepia. By and large, these pictures are excellent, finally allowing the reader to peer into formerly dark and scratchy images with clarity. (Though unfortunately, several illustrations are deceptively captioned, including one blaring mistake in the Acknowledgements, which labels the Caen Suite "Rouen.") I also found the section comparing the relative appeal of the Normandie and the Queen Mary of interest, though I think author's active Cunard connections render some of his inferences a bit suspect.

In sum, while Maxtone-Graham's new book does an adequate job of relating the facts behind the Normandie's all too brief career, it does little to explain the magic that so enthralled - and continues to enthrall - ship enthusiasts to this very day. And in a $100 volume, that, fellow readers, is fatal flaw indeed.

Am impressive picture of the Normandie from certain views. As a former seagoing Marine Engineer, I was disappointed to find a cursory TWO Page description of the Normandie's Turbo-Electric propulsion plant, which was, after all, much more responsible for her Blue Ribband passage than anything else. One picture of a propulsion motor, presumably from a model.

We had one of the Normandie's Lifeboats at Kings Point, the US Merchant Marine Academy, which I attended in the 1950's.

I have to agree with the review by Michael from Boston. This is a beautiful book but the prose is affected and extremely annoying. Was the author being deliberately flamboyant because of the subject? If he was then it was definately overkill. A disapointing effort from the author of "the only way to cross". I would still buy it though just for the images and the quality of the layout and of course for the picture of Normandie lying at anchor off quarantine.

John Maxtone Graham's book THE ONLY WAY TO CROSS. Foreword by Walter Lord. was the inspiration for me to start collecting anything I could on Trans-Atlantic ocean liners, particularly before mid-twentieth century. After buying it back in the early 70's I couldn't put it down. This book on the Normandie peaks my interest as "The Only Way To Cross" did only more so. Well written with many excellent photos. A must have for any ocean liner hobbyist.

It is a good source of information to use as a reference or addition to for example interactive software tests such as the CDL COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE MANUAL by AplusB Software Corporation, visualised software application that helps keep you focused on the information.
CDL: Commercial Driver's License ManualVICTORYMUL US & CANADA DRIVING TEST FOR ( APB00285 )

Answers all your questions. I would like to see an updated version. DaveC

I have had my CDL for 5 years. If you don't drive for a while, you need refresher training. This book worked great and from what I remember of my original training, this book would have been great for familiarizing beginner's to the entire CDL process. The pre/post tests per chapter help know where your weaknesses are. A lot of the questions were on my original CDL test, so it is up to date. Great job Barron's!

I started out with the New York state CDL test prep book that you get free from DMV. It seemed a little stodgy with older illustrations. I ordered this book thinking it would be much clearer, better illustrations, and more up-to-date. I was wrong. This book is WAY too much fluff, full of info you don't need to know, overmentions law numbers as if that's important, and is basically a big disappointment. Please, Barron's EDIT this training manual...it's full of inconsistencies and poor writing. I have wasted ~10 precious hours trying to get through this. Now I'm back on the NY manual and, boy is it ever straight-forward. I will probably use the Barron's book for the practice tests, but I'm sorry I ordered it originally and then wasted study time trying to get through it.

This book would be a fantastic story if it was written TODAY. It's even more incredible that it all happened in 1932-33.

There are so many levels to enjoy in this book ...

* The pure adventure of it all - setting out on a motorcycle (a 750 pound, 6-horsepower monster, no less!) to travel around the world in 1932. It simply is mind-boggling that he pulled it off.

* The observations he makes along the way and how relevant they are even today. His observations of Afghanistan, in particular give insights into what has always been a war-torn country. If Bush & Co. had read this book, maybe we'd have left well enough alone.

* His pure tenacity and luck to get in-and-out of the situations he stumbles into. Being in jail is just part of the gig, and he takes it all in stride.

* The writing itself ... clean, crisp, and engaging. I couldn't put this book down.

This book is fantastic whether or not you ride a motorcycle.

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Overall, the book is interesting and informative. It gives some great detail about the middle east, India and Asia in general. From a people perspective, I liked the fact that Mr. Fulton goes into some detail about what the people were like and some personalites. I did find however, that in some spots he focused too much on what people thought and not enough on his thoughts and feelings about "where" he was. Toward the end of the book, he rushed. He spent 80% of the time on the Middle east and India, 10% in the rest of Asia, and no time at all anywhere else. Again, overall, it was interesting and informative, but it did not capture my attention like say Jupiters Travels (same genera, by Ted Simon)
rk

this book was a pleasure to read, since I have been to many of the places he has been. It is true and wonderful and I am glad that from now on it is mine.

I could not put this one down. The story is so fantastic that you almost can't believe it happened. To see the world a little as it was 70 years ago was truly a window into the past.

Robert Fulton is a suprizingly good author in that the book flows smoothly and he only talks about what he finds interesting.

I really enjoyed this book; it was too soon over.

I have ridden motorcycles for many years and would liked to have seen more comments on the practical aspects of the trip, even though it was many years ago. I suspect that Mr. Fulton did not keep daily notes but probably wrote down his memories at the conclusion of the trip, thus the detail is not always there.

The portrait of the middle East gives something for the people of today something to think about - basic beliefs and attitudes in that region may not have changed at all. Our expectations may need to be adjusted.

A long trip on a motorcycle is an unforgettable experience for anyone, even today. Four or five days from home, and the resources available there, projects the rider into a state of independence and freedom that I have not found any other way - imagine what it was like for Fulton to be riding across the desert, months from home, no road in some cases, towards the unknown, his life dependent upon his machine continuing to run, and totally on his own.

Every rider should get to read this book - a great treat for the imagination.

The author gives you a plan for slowly adjusting to a bicycle commuting lifestyle. You can customize your plan according to your travel needs. The anecdotal sidebars are also fun to read, as various commuters share their experiences for how they benefited from bicycling.

I bought this for my friend because he was talking about getting a motorcycle and refuses to buy a car. He just likes to bike. Maybe now he will bum rides less and learn to fully embrace his chosen lifestyle.

Chris Barish has done a fantastic job of putting together a collection of concepts that help the reader reason the realities of getting rid of their car or at least using it as little as possible. Solidly written, not long and drawn out it's one that I recommend to all of my progressively minded friends and family. At least one has already taken steps to get rid of his car as a result of the the presentation Barish makes. I highly recommend this publication to anyone to enjoys riding their bicycle or who wants to take a different look at the world.

My car was on its last leg. I was in graduate school and the idea of spending over $1500 on a transmission overhaul was not a pleasant option. I had checked a copy of this book out from the library and read it with interest but had my doubts. Still, in the dead of December when my car refused to turn over I left it in the parking lot, deciding then and there that I would start taking the bus. Indianapolis is not a public transportation friendly city, but I happen to live in an older neighborhood that's close to the city center, work, and basic amenities (e.g., grocery store, post office, bank, etc.) That was over a year ago and I'm proud to say that I continue to live car free!

Car free living isn't for everyone and Balish does a good job of listing the pros and possible cons in a way that won't make people who are currently unable to go all the way feel left out. The point is that we all can take steps to reduce our usage of a personal car. And with gas prices not looking to decrease in the foreseeable now is great time to give it a try!

I've been Car-Free my entire life. I've never gotten a Driver's License. I've never needed it; I've gotten around by either my own two feet, a bike, or on public transit.

I recently read How To Live Well Without Owning A Car by Chris Balish, and it really made me feel good about my lifestyle choice.

Thanks to the book, I've fallen in love with Cycling again; it gave me that extra push to get in shape. I picked up a barely used (read: ridden twice) bike from a neighbor, a pretty sweet Iron Horse Sage Deluxe. After a tune-up, and picking up a helmet, gloves, and a bike pump, I'm ready to ride. Also, I will start training with the intent to ride in the 2009 RAGBRAI. It's a grueling ride; 472 miles over 7 days, but I think if I start training now, I'm confident that I can do it.

My well meaning mother bought me this shortly after getting my first motorcycle. There was nothing of use to be found in the book when I had a problem. It merely contained generic references and useless pictures of bikes that I did not own. It did not have anything useful for MY bike.

This is a good book for complete beginners. I had the tiniest bit of motorcycle knowledge and I found the book a little basic. The main problem with it is that it doesn't tell you anything that a good shop manual doesn't; but it can't really be used on its own. So it's sort of superfluous.

I would recommend it to parents who are trying to get their kids into motorcycling (and teaching them to be responsible for their own maintanance). The pictures are useful and the tone of the book seems to be aimed at teenagers.

A pretty basic book which unbeknownst to me when I placed my order is printed in China on cheap stock. I try to buy made/printed in the USA products when possible and never buy Chinese. I know it's hard to do but I don't need anything badly enough to sell out my beliefs for a couple of dollars in savings for a lower quality product. Save your money. I'm sending this one back.

This book is a great introduction into motorcycle repair. It also does a good job of explaining how different types of engines work. It has many pictures to help the reader understand the concepts being discussed. The book is very general becuase it tries to have wide applicabilty, but is great supplement for people who are just learning about motorcycle mechanics and repair.

This book reminds me of a children's book in its style. While it does give good information, one would be better suited to go with the Essential guide to Motorcycle Maintenance. This book has lots of pictures, but too little text. You will rapidly "outgrow" this book. Mark Zimmerman's book is one that you can "grow into."

Loved the book! Fun to read, and accurate (duh). I highly suggest it mainly because it is one of the best world war two 'field guides' to the war birds that flew during that time period. I've read a lot, and favor this most of all.

If you are looking for a very cursory review of WWII's major aircraft (i.e., a page or two for each aircraft) this is the book for you. If you are a modeler interested in paint schemas for an aircraft you are building it is also good in that good ones are provided. If you are looking for anything more, however, forget it. The book does not cover less well known aircraft. In addition, no information is provided on strategies of the major airpowers, history of the airwar (i.e., battles, growing strengths and weaknesses of nations' airforces over time, etc.), personnel or any other matter.

If a reader is looking for a quick reference guide on World War II aircraft, this slightly oversized book gives basic information about and a good idea of what a particular aircraft looked like. Much of the data is presented in a heavy graphics "USA Today" style that sometimes works well.
Each aircraft, regardless of significance or use, gets two pages. The first page includes a short summary paragraph of the significance of the aircraft, an "at war" style action photograph or painting, and a group of small photos labeled "Photo File" above a "facts and figures box with some bullet points of trivia.
The second page is labeled "Profile" with a large side-profile color drawing of the plane and three to four paragraphs about the use and development. A small box gives the quick statistics on a particular version (powerplant, speed, ceiling, armament, dimensions, etc.).
Then the consistency breaks down.
A few profiles have boxes that show the action in key battles where the aircraft was prominent, or a description of how the aircraft was used to dive bomb or attack a tank. Other profiles have a photo/drawing comparison with two or three contemporaries (sometimes enemies, sometimes from the same side).
Most profiles have another box labeled "Combat Data" or "Action Data" where certain aspects of the performance are compared to others in a graphical format. Some of it is clear and quickly conveys the point like horizontal bar graphs showing the speed of the subject and two contemporaries- the longer the bar, the faster the aircraft. But the numbers and relative differences in the lines are off.
Other times the graphics make no sense. When armament (on a dive bomber?) is compared with other dive bombers, again horizontal bars with a spread are used to show the relative distance. OK service ceiling or angle of dive might be more relevant, but, if you must compare the weapons, why include the defensive machine guns in a graphical comparison. Elsewhere, bombers are compared by bombload (the key statistic), represented by bomb icons of different sizes.
The graphics also become confusing when the identical devices are used for different purposes (range, speed, bombload), or the same attribute is shown 4 or 5 different ways (range). The lack of consistency shows poor coordination, but is not the biggest drawback. The misuse of graphics (e.g. a pie chart to show relative range) or poor use of graphics (e.g. size of engine icons to represent the relative power) is far more distracting. It is also a pity when elsewhere in the book a different graphical device was cleverly used to clearly convey the same point.
Like any similar survey book, questions arise about why certain aircraft that saw extensive wartime service were excluded (e.g. Handley Page Hampden), and others that saw no wartime service (e.g. the Lockheed Shooting Star) were included. The reader is also left wondering why they have a page for Supermarine Spitfire Mk I - V, but not one for Spitfires Mk VI to 22.
The book is useful if the aircraft in question is one of the 123 planes included, but surely there is a better reference book available.