Transportation Books

materials are up to date, title widely and fully explained, too

This book is a good read even if you are not venturing far. The update has been well done although has come in for some flak from the purists. It gives a snapshot into how far technolgy has come in the 40 or so years since Beebe started writing.

Very interesting especially from a technical standpoint. A little dry at times and I would have liked a little more personal experience sections. However, I am not finished with it yet, other problems having erupted.

This book is a great reference in trawler boats and crossing ocean reference. I really recomend this book for someone who is envolve in boat building, trawlering and voayge over oceans;

Although I have never ventured beyond the horizon -- fish for blues out to 25 miles offshore--- I have been fascinated with the modern equivalents of Homer's fabled voyager. This book brings Homer's world-travelling explorer into the 21st century. Make no mistake, this is not a tale of imaginary voyages, but an eminently practical guide for those who would cross oceans
in engine powered craft to experience exotic and beautiful vistas. Of course you need upwards of half a million bucks to spend on a world-cruising seaworthy vessel. Beebe never envisioned the exorbitant cost of the trawler market when he designed his original passagemaker. He did lay out some very methodical formulae and building guides for follow-up vessels. The epitome of the lessons from
the first edition were realized by Jim Leishman, author/editor of the revised edition. His Nordhavn 46, and better, his Nordhavn 62, design are the fulfillment of Beebe's directives.
Unlike another reviewer, I did not find that his revisions smacked of a Nordhavn commercial. He included many other contemporary builders' designs and was fair in his assessments of these boats. All in all, the book is THE bible of offshore and trans-oceanic power cruising. The practical aspects of buying and fitting out a vessel, provisioning it for the voyage, and navigating in mid-ocean as well as in shoal waters, are set out in a lively and clear manner.

Beebe is the grandaddy of long range power boating. Once he retired from the navy, he had it in his mind to pack up his wife and some friends and see the world in a small boat. When he originally planned this, he had intended to sail, but he came to realize that a round-bottom hull, combined with a small diesel engine was actually *more* economical than attempting to sail long distance. Sailcloth deteriorates faster than you can burn the equivalent of diesel fuel in an efficient motorboat. This book contains many interesting technical graphs and suchlike from which a builder can design a craft capable of world travel. It also goes over essential equipment, layout and other things a squid like me would never think of. The modern revisions, unfortunately, reflect a slightly different philosophy from the original: with a heavier emphasis on buying fat, expensive turnkey systems with elaborate onboard electrical systems (electric air conditioning, electric hot and cold runnig water, electric winches, electric blah blah blah). Trawler Yachts, basically: the guy who did the rewrite of the original book (written in the 1960s) operates the Nordhaven company, which makes such $700k pleasure boats.

The Buccaneers of America is a great book on pirates! Captain Morgan is discussed in this book. A must read for all pirate buffs!

Exquemelin's account of Carribbean piracy is a classic - it details not only the exploits of a number of individual pirates (l'Olonnaise, Pierre le Grande, Cpt. Morgan to name a few), but also the daily lives of the crew and the democratic nature of a pirate's life in general.

Interspersed among tales of piracy on the high seas (and, often times on land as well), Exquemelin provides a travelouge, vividly describing the flora, fauna, inhabitants and principal ports along the Caribbean. While there are exaggerations, on the whole it provides an excellent first-hand account of life in the Americas when piracy was at its zenith. Highly recommended for historians, pirate fans (and lets face it, who isn't a fan of pirates?), and especially those going to or coming from holiday in the Caribbean. A fascinating read.

This book was very interesting and did not put me to sleep. It kept the history poignant and interesting and did not slow me down at all. As a person who is very into diving and history, the book really enlightened me as to facts about Pirate history that I did not know before. Definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in maritime history or just pirates.

This book was a good account of the violence that ensued when the Buccaneers went in search of gold, liquor and women. It is more of an insider account of violent acts and missions perpetrated by the buccanneers than anything else, but it also gives an interesting description of the pirates (bucs) encounters with Indians, animals, like the cayman and turtles which I found most interesting. The bulk of the history focuses on the warfare between Morgan and the Spanish, and some of the pirate codes and practices that existed among Morgan's men.

Originally published in Dutch, this version is translated by Alexis Brown. The author, Alexander O. Exquemelin (spelling varies widely between versions and sources), provides a first hand account of the environs, history and, to him, current accounts of several of the well known buccaneer captains.

Much of the book is in travel log format and describes the various towns, flora and fauna of the Caribbean, especially locales like Tortuga, Panama and Hispaniola. The author describes various animals and often their suitability as food, such as the differing qualities of the various types of turtles and even manatees. His descriptions of the trees and animals are fairly detailed and the modern reader can often make the connection with current names.

The other focus of the book is a set of narratives of two of the better known buccaneers: Francis L'Olonnais and Henry Morgan. The author provides accounts and opinions of the exploits of these two men and their crews, including the less than admirable usage of torture.

This is required reading for any with more than just a passing interest in pirates (I am somewhat ashamed that it has taken me nearly 8 years to get around to this cornerstone for a true understanding of buccaneers). While the biographical content is limited to just two buccaneers, the basic understanding of the buccaneer lifestyle and environment provide a firm basis for understanding much of what transpired during the 17th century in the Caribbean as well as what was to follow in the Golden Age of Piracy.
P-)

I liked this story because of the ending and how interesting it was. The story was about a bus driven by a man named Mack. Some people on the street where yelling at Mack to watch out and he did. Guess what was down there? It was an animal that was very loud and no one could get it to stop. Read the book "The Blue Bus" to find out what it is. Katie V.

Gus and Tess see a parade of interesting vehicles as they wait for the school bus. A rythmic refrain repeats. The colorful, lively illustrations contain much to discuss and make multiple readings fun for child and adult alike. My two-year-old son enjoys vehicles and loves the short text of this delightful book.

Note that this repair manual covers Volvo S70, V70 and C70 cars for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Hayne's manuals are generally good, albeit with significantly less information that a factory manual. Good for everyday repairs, especially when supplemented with information from Volvo forums on the web.

VERY DISSAPOINTING MANUAL
VERY LOW QUALITY PAPER
VERY POOR PHOTOS
NOT MUCH INFO WHEN COMPARED TO FACTORY MANUALS
VERY OVERPRICED I PAID 38.00 NOW ITS 31.00 STILL WAY OVERPRICED

I've owned a '98' V70 for over six years now and I do all the work myself. I bought this book recently to see if it was any good. I was hoping it would fill in a few gaps that the other books left. After using it for several months now I can say that this is THE book to have for your early 98-99 V70. No other DIY book that I have compares. It's layed out really well. The pictures are excellent. The text is superb. Get it!

This hardback is not as described in the other review. It includes the usual information of Haynes manuals which means that it covers almost everything the home mechanic will perform including engine teardown photos and details. Haynes leaves out repairs that are expert level and the determined mechanic can find information on these repairs if desired.

The paper is normal Haynes paper. The pictures are black and white and clear. The book is expensive because it is a hardback and an import from Britian (with such words as Bonnet and Tyre).

I will fault Amazon with the current wait time for this item. I ended up getting an excellent used copy for about the same price.

Frankly, not sure what Mr. Gushue is talking about.

This is a really excellent book for beginner pilots. Full of experience and common sense. Should be compulsory to read before taking the practical PPL test!

The formal FAA test is just so inadequate for assessing judgment and common sense. This fills the gap!

A good overall book, but with a lot of information that is really common-sense. Good for the beginning pilot, though.

This book answers very well the question, "Now that I've got my pilot's license, what can I do with it?" The author shows that there can be so much more to being even a casual pilot than just shooting three touch-and-goes every 90 days to stay current and legal. Very well organized into bite-sized chapters, each of which covers one particular suggestion, the book was inspirational to this low-time pilot. Even if you only take advantage of a small fraction of the suggestions, and even if there are parts of it that you have no interest in, you should still get a lot out of this excellent book.

You would think that after you got your license you would not have any problem finding stuff to do. Well, not so easy. This book covers everything from grass fields, prepping your family for flight in small aircraft, basic engine care, it is all here. This is a good book for the newly licensed

If you are expecting a book on tips and ideas as to how to apply your PPL knowledge, don't be mislead by the title as I was. Instead it focuses on honing your skill as a pilot and is still very valuable.

I enjoyed reading the book and the reading is not difficult at all. No advanced or difficult concepts are used or assumed and as a PPL (NR) I could relate to all the topics.

I agree with what the author says about why the ship sank, but none of this is really new.
I think the iceberg did more damage than they realized it did, as for Brittle steel, this is another theory from people who have all of the sudden become experts because they saw James Camerons Movie.......

Very interesting take on the famous ship. Revisits a lot of imformation we already knew and brings modern science to bear a la CSI. It comes to a pretty definite conclusion, which adds yet another "If only......." to the saga. Busts a few myths on the way. Any Titanic buff will like it.

What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries
OK, right off the bat I must admit that I am a (now retired) mechanical engineer, so I'm not afraid of a little metallurgy. I have also been something of a "Titanic nut" since I began diving on shipwrecks in the early 1970's (Titanic is, after all, the ultimate shipwreck). All that said, this is a very readable book that keeps the technobabble to an absolute minimum. It is written in an easy style that presents the necessary technical background like the differences between iron, wrought iron and steel and how they are made in only 12 pages, with pictures. The authors use simple, everyday analogies to help the reader understand the concepts being explained and they also introduce many interesting sidebar items. Their theory is that sub-par (even for 1912) rivets in the hull are main cause of the sinking. They relate the labor conditions of the early 1900's and the testimony of the survivors with the known details of both the construction and the current condition of Titanic in a very convincing manner. Unless you are so hopelessly non-mechanical that filling your cars gas tank is a technological challenge, you will find this book to be a very good read.

"What Really Sank the Titanic" is yet another book where the authors attempt to attach themselves to the Titanic story by offering "new discoveries" into the disaster that have little if any substance to them.

The first stumbling block in the authors' arguments is that they ask the readers to accept that out of the 3,085,000 rivets used to construct the Titanic, the 48 which they analyzed constitute a sufficiently large sample group on which to base their conclusions. More critically, none of the rivets they used demonstrably come from the damaged section of the bow, making their "conclusions" nothing more than "inferrences."

Most devastating of all is that the authors themselves show that the location of the most extensive and critical damage done to the Titanic in the collision with the iceberg--the openings in Cargo Hold 2 and Boiler Rooms 6 and 5--occured in the part of the hull which was hydraulically riveted using steel rivets, rather than in the section of the bow where allegedly "substandard" rivets were driven by allegedly "second-rate" riveters.

Further, their assertion that the shipyard, Harland and Wolff, used "second-rate" work crews in an effort to complete the Olympic and Titanic on time betrays an utter lack of understanding of the shipbuilding industry in Belfast in the early 20th Century, as well as of the business relationship that existed between the shipyard and the White Star Line.

The hypothesis--and it is nothing more than that--presented by McCarthy and Foecke is of passing interest, but it is far from proven, and lacks any real lasting historical value. It provides no new insight into the disaster itself, instead being more of a curiosity than anything else.

A well researched and presented theory on what contributed to the Titanic's infamous demise. While it often gets bogged down in the minutiae of science, the book still manages to captivate Titanic-philes and conspiracy theorists, alike.

The more I learn about the behind-the-scenes world of Harland & Wolff, the more this hypothesis makes perfect sense. Plus...maybe Thomas Andrews wasn't the tragic hero he's been made out to be...interesting.

Certainly worthy of a place on your bookshelf for maritime collectors. A very interesting read by obviously respectful Titanic admirers.

I got this book for my husband who recently bought a go kart for the whole family to enjoy. He really thinks it is written well, and very informative

Although The Karting Manual was written primarily for a European audience, it gives great deal of insight on how a modern sprint kart works and more impotently to me, how to drive them. I bought the book for 12 year old son just starting in karting, I have raced them on and off for more then 30 years. I did find it was more general and seemed to be geared for the new kart racer, which is what I was looking for. I was very happy with the explanations on driving the book had, many where the points I had tried to make with my so, but the book did a better job explaining the concepts in a clear concise manner that even younger readers can understand. The book has excellent photography, the only drawback is since it was written for European karting, some of it's contents do not apply to North American karting. Nevertheless, if your a new kart racer looking for a book about modern karting and techniques, I would recommend it. It is not a technical manual, however.

This is easily the most comprehensive and well-rounded karting book for beginners and intermediate karters currently available.

Everything from the types of events, karts, the equipment you need, flags, race day procedure, racing line, tyre and chassis dynamics, driving techniques (including a full chapter dedicated to wet weather racing), all aspects of racecraft, race strategy, physical and mental preparation, set-up fundamentals, even sponsorship acquisition and more are included.

Not only that, everything is backed by excellent photography and clear, helpful diagrams throughout.

It has been written for the European karting scene, as other reviewers have pointed out, meaning one or two elements won't apply to North American audiences. However, the vast majority of the book is universal and will be of great use for any karter, regardless of where they race.

All in all, an essential book for anyone taking up karting or even experienced karters hoping to improve their skills.

A clear and concise approach to the essential information necessary for the student pilot. I often referred to this book during my training. It gives clear and well explained examples utilizing real world aviation problems. The section on weather is excellent for primary training as well as a reference.

This book covers all topics relevant to private pilot training without beating any subject to death. The excellent graphics and pictorial examples help to make semingly complex topics simple. I think this book is an indispensable resource for any student pilot. Particularly useful is the section on cross country flight planning which brings all of the stages of flight planning together in a good example of a cross country flight.

I have been self studying aviation and all that it entails for some time now. Initially started buying all sorts of reading material. Soon learned I could spend a small fortune in just books alone. Some aren't very good, others are strictly technical, in short not what I needed.

This book may seem pricey to the uninitiated; don't let it throw you. The information provided under one cover is very concise and intuitive. It is not meant to be the end to all study and info gathering. Yet, it touches on most areas of flight knowledge. You'll learn how to use and interpret the E6-B flight computer, how a good flight plan is put together, FAR's, AIM...and just what are all those charts associated with navigation? Not meant to be the final word on knowledge, you'll also be provided with references to other publications and reading material.

I think you'll agree.