BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
“Modern Boy’s Book of Racing Gars.” The Amalgamated Press, Ltd. 4/-.
Racing needs all the support it can possibly muster, and anything that germinates interest in and fosters enthusiasm for racing is of unquestionable value to the future health of the Sport. Consequently, we can congratulate the Amalgamated Press Ltd. on the production of a book which cannot fail to arouse an intelligent interest in motorracing amongst a large proportion of those who read it at a correctly receptive age. Actually, apart from its very strong appeal to all schoolboys worthy of the name and those few schoolgirls who are lucky enough to possess a boy’s mentality, this volume is of some interest to older mortals, though naturally the text is written to catch the schoolboy’s imagin ation—and will certainly do so. And knowing something of magazine production, we congratulate the publishers on putting in so much at so low a price— the book runs to 160 large pages and averages about two large illustrations per page. Many of the photographs have appeared before, but it is pleasant to have them all in one volume, particularly the historic pictures and late shots of the German (;.P. cars. The contributors include S. C. H. Davis, John Cobb, the late Eric Fernihough, Capt. Eyston, George Monkhouse, Alan Hess, W. Boddy and B. P. W. Twist. The subjects covered include British tracks, early races, close finishes, sprints, bad weather racing, mascots, the lormula, Monte Carlo Rally, the T.T., record work, cornering, American racing, Nitrburg, motor-cycle racing, cinder-track racing, broadcasting a race, pit-work, Monaco, land speed record, Continental circuits, narrow escapes, Tripoli, road-speeds, the Bentley days, preparation, Le Mans, old cars, and short stories. Enough to educate any youngster. Inaccuracies seem few and far between, although Brooke’s M.G. is credited with such awful distribution that “some cylinders were supplied with pure fuel and others with
pure air.” We like the way famous drivers get a page to themselves, film-star fashion : Seaman, ” Bira,” Von Branchitsch, Chiron, Dixon, Mays, and Howe are so honoured. S. C. H. Davis writes of pit-work, the Monte Carlo, and the Bentley days, Eyston of record-breaking, Monkhouse of G.P. preparation and Cobb’s contribution is called ” Above the Safety Line “—an unfortunate caption, libellous to Brooklands. W. Boddy deals with narrow escapes and vintage cars. A book that is excellent value, and of value to the future of motor-racing.