No comments about 2008 Collector Car Price Guide.

1 comments about The Great Book of Harley Davidson.

1. This is a huge and heavy book, well printed in Indonesia on what seem to be top-notch materials. Except for a bit of excessive contrast in some of the old black & white illustrations, you really couldn't ask for higher production values. The work is a repackaging of two earlier works, "Harley Davidson, a Way of Life, a Hundred Year Old Myth" (2002) and "Harley Davidson, Evolution of the Myth" (1999), which in turn seem to be related to a number of similar titles published by the same authors in English, Spanish and French over the past ten years. But none of that detracts from the current title, at least for those who, like this reviewer, don't already own the earlier works. If this is an English translation, it is a fluent one.
   
   The first third of the book goes over the history of the company and its products - even bicycles! - in good detail, with extensive photos of personalities, machines and even period literature. The photos are generally very good or better, and they alternate between close-ups, detail shots and typical advertising brochure-type product overviews to maintain your interest. There are many, many other Harley books that cover this same ground with equally good photography, but I am not aware of any which actually do a better job.
   
   The accompanying narrative seems to be equally comprehensive and balanced, although I've not yet read it all carefully enough to say how accurate it all is with any certainty. It certainly seems to be well done, though, and I found the parts I read interesting as well as keyed in well with the nearby photos.
   
   The remainder of the book, however, really makes the whole project for this reviewer: The authors have not only a love of beautiful restorations and classic, factory-stock Harleys, but also a passion for the infinite variety of "customs" that Harley owners and professional builders have churned out in great numbers over the past half-century or more. The illustrations chosen run a fantastic gamut from the bizarre to the beautiful... well illustrating the creativity and individualism which have come to be identified with this quintessentially American marque.
   
   Does this review sound like something written by the stereotypical "outlaw biker" or Harley fanatic? Well, no, actually... I've ridden "most vroom for the buck" Japanese bikes and über-practical BMWs for most of my life! But unless you have no soul at all it's impossible not to appreciate the Harley as both a riding "experience" - pretty unique until quite recently, when the Japanese finally got their American-style V-Twin clones "right" - and as an art form and starting point for individual expression - for which H-D is still unmatched. This book, by two French admirers, very admirably conveys the feeling so many have for Harley-Davidsons of all sorts... and will encourage a lot of new purchases!

3 comments about Airplanes of the Second World War Coloring Book (Colouring Books).

1. My two sons have spent hours pouring over these pages, and working very hard to make their planes look like the originals. First coloring book my 10 y/o has ever wanted to use!



2. The book is very well done. The aircraft depicted are done so realistically. My grandkids love coloring in this book. It's great for kids of all ages.



3. This is a very easy book to color and a lot of fun. Although the author gives detailed coloring instructions in the captions, they may be a bit challenging if one is not familiar with parts of the plane. I found an excellent site on the internet which provided me with small color images of many of the planes, which helped a lot. The site is: www.aviation-central.com
   The book is a "must" for any military aviation enthusiast who also likes to color.

1 comments about Cutwater: Speedboats and Launches from the Golden Age of Boating.

1. Anyone who loves classic wooden boats - and even anyone who doesn't - will find this photographically stunning book a joy to open. And have trouble putting down once they have.
   That's how beautiful Duncan's full-color images are, and how easy-going they'll find the text. Its brevity and light touch leave the reader wanting to know more. And see more of Duncan's compelling photographs of boats old and new that almost defy description in their pursuit of aethetic - and mechanical - perfection.

   It's a perfect gift for any boat lover in need or not. Think Christmas, think birthday, think any empty coffee table. Treat yourself. The very beauty of such hand-crafted masterpieces is an indulgence worth enjoying any time.

5 comments about The Ultimate Classic Car Book.

1. What is a classic car? And which of them should be featured in a book titled the ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR BOOK?
   
   The book claims to have "gathered the most desirable of the world's great cars" but of the hundreds of makes and models that the Classic Car Club of America recognizes as a classic ("a fine or distinctive automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948") not one is featured in ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR. Not even the universally acclaimed Cord 810 Phaeton that American Heritage magazine selected as "The Single Most Beautiful American Car" is included. If your interest is vintage--from highly sought marquees such as Auburn, Franklin, Packard, Pierce-Arrow and Stutz to Detroit's most familiar icons such as the Ford Model T and A--you are out of luck. In fact, except for the 1934 Citroen Avant, no cars manufactured prior to World War Two are to be found in the book.
   
   If classic for you means muscle the ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR BOOK has the Barracuda, Charger and GTO but omits the Challenger, Coronet, Cougar and many others. In 1990 Car and Driver magazine selected the ten best muscle cars of all time, but of the ten, only the Pontiac GTO makes it into the ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR BOOK.
   
   Regardless of the model year or type of vehicle you will not find any AMC, Chrysler, De Soto, Kaiser, Lincoln, Mercury, Nash, Oldsmobile, or Studebaker cars profiled in the book. Of the 90 cars featured in ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR only 16 are American made. Plymouth gets two pages for one of its cars, while Citroen gets ten. In the book's 224 pages only European sport cars are reasonably represented.
   
   Dorling Kindersley (DK) publishes many beautiful photograph filled books and ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR is no exception--but this classic car book is far from being the ultimate and will surely disappoint anyone fascinated in America's great venerable cars.



2. This book is very beautiful. It has great pictures of each car from different angles, a short description of each car and lots of comments about certain details.
   
   Although this is a very nice book, it doesn't quite live up to its title, for a couple of reasons. First of all, the descriptions for each car is quite short so if you're interested in some specific cars, you'll need to look elsewhere for more complete information.
   
   The other reason is the choice of cars included in the book, as well as excluded. It's obviously very difficult to choose among all the classic cars in history, but here, the term "classis car" seems to have a vague defenition. Here are some cars that are undoubtedly classics because they are of great historical importance, such as Mini Cooper, Citroen 2CV, some that are classics because they are among the most sought after exclusive cars in the world, such as Bentley, Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 365, etc. But there are also those that don't seem to be classics at all, that the writer himself says are bad, like Maserati Kyalami and Daimler Dart. How come these are included when certain other classics are excluded? I also wonder why there are no pictures of the early Lamborghini Countach but only the anniversary model, and why did they chose late convertible models of classics such as Morris Minor and Volkswagen?
   
   These are just minor flaws and this is a very good book that I'm glad I own. But don't buy it expecting an "ultimate classic car book".



3. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at everything contained in Quentin Wilson's "The Ultimate Classic Car Book," but what it contains doesn't even come close to earning it the title, "Ultimate."
   
   Don't get me wrong, it's a very good book and may well be worth your $18 (or whatever you can get it for "Used"). But as a person who owns a classic car and has been active in classic car circles for several years, a book doesn't earn the "Ultimate" designation when it doesn't include the bullet-nosed 1950 or '51 Studebaker, a 1913 Stutz, the Tucker, a '41 Lincoln Zephyr, a '55 Plymouth Belvedere, a '57 Chevy Nomad, or several others widely recognized as classics.
   
   Yes, I realize that my little list there is heavily skewed to American cars, but Wilson's book is VERY heavily skewed to include more models than necessary from Rolls-Royce/Bentley, BMW, Datsun, MG, and a couple of others. Again, don't misunderstand -- those are all great cars that he has included. I simply don't think you can include so many of those, ignore other obvious classics that many of us would like to learn and see more about, and still call your book "Ultimate".
   
   I know I'm obsessing a bit, but if I only had $20 to spend on such a book and bought it over the Internet, I would feel a little cheated upon seeing how much it leaves out. Just make sure you review it thoroughly above so that your expectations are on target.



4. STAR OF THE SCREEN
   ON PAGE 92 WHERE BULLITT AND THE CHARGER ARE MENTIONED, IT EXPLAINS HOW THE CHARGER ALSO HAD MAJOR ROLES IN THE 1970s CULT MOVIE >VANISHING POINT. AND THE AMERICAN TELEVISION SERIES>THE DUKES OF HAZZARD.
   
   THE CAR THAT PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN VANISHING POINT IS IN FACT A "CHALLENGER" NOT A CHARGER AS INDICATED.
   
   FOR SOMEONE WHO IS DOING RESEARCH OR LOOKING TO LEARN ABOUT CARS AND MOVIES, THAT BIT OF INFORMATION IS SPECIFICALLY INACCURATE.



5. It seems Quentin Willson has made the ideal coffee table book. The Ultimate Classic Car Book groups together all shapes and sizes of classic cars from DeLoreans to Datsuns and Vegas to Volkswagens, and all with original and beautiful photographs wrapped in concise and precise text equavalent to about a page of novel. Willson does a very consistent job of presenting each car with basic facts and statistics along side special traits or other interesting items that make each car unique. One example of an interesting fact is the mention of the "Autronic Eye" available as an option on the 1959 cadillac convertible that would dim the headlights when an oncoming car approached. Willson also gives us insight into the cars by adding his own commentary. Examples of this can be found in his reference to the "Autronic Eye" as a mere marketing gimmick that never took off and his accusal that the stainless steel of the delorean was a "cynical marketing ploy." Even if you aren't interested in reading about the many classic cars of the world, this book is worth a purchase just for the full color meticulously crafted photographs and trivia. I would recommend The Ultimate Classic Car book to anyone interested in learning about automobiles of the past

No comments about 2009 Collector Car Price Guide.

3 comments about The Art of the Sports Car: The Greatest Designs of the 20th Century.

1. This is a great book of historical sports cars, with lots of information and beautiful pictures. This is a neat reference and a great coffee table book, very informative and very very classy too! I really recommend this for a car person, of just someone who loves the history or simply the art of beautiful cars.
   
   Sam Kochel: STi driver



2. This book is a beautiful. You do not have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy this book, where art and beauty come together in a well-detailed book. An excellent edition to any coffee table collection.



3. The author does it again! This time he captures 50 of the best sportscars with purpose made photography, done especially for the book, and writes simple but very informative text so everyone can relive the best of the best.
   Bravo!

3 comments about In the Cockpit: Inside 50 History-Making Aircraft.

1. Gave this as a gift to my pilot father and he loved it. Perfect choice for anyone who aprreciates these aircraft. Great pictures and cover design!



2. The book looks interesting and the concept is solid. If you're into flying and especially old planes this glimpse into so many cockpits should prove of more than passing interest. That said, it's a sign of the times that even the Smithsonian Institute would stoop to some dubious marketing. If you enlarge the cover photo you'll see that John Tavolta's name is in large print just below the title. Indeed Mr. Travolta did write the forward, all five sentences of it. Literally, five generic sentences that offer nothing more than cover tease to snag some buyer interest. If you do buy the book at least lend it to those who only have a mild interest and let the Smithsonian know that they should have more integrity than promoting products with cheap celebrity hype. Since comments here must be accompanied by a rating, I'll leave it at 3 as a neutral comment.



3. This book is beautiful! I saw it at Borders today. Even if you are not interested in cockpits you should pick up this book. Cockpits are interesting and these are some of the most famous aircraft of all time.
   
   BEAUTIFUL photography. In addition to the photos I really enjoyed the nostalgic look and feel to the book. A very cool book indeed by two of the world's best aircraft photographers. No wonder they work at the Smithsonian...
   
   David Palermo

3 comments about Automobiles of the Chrome Age: 1946-1960.

1. Have autos looked any better than Michael Furman's stunning photos, I doubt it. These vehicles look just perfect with liquid looking bodywork and perfect chrome, in fact they probably look better than ones just off the assembly line. This is fine art photography and if you wonder how the 'Furman look' is achieved there is a clue on his website. Click on BIO and you'll see a shot of his studio with an amazing looking light panel hovering over what looks like a very small car. It seems to me that his controlled lighting source is the key and when digital images are printed on quality paper with a 200dpi screen you'll see the perfect picture as on these pages.
   
   The choice of cars seems rather arbitrary, classics like the 56 Austin-Healy, the 58 Ferrari Testa Rosa or the 59 Cadillac Eldorado are a few page turns from possibly the ugliest chrome grill ever of the 51 Hudson Hornet or the bubblegum styling and color scheme of the 56 Ford Crown Skyliner. As well as whole cars there are plenty of lovely close-ups of logos and styling features, the fins of the 48 and 59 Cadillacs, a Buick 49 Dyna-Flow trunk handle or the hood ornament of a 57 Oldsmobile Super 88. Furman's photography can make any vehicle sparkle.
   
   Awe-inspiring as all these photos are I was very disappointed with the book because it is the wrong shape. There are seventy-one side shots of cars and they clearly don't fit an upright page. They rightly have generous margins left and right which means they are even smaller still on the page. If the book had been turned sideways into a landscape format it would perfectly complement these profile photos so instead of being small and surrounded by too much white space the existing ones would be three or four times larger. Another advantage would be to avoid the middle of the book splitting those shots that do extend over a spread. Also, for a lavish photobook it has the usual conceit of placing all the captions on back pages but because of the wrong shape there is plenty of white space on each page for the captions to be set in some elegant typography.
   
   Michael Furman takes beautiful auto photographs and it is unfortunate that this book does not give them the exposure they rightly deserve.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
   
   
   
   
   
   



2. This book is another loving tribute to those classic autos that can send shivers up your spine sometimes, they're so cool. I simply cannot see how Mike's photography can be improved upon in any way, shape or form. Buy this; you won't regreat it, promise.



3. Micheal Furman created an amazing collection of car photography. You're taken by the beauty of the different design of the era. Excellent gift for any car enthusiast.

5 comments about Standard Catalog of Lionel Trains 1900-1942.

1. The book was delivered very quickly. The seller took great care to protect the book during shipping as the book arrived in perfect condition.



2. David Dole has accurately researched the prewar era of Lionel Trains in detail with descriptions and great photos. If you are collector or just interested in old toy trains young or old you will enjoy this book. The pictures of the actual trains and copies of pages from the old catalogs are worth buying the book for. My grandchildren love looking at David Doyle's book on Lionel Trains.



3. This is definitely required if your are intrested in these trains or thinking about purchasing one. It is a total and complete refrence for every item released in those 42 years. It has ratings, and excellent photos. It is like have an encyclopedia for my trains, as I use it to find a particular engine or engine or car #. Hats off to David Doyle



4. Very help in determining age and type of Lionel items,and value before purchasing or selling.



5. David Doyle's new Standard Catalog Of Lionel Trains 1900-1942 is the most complete guide available for Lionel products: collectors won't want to be without it. From the turn of the century until World war II, Lionel turned out toy trains for kids of all ages: over a thousand color photos blends with pricing guidelines for different conditions to accompany a history of Lionel products. Organized by type of product, from passenger cars and ballast cars to box cars, collectors will find this quite an easy reference to use.