Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Ellis · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:40 am Post subject: Your favourite reading ?

I am a railway buff and I must have 500+ books about locomotives, footplate reminiscences, the "big four" and British engine designers collected over the last thirty years or so.

I also enjoy naval fiction, CS Forrester,Douglas Reeman/ Alexander Kent, Nicholas Montserrat and others but I have recently found two "new" authors of Naval fiction - Alexander Fullerton and Nicholas McCutchan.

Does anybody know of any more, please?

What do you like to read?
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roverdriver · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:37 am Post subject:

I usually like biographies, especially if the subject has been an engineer of any sort, or involved with the motor trade. other than that, very interested in actual history, but rarely read fiction these days.
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peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7219 Location: Edinburgh

I never read fiction. Like Dane I like biographies. Other than that I just dabble in history or text books.

Peter
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Keith D · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:35 pm Post subject:

Like you Ellis, I am also a railway buff and I collect and read any railway book I can get my hands on regarding the days of steam. I also have an extensive 00 gauge layout to compliment this.

I enjoy naval history books like those you mentioned. May I also add Ellis K. Meacham who has written a short series of naval fiction concerning the East Indiamen. There is Adam Hardy who has written about Nelson's navy and there is Dudley Pope who wrote the Ramage series.

I also enjoy books by Clive Cussler, Leslie Thomas, Neville Shute (who must fit into roverdrivers categaory of engineers who write books)

Keith D

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

I tend to read biographies or workshop manuals. I have a collection of old car related books, strangely almost 50% are American and I have only had one old US car, and that was nearly 20yrs ago. I do like to drop in and out of an old Audels or MoToR (American) manual.
I am currently re-reading Smokey Yunicks "Best Damn Garage In Town". A bit of a character!

Roger-hatchy · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 2135 Location: Tiptree, Essex

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Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4880 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi Ellis
Naval Books Try John Wingate.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/569168.John_Wingate

For anyone lookin for aviation books I like Earnest K Gann, Nevil Shute and Richard Bach, the early flying books are great and you might even find the later, more philosophical ones, interesting..
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Ellis · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:44 pm Post subject:

Ellis · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:46 pm Post subject:

emmerson · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 1268 Location: South East Wales

Try the Patrick O'Brian series of books about Captain Aubrey and Surgeon Maturin.
But beware, it is one long continuous saga over twenty-one books, which need to be read in sequence!
I'm currently on number five.
Great read, though

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

I have never read a book since I left school. I dont have the patience.
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Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

Ellis,
I have Naval books by Meacham, Pope, Reeman/Kent,, Forester (of course), Beach and Kidd. Mostly, as far as I am aware complete sets, in paper back.
All of these with the exception of Douglas Reeman are chronicles of the life of the "hero" and best read in chronological sequence,
The Kid books are still being added to by the author.
I also have the first ten or eleven (of fourteen I believe) Fox novels. These are very slim but still a good read.
I only have the odd O'Brian Books. They are written in a manner to represent the grammar of the time. Which I find less appealing. Addressing another man as "My Dear" rather makes me cringe.

I think it is time to move these books on. If you would like them and are prepared to arrange a courier (Parcel2Go seem very good and competitive), I am prepared to pack them up and hand them on. They will constitute a rather large and weighty package.
PM me if you wish.
Regards, Jim.
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pigtin · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 1879 Location: Herne Bay

PG Wodehouse for me. Whenever I'm feeling a bit down the dialogue between Jeeves and Wooster are a tonic.
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welshrover · Joined: 09 Aug 2011 Posts: 326

Keith D · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:39 pm Post subject:

I also love the Wooster and Jeeves series of books and also the TV series. The original TV series (mid 60's) starring Dennis Price as Jeeves and Ian Carmichael as "young master" leaves the later series with Stephen Fry in for dead!

From memory, the "old two seater" that Jeeves used to drive Bertie around in, was a WIDGEON SEVEN!

Keith D