Here is a collection of review comments from newspapers, magazines and websites in Britain and America.

“I don’t often do book reviews but when the author is Richard Noble, I’m delighted to make an exception… in 12 short chapters he takes you through all the projects with which he has been involved over the last 43 years. You forget what an extraordinary and extraordinarily varied life his has been.”
Andrew Frankel, goodwood.com

“You can trust Richard Noble to give you a short title but a thrilling read… You’d be forgiven for expecting a rollicking romp through Noble’s own speed-record achievements but this is more than that, documenting the many other people behind the projects, the highs and the lows, and the fascinating stories. Above all, Noble is passionate about British engineering, and that shows through.”
Magneto

“Noble’s book is unusual for the fact that he has written every word of it himself. As a result, his partners and confidants are spoken of with an affection that no ghostwriter could have conveyed, and his press-on approach leaps off every page.”
Steve Cropley, Autocar

“A fast-paced thriller.”
Motor Sport

“Stories such as this are always best from the horse’s mouth – and few horses are as qualified to talk about land speed records as the legendary Richard Noble… We enjoyed reading this so much that we blasted through it in an afternoon.”
Auto Express

“Noble has issued a call to arms in his latest book, Take Risk!, which gives a candid account of his failures and successes and pays tribute to those who stepped up when the going got tough.”
RAF News

“The book is a gentle, charming and interesting read, and comes highly recommended.”
dailysportscar.com

“Richard Noble is a daredevil Englishman of the old school and in this entertaining little hardback he charts the ups and downs of his remarkable career.”
Octane

“The journey that Richard takes the reader on is really a behind-the-scenes story of how to go about building speed-record cars. There’s good humour along the way, too, which makes this an enjoyable read.”
Classic Car Weekly

“This is an engaging and enjoyable book. Noble’s race-along style is so fast-paced that it is also a swift read, but somehow that is apposite… a steal at £19.99.”
David Tremayne, GrandPrix+

“Noble’s story is an inspirational tale of overcoming the odds in pursuing his dreams and well worth reading.”
lacar.com (Don Taylor)

“It is all very much from the author’s own hand and he never hogs the limelight… Most of us will read and thoroughly enjoy the true-life adventure elements of Richard Noble’s achievements and aspirations. Hopefully, at least might think: ‘That’s what I want do do…’”
Best of British

“The fastest man on Earth pays tribute to the designers and engineers who made his record-breaking feats possible. Life-affirming.”
Classic Cars

“A terrific read and possibly one of the best books of 2020. Richard tells a gripping story that blends dreams with reality, success with failure. It is also eloquently written with an authority typical of the man.”
Retro-Speed Magazine

“Noble has written the book himself and all of the anecdotes are told first-hand, with wit in a way that’s unusual for such a warts-and-all account… enjoyable and informative to read.”
Ferrari Owners’ Club magazine

“An enjoyable old-fashioned read.”
Pilot

“Noble’s personality bursts out repeatedly, evocatively, page after page.”
Society of Automotive Historians Journal

Pete Lyons’s Shadow: The Magnificent Machines of a Man of Mystery was one of five 'Finalist' books in the ‘Publication of the Year’ category at the 2020 Historic Motoring Awards.

Organised in association with Octane magazine, this was the tenth year of the Historic Motoring Awards, which took place as an online event on Thursday 22 October.

The winning book was Weekend Heroes 2.0 by Tony Adriaensens, published by Belgium-based Corsa Research and costing £500.

Here is a summary of observations from independent reviewers in the UK and the USA, online and in print.

“This is a remarkably comprehensive reference, seething with facts and rich with perfectly chosen photos – witness the photographers practically leaning over Villoresi’s Ferrari as he chatters over the Monza cobbles.”
Motor Sport

“For enthusiasts of Formula 1 car design, Peter Higham’s ‘Car by Car’ series has become an essential reference work… the text is crammed with revealing and colourful details… Like the rest of this series, it has the feel of a ‘coffee-table’ book and the quality images to back it up, but is also a genuinely satisfying read, something one rarely gets to say of titles like this.”
racefans.net

“The price tag marks this large-format book as one for the completist, and it is indeed incredibly complete… one of the greatest joys of this series has been the ability to dip into the less well-known end of the grid. Among the fabulous obscurata is the Kurtis-Kraft midget in which Indy 500 winner Rodger Ward contested the 1959 US GP… one of the unlikeliest GP entrants of all time.”
GP Racing

“Higham is a motor sport anorak of the highest order so he really knows his stuff… a superb reference… terrific value.”
Ferrari Owners’ Club magazine

“Evro is one of the UK’s leading motor racing publishers and its access to one of the greatest photographic resources in the world, LAT Photographic, now known as Motorsport Images, ensures that every one of this decade-by-decade series of titles that covers all of the cars, teams and drivers can be illustrated to perfection… Over 600 photographs support this excellent tome, which is both reference book and an editorially strong record of the sport’s glory years.”
business-money.com

“Documents the early Formula 1 days in great – and fascinating – detail.”
Magneto

“It’s thorough, encyclopaedic in approach, and the colour photography later in the decade is especially gratifying.”
Octane

“Vibrant… terrific…”
lacar.com (Doug Stokes)

“The author is clearly a completist, and it is always a pleasure to read of the privateers and grid-fillers. There are some wonderful images too…”
Absolute Lotus

“The 1950s was a fantastic era for motorsport and this fact-filled year-by-year volume with lots of great images brings it all home.”
Best of British

“A ton of research went into this literary effort.”
jimdonnellyonwheels.com

“Evro’s ‘Car by Car’ series has been a delight for historic F1 fans… What’s been particularly refreshing is that the books are broken up into small sections on every car that took part, not only keeping it focused on the cars, when so many historians love to focus on the drivers, but also keeping it light and readable… an essential book.”
Classic Car Weekly

“Production values are high, with print and paper quality both excellent.”
The Automobile

“We all know that in Grand Prix racing money talks, but here in Peter Higham’s superlative reference work it seems nothing is further from the truth… simply outstanding, both in terms of production and content. It comes with the Retro-Speed Magazine ‘seal of approval’.”
Retro-Speed Magazine

“Comprehensive.”
txgarage.com

“Impressive attention to historic detail… a compelling picture of the changing landscape in F1’s formative years… a truly impressive insight.”
motorsportweek.com (Joe Saward)

Two Evro books have been shortlisted for the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Awards, which will take place on Wednesday 28 October in either a live or online format at the Club’s Pall Mall Clubhouse. Now in their seventh consecutive year, the awards are recognised as the most prestigious to be bestowed in the automotive publishing industry.

Niki Lauda: His Competition History by Jon Saltinstall has been nominated by the judges for the six-strong shortlist for Motoring Book of the Year, ‘for an exceptional book with wide appeal and costing no more than £75’.

Shadow: The Magnificent Machines of a Man of Mystery is on the shortlist for Specialist Book of the Year, ‘for a feat of impeccable research and flawless writing regardless of its retail cost’.

“The Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Awards have become synonymous with celebrating the best automotive books, authors and publishers,” said Jeremy Vaughan, Head of Motoring. “The quality of entries this year has been quite remarkable, which is a reassuring sign that the industry is in good shape and the appetite for motoring books continue to be healthy. The rigour around the judging process was very impressive and given the quality of entries it was the toughest judging year yet.”

Evro books have won four previous RAC awards:

2014 Motoring Book of the Year: John Surtees: My Incredible Life on Two and Four Wheels by John Surtees with Mike Nicks

2016 Motoring Book of the Year: Brian Redman: Daring Drivers, Deadly Tracks by Brian Redman with Jim Mullen

2018 Specialist Book of the Year: Reid Railton: Man of Speed by Karl Ludvigsen

2019 Specialist Book of the Year: John, George and the HWMs by Simon Taylor

Exactly 50 years ago today, on 14 June 1970, the first Shadow racing car made its race début in the opening round of the fabled Can-Am Challenge, at Canada’s Mosport circuit. A miniature car, literally knee-high and with tiny tyres, this startling newcomer went fast enough for George Follmer to qualify it sixth but its race ended when the engine overheated.

Now, the first history of Shadow racing cars, by Pete Lyons, has just been released by Evro, available direct from us as well as from from online and specialist retailers. That’s Pete below with one of the first copies.

SHADOW: THE MAGNIFICENT MACHINES OF A MAN OF MYSTERY could not have a more appropriate author. Pete was there that day at Mosport, witnessed Shadow evolve to become Can-Am champions by 1974, attended the team’s Formula 1 début at Kyalami in 1973, reported on its Grand Prix exploits for four seasons thereafter — and besides all that in latter years he conducted extensive interviews with Shadowman Don Nichols, the Man of Mystery himself, in preparation for this book. From all this top-quality raw material, together with 600 images, a rather special volume has emerged and Evro is very proud to be its publisher.

 

 

An era has ended with the sad death of the incomparable Sir Stirling Moss. We at Evro were privileged to publish his final book, which he co-wrote in 2015 with Simon Taylor. As ever, he was a delight to work with — professional, committed, always courteous, friendly… and lots of fun. Our thoughts are with Susie, Lady Moss.

Karl Ludvigsen’s book Reid Railton: Man of Speed has won yet another award, bringing its tally to six—a total that is without equal in the world of automotive history publishing.

The Thomas McKean Memorial Cup was presented by the Antique Automobile Club of America at its awards evening in Philadelphia on 8 February 2020. In the AACA’s words, this trophy honours “worthwhile effort during the year in automotive historical research on the basis of accuracy, interest to club members, and the use to which the research is put.” The cup is named in memory of Thomas McKean (1909–49), a bibliophile and former president of the AACA. This is the second time that Ludvigsen has won this award.

Reid Railton: Man of Speed is the first book dedicated to the life and career of Reid Antony Railton, automotive engineer par excellence and the creator of an extraordinary range of cars. He rose to renown during the 1930s as chief engineer at Thomson & Taylor, Brooklands-based racing-car builders. There he realised the dreams of that era’s top men of speed, including Tim Birkin, Malcolm Campbell, Whitney Straight, John Cobb, Raymond Mays and Goldie Gardner. His great cars powered them all to sensational racing and record-breaking success.

Introduced on the death of McKean in 1949, the award has recognised the work of the world’s best automotive historians, among them Griff Borgeson, Peter Helck, L. Scott Bailey, G.N. Georgano, Richard Langworth, Beverly Rae Kimes, Charles Betts, Jr., Jonathan Wood, Philip Porter, Halwart Schrader and Floyd Clymer. Even former General Motors chairman Alfred P. Sloan received AACA recognition.

“I’m over the moon about this recognition by the AACA,” said Ludvigsen. “I feel that it further honours the career of this great English engineer, whose activity as a consultant for Hudson Motors and the success of his record-breakers on Daytona Beach and the Bonneville Salt Flats added an American aspect to his achievements. In fact he retired in America after his war work sourcing engines for the British Navy’s minelayers and escort craft, one of the book’s many revelatory chapters.”

Published by Evro Publishing in April 2018 with the support of Reid Railton’s daughter, Sally Railton Joslin, this two-volume work by one of the world’s most acclaimed automotive historians tells Railton’s personal and professional story in vivid detail and fascinating depth. Set against the turbulent background of the 1930s and 1940s, its special focus is on this engineering genius’s technical accomplishments and Ludvigsen’s interpretation of his unique insights. Nearly 1,000 period images in Simon Loxley’s masterful design enhance this superbly produced book.

Man of Speed’s roster of awards reads as follows:

1. Specialist Motoring Book of the Year, Royal Automobile Club (UK, 2018)
2. Mercedes-Benz Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy, Guild of Motoring Writers (UK, 2018)
3. Michael Sedgwick Award, Society of Automotive Historians in Britain (UK, 2018)
4. Best Automotive Heritage Book, Automotive Heritage Awards (US, 2019)
5. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot Award (English), Society of Automotive Historians (US, 2019)
6. Thomas McKean Memorial Cup, Antique Automobile Club of America (US, 2019)

Judy Stropus collects Karl Ludvigsen’s award at the
Antique Automobile Club of America’s awards evening
in Philadelphia on 8 February 2020

As the glowing reviews for Niki Lauda: His competition history come pouring in, we are delighted to announce that author Jon Saltinstall will be talking about his long-time hero at Race Retro on Saturday 22 February on the main stage at 11.00am. This will be followed by a signing session at Horton’s Books (stand 1-440) at 12 noon.

Saltinstall’s book, a comprehensive and forensic examination of Lauda’s 316 competition appearances, is a labour love that took him nine years to complete. Very deservedly, it has garnered much praise from reviewers in its early weeks of publication, with comments such as ‘brilliant’ (Motor Sport), ‘scholarly’ (Autosport), ‘intensively researched’ (Grand Prix+) and ‘a vivid picture’ (Classic Cars).

The Guild of Motoring Writers has presented its annual Mercedes-Benz Award for the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy to Simon Taylor for his book John, George and the HWMs.

“I’m absolutely delighted that John, George and the HWMs has now won both of the two significant motoring book awards of the year,” said Simon. “It’s a very satisfying reward for a project that was a lot of hard work and occupied most of my life for several years, but also absorbed me, intrigued me and kept me entertained throughout.

“Much of the accolade has to go to the Evro team, who supported and guided me every inch of the way, and ensured that the production quality and packaging of the book were all I could have hoped for.”

Simon is pictured with Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (left) and Mercedes-Benz UK Public Relations Manager Andrew Dean (right).

Simon was also named as the recipient of the Pemberton Trophy, which is presented annually to a Guild member for a special contribution to motoring. The Guild’s citation states that the honour is ‘for his work creating and editing numerous well-known motoring titles’, a reference to his career with Haymarket Publishing starting at Autosport in 1966 and rising to become chairman of the company.

Simon Tayor’s John, George and the HWMs, published by Evro Publishing, has won the Royal Automobile Club’s Specialist Motoring Book of the Year award for 2019.

This magnificent book, presented in two volumes within a slipcase, uncovers the history of the ambitious little HWM racing team. One of the judges, Mick Walsh of Classic & Sports Car, gave this verdict: “A definitive history that is both hugely enjoyable to read and superbly presented, Simon Taylor’s book is a terrific tribute to the HWM team.” Another judge, Gordon Cruickshank of Motor Sport, commented: “Enjoyable and of course well-written. Overdue in subject, excellent presentation, some great tales.”

Founded by John Heath and George Abecassis, the HWM racing team set out in 1950, the year of the Formula 1 World Championship’s inauguration, to race its Formula 2 cars all over Europe in a unique British endeavour. Always run on a shoestring, HWM’s single-seaters achieved great results in flying the flag with mainly British drivers, most notably young Stirling Moss. In 1954 the team turned to sports cars, sometimes beating its Jaguar and Aston Martin works competitors, but Heath’s death in the 1956 Mille Miglia was a tragic setback and the following year the team was wound up. Through the focus of HWM, Simon Taylor’s book paints an evocative picture of a period of motor racing that marked the beginnings of Britain’s prowess in the sport.

Simon Taylor said: “I have long felt that, as Britain began its long climb to the top of the international motor-racing tree, too few people knew about the vital role played by this forgotten marque. The more I researched the subject the more intriguing it became, as I sought to put HWM into the context of the fascinating era of early post-war racing during which these cars were active.

“Finding forgotten facts and unrevealed anecdotes, discovering long-lost photographs, examining each of the 17 surviving cars and meeting their owners — it was all a labour of love that absorbed me for many years. It is hugely satisfying that the finished result has received the seal of approval represented by this award.”

This is the fourth time an Evro book has won a Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year award. In the inaugural year of these awards, 2014, the honour went to Evro’s very first book, John Surtees: My Incredible Life on Two and Four Wheels. The 2016 winner was Brian Redman’s memoir Daring Drivers, Deadly Tracks. In 2018 Karl Ludvigsen’s Reid Railton: Man of Speed won the Specialist award.

Eric Verdon-Roe, Chairman of Evro Publishing, said: “It is a fine accolade for our company, founded only six years ago, to have won our fourth RAC Motoring Book of the Year award. These awards are particularly prestigious because they are bestowed by the Royal Automobile Club and the six judges — all highly respected reviewers and booksellers — really know their motoring books.”

Simon Taylor (left) after receiving his award from the RAC’s Ben Cussons.