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Loading... Brooklands: Cradle of British Motor Racing and Aviation (Shire Library) (edition 2009)by Nicholas Lancaster (Author)
Work InformationBrooklands (Shire Library) by Nicholas H Lancaster
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Cayman 2024 - #6 - Since i just visited Brooklands 2 months ago, this was a fantastic little book chock full of great historic photos and other memorabilia that definitely tied everything i saw there together in a tight follow-able narrative that i can catalogue in my brain. I take care of a significant race car that raced at Brooklands in 1921, which is what drew me to put it on our agenda when in the U.K. recently. I was welcomed into the archive and was able to do some rather productive research there, so i wanted to better understand the whole Track Story.....not just the 1921 part. This book was perfect for that! ( ) no reviews | add a review
Brooklands, near Weybridge in Surrey, holds a unique and highly important place in the histories of both motoring and aviation. It was the first purpose-built motor racing track in Britain and the first major circuit in the world. From 1907 to the outbreak of the Second World War, the banked circuit was the epicenter of British motor sport, and events at Brooklands - races and speed record attempts - were an important part of the sporting and social calendar. Motor sport was not the only activity for which Brooklands was famous, however: it became an important center for aviation. The first flight of a British pilot in a British aircraft took place there in 1908, and Britain's first flying school was opened within the circuit in 1910. Several manufacturers began aircraft production at Brooklands, and the most important of these, Vickers, took over large parts of the site when motor racing stopped in 1939. Many aircraft, including the Wellington bomber, were built here in large numbers during the war. When peace returned in 1945 the race track at Brooklands was in poor condition and built over in places. Racing never resumed, but the aviation history of the site grew ever stronger, with design and production of airliners including the VC-10 and Concorde. Today Brooklands is home to a thriving museum and, as the years pass, more and more of the old track is being restored to its former glory. This book tells the story of this unique and important site, and conjures up the atmosphere of pre-war race meetings, of wartime aircraft production, and the birth of some of the world's most famous aeroplanes. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)796.72068422145The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Driving motor vehicles Motor racing Subclassifications Organizations, facilities, management Racetracks & speedways Europe England and Wales Southeast England Surrey Woking and Elmbridge ElmbridgeRatingAverage:
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