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VILLA, LEO and DESMOND, KEVIN: : THE WORLD WATER SPEED RECORD

LONDON.BATSFORD,1976.

ISBN 0713430656.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/NFINE.No owner inscrptn,no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright, clean,glossy laminated,blue+black photographic illustrated dw/dj; with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present. Head+foot of spine/backstrip minisculely bumped with reciprocal creasing and also lightly sunned/faded.Top edge coloured blue,fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight and pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - an unread copy? Bright,clean,publisher's original plain,dark blue cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt letters to spine/ backstrip and near immaculate,plain white endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,2-206pp [paginated] includes 13 chapters,Speed records table,41 contemporary b/w photographs/illus interspersed throughout the text and the book,further reading list, an index; plus [unpaginated] title page, contents list/table,acknowledgements,illus list,foreword (by Sir Thomas Sopwith CBE.)and a prelude. When Donald Campbell's 'Bluebird' broke up on the waters of Lake Coniston,dragging her pilot to his death,in 1967,she had already achieved the 'impossible' 300 mph,and 'broken the water barrier'; yet her fastest speed went unrecorded.In the same year Lee Taylor drove the 'Hustler' at 285 mph,and claimed the most recent official record as the world's fastest vessel.And now there are plans for a jet-engined gyroscopically/ computer controlled craft to reach . . . 400 mph? Here,for the first time,is the incredible story of those who strived to achieve the world's fastest speed on water.It is a chronicle which embraces the famous and the eccentric on both sides of the Atlantic - Alexander Graham Bell,Lawrence of Arabia, Gabriele d'Annunzio,Lionel de Rothschild, Betty Carstairs, - and the 'professionals', Garfield Wood,Kaye Don,and the Campbells. Beginning with the steamboats of the 1870's,and the Harmsworth Trophy in 1902, the story traces each stage of development, from the first petrol launches of the 1890's to the takeover of jet from propeller propulsion in the 1950's.It follows the successes of the 'Napier', 'Dixie','Maple Leaf' and 'Miss Detroit' series,and of Garfield Wood with his 'Miss Americas',challenged by the 'Miss Englands' of Sir Henry Segrave and Kaye Don.The next chapters follow the development of 'Bluebird' and the world records of Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald from 1937 to 1967.The final chapter recounts Lee Taylor's career with the 'Hustler',and ends with a prophetic look towards the future. 'The World Water Speed Record' is not only a chronicle of speedboat development,it is also a profound look at an aspect of human nature; it reflects the motivations of the speed kings and the sponsors,the designers and technicians,and their fight against the elements and formidable obstacles that so often ended in tragedy. Leo Villa served in the Royal Flying Corps from 1917 to 1919,and subsequently was an apprentice mechanic in the motor racing stables of Itala in Turin and Ballot of Paris.He joined Malcolm Campbell in 1922, and was the mechanic and constant companion of both Malcolm and Donald Campbell for forty-seven years.His unrivalled knowledge of their pursuit of world speed records endows this book with personal accounts of the major events in the history of the sport.During his career he has travelled extensively to Europe,the United States, Australia and South Africa,meeting and often competing against most of the sport's personalities.For his efforts and work in connection with 24 world records,he was invested with the OBE in 1967. Please contact seller,because of the weight/value of this item,for correct, insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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