I have always been an avid reader. For as long as I can remember there have been plenty of books in my house. When we were little it was expected that more than 50% of our Christmas and birthday presents would be books. These lasted longer and were of more importance than all of the fripperies that come with childrens’ presents. Some of them I still have, though I am sometimes ashamed that I didn’t keep more of them.
As a teacher, I tried to always instill in my students the love of reading and I was very privileged to have spent time at several of the schools as the teacher/librarian. Having the responsibility of buying new books for the library was like a kid being let loose in the toy shop!
My own collection has always been large and eclectic but, while I churn through fiction books and hand them on, my purchasing of non-fiction books has slowed to almost nothing in the last decade or so. This has nothing to do with a lack of interest and everything to do with the now ferociously high price of new books. Haunting second-hand bookshops and thrift stores has become a habit and I am always amazed at what I pick up. A couple of years ago I bought a copy of Eric Sykes’s book on the history of The Goons, long since out of print and rare, I would imagine. Hardcover with the paper cover intact for $8 from a thrift shop in Corryong on the Victoria/NSW border.
In the picture above I have photographed a small selection of my hardcover collection. From the top row, l-r they are.
“Over Halling the Colony”. Jeannie Scott’s definitive history of the Hall family, tracing it from back in Northumberland, England to Pitt Town in NSW and thence to the Hunter Valley. The name comes from the quotation by the famous cleric, James Dunmore Lang who, when told of George Hall and his 7 sons, remarked that soon they would “over Hall the colony.”
In the middle my copy of “Rocket Men” the history of the Haslam family. I am fortunate that I was able to buy the book FROM Ron and that both he and Leon both agreed to sign it for me. I’ve always been a Ron Haslam fan, but, of course, you already knew that.
“Skunk Works” by Ben Rich. While Kelly Johnson gets most of the kudos for the amazing aeroplanes that the Skunk Works produced, U2, SR71 et al, Ben Rich was an equally integral part of the deal and his story, told without any attempt at glamorising the efforts, is worth reading over and over again.
“Croz” The official autobiography of Graeme Crosby (after whom my wife and I named our son in 1978). Croz had engaged a writer to do the job but was dissatisfied with that he was seeing, sacked the writer and did the job himself. If you haven’t read it, you should, and if you HAVE read it and also had anything to do with Graeme, reading it feels just like he is talking to you, it’s quite spooky really.
“Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” Douglas Adams’s iconic space trilogy in 4 parts. It’s a wonder the print isn’t worn off the page of this one from both me reading it and others, to whom I have loaned the book, doing the same. “Resistance is futile”
Mick Woollett’s, “Racing Motor Cycles”. Now out of-date in terms of modern technology but an invaluable reference especially in light of its in-depth coverage of the technological explosion that accompanied the arrival of the Japanese factories in the 1960’s.
“The Far Side Gallery.” One of about half a dozen books of Gary Larson’s famous Far Side cartoons that I have. Every time I pick it up and scroll through it, I get a laugh even though I’ve read all of them before.
Next are two Jim Scaysbrook books. The first “The Castrol Six Hour Production Race” the definitive history of the Six Hour. This one is a little special since I bought it at the launch in Sydney and it is signed by a huge number of the luminaries who were there that night. I actually have TWO copies of the book because, when I got it home and started reading it, I found that there were pages missing. I contacted Jim and the publisher sent me another copy with all the pages intact, free of charge. So, when you see me adding details to posts about the Six Hour when it’s mentioned on Facebook, this is where I have gone to get the answer.
Next is “Australia’s Motorcycle Heritage” This BIG book is gold mine of information and pictures, scrupulously researched and cleverly written, in typical Scaysbrook style.
“On Racing” by the late Sir John Surtees, was originally published in article form in the British motoring magazine, “The Motor Cycle” then collected into a book and published in 1960. Historically fascinating, of course, and very valuable to me as it is personally autographed by the great man himself when he came out to Australia and raced at an Historic meeting at Sydney’s Amaroo Park in January 1985. Long before my interest in motorcycles, “Big John” was my Formula One hero so this one is very special.
“Stealing Speed” by Mat Oxley. I am a dedicated Mat Oxley fan, his insights into present-day MotoGp are first class and this book, the story of how Suzuki got a hold of Ernst Degner from East Germany and with him, the secret of tuning two stroke motorcycles is a classic.
I have dozens more books, possibly hundreds, but this is just a sample. How many of them have you read?