Category: Transport

Caravans, steam trains and space travel: New transport books

Celeste

It’s Summer, and many will be heading out on highways across the country with packed cars or caravans hitched up behind them. Caravans and motorhomes have seen a huge resurgence in recent years with borders shut, and our picks of the new transport books this month reflect this renewed interest. Also included this month from opposite ends of the transport spectrum are books on steam trains and space travel. Have a browse!

Ultimate caravan trips. Australia / Best, Catherine
“Ultimate Caravan Trips: Australia is your ticket to #vanlife. This caravanner’s travel bible lifts the lid on 40 of the best adventures you can have on six (or eight) wheels. Organised into state and territory chapters, it is packed with wanderlust to inspire your next caravan trip, from weekend escapes to week-long breaks and multi-destination touring itineraries. Fancy unhitching by the Noosa Everglades, parking up on the sand on the Eyre Peninsula, or winding out the awning riverside in the Huon Valley? Award-winning author Catherine Best has caravanned across the country with her husband and three kids, and her book spotlights many iconic destinations as well as under-the-radar gems.” (Catalogue)

The modern caravan : stories of love, beauty, and adventure on the open road / Oliver, Kate
“A celebration of beautiful mobile spaces and an ode to nomadic living. Brimming with evocative storytelling and hundreds of photographs showcasing handsome interiors and stunning landscapes, this book features more than 35 stories from solo travelers, couples, and families who traded the comforts of a rooted life for ever-changing vistas and eye-opening experiences.” (Catalogue)

Recreational vehicles : a world history, 1872 1939 / Woodmansey, Andrew
“Has there ever been a stranger idea in the vehicle world than putting a house on wheels and taking it on holiday? However odd it may seem, it’s an idea that has caught on. Today there are 15 million recreational vehicles, or ‘RVs’, on the roads of Europe, the USA and Australasia. So how did this fascinating family of vehicles come about? Who were the first recreational nomads, what made them want to take to the road just for pleasure and what did the first RVs look like?” (Syndetics Summary)

Engines : the inner workings of machines that move the world / Gray, Theodore W
“International best-selling author Theodore Gray, whose Elements Trilogy has sold more than 1.5 million copies, now turns his irrepressible curiosity, wonderful wit, and inimitable photography to the world of engines in this visual exploration of everything from the first steam engines to giant turbines to tiny electrical engines.” (Catalogue)

Steam trains today : journeys along Britain’s heritage railways / Martin, Andrew
“Britain has around 180 preserved, or heritage, railways — lines operated for their historical interest. They carry 13 million passengers a year and are operated by 22,000 volunteers. Seldom has there been a bigger spontaneous exercise in turning back the clock. In this book, Andrew Martin seeks to discover why the British are so keen on old railways. ” (Catalogue)

Apollo remastered : the ultimate photographic journey / Saunders, Andy
“Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the last steps taken on the moon, this unique, definitive book about the Apollo missions reveals hundreds of extraordinary, newly-restored, and all-new images from the NASA archives that provide a never-before-seen perspective on the Apollo endeavors.” (Catalogue)

Electric cars and future transport

Xinxin

With more and more electric vehicles and scooters on the road, it’s time to think about future transport and technologies. This booklist includes a science fiction book about future cars. Enjoy!

Insane mode : how Elon Musk’s Tesla sparked an electric revolution to end the age of oil / McKenzie, Hamish
“Tells the story of Tesla and argues that, under Elon Musk’s “insane mode” leadership, the company is bringing an end to the era of gasoline-powered transportation.” (Catalogue)

 

Autopia : the future of cars / Bentley, Jon
“Cars are one of the most significant human creations. But in the next thirty years, this technology will itself change enormously. If Google get their way, are we all going to be ferried around in tiny electric bubble-cars? Or will we watch robots race a bionic Lewis Hamilton? And what about the future of classic cars?  From mobile hotel rooms to electric battery technology; from hydrogen-powered cars to jetpacks, Autopia is the essential guide to the future of our greatest invention.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

All about electric & hybrid cars / Traister, Robert JSelf-driving cars : the new way forward / Fallon, Michael
“Author Fallon presents a history of how the technology used in self-driving cars has developed, identifies recent technological gains, and surveys recent controversies surrounding the potential mass adoption of self-driving cars.”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

Hop, skip, go : how the transport revolution is transforming our lives / Rossant, John
“Urban expert John Rossant and business journalist Stephen Baker look beyond the false promises of the past to examine the real future of transportation and the repercussions for the world’s cities, the global economy, the environment, and our individual lives. In an engaging, deeply reported book, the authors travel to mobility hotspots, from Helsinki to Shanghai, to scout out this future.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The passengers / Marrs, John
“A ruthless hacker has targeted eight driverless cars, setting them on a fatal collision course. If the authorities interfere with the vehicles before they reach their destination, they will explode, killing everyone on board. Now the hacker is insisting that the public – and a select jury – judge who should live and who should die. It’s a trial by social media – a popularity contest that will be fought to the death…”–Publisher description.” (Catalogue)

Carbon neutral by 2020 : how New Zealanders can tackle climate change
“Climate change has become one of the central issues of our time. This book offers a positive response by presenting solutions from a range of New Zealand experts, all of whom show how we can rethink our current practices, mobilise people and put in place new ways of doing things that will help create a carbon neutral society. This is a timely, important book and a positive response to an absolutely critical issue from many of the best-informed people in New Zealand.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Flight, model aircraft, drones and more

Xinxin

Flight and our ability to put ourselves up in the atmosphere is both an inspirational topic, but also one that can allow for such a mastery and level of skill that it intrigues expert hobbyists. If you are this hobbyist, the list of books below can help you take your hobbies to a new height, or even turn your abilities to a new challenge.

Whether your passion is constructing model plane kits, crafting your own radio control plane, drone photography or even model rockets — there’s something here for every flight hobbyist. And if you’d like to watch your plane taking off and gliding in the air, compete with  professional RC racers, or just find some like-minded flight enthusiasts, make sure to also visit the website of our local Wellington Model Aeroplane Club.


Model aircraft aerodynamics / Simons, Martin
“Presents standard aerodynamic theory, as applied to model flight, in a concise and practical form. An excellent introduction to aerodynamics not only for model flying enthusiasts but also for those concerned with full-scale light and ultralight aircraft and sailplanes, remotely piloted surveillance and research aircraft, wind surfers and land yachts, and the designers of wind turbines. Revised and updated to reflect significant developments in model aircraft. 4th ed.” (Catalogue)

Modelling scale aircraft / Green, Brett
“Brett Green, one of the hobby’s leading names, provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the basic techniques and materials needed to build scale aircraft, from opening the kit box to displaying the finished model, all in one clear and easy-to-follow expert guide. The many detailed photographs with step-by-step captions and the accessible and informative text cover every aspect of aircraft kit construction, from initial preparation through all stages of assembly to detailed finishing. This is an essential resource for any aviation modeller.” (Catalogue)

Drones : teach an Arduino to fly / McGriffy, David
“Make: Drones will help the widest possible audience understand how drones work by providing several DIY drone projects based on the world’s most popular robot controller-the Arduino. The information imparted in this book will show Makers how to build better drones and be better drone pilots, and incidentally it will have applications in almost any robotics project. Why Arduino? Makers know Arduinos and their accessories, they are widely available and inexpensive, and there is strong community support. Open source flight-control code is available for Arduino, and flying is the hook that makes it exciting, even magical, for so many people. Arduino is not only a powerful board in its own right, but it’s used as the controller of most inexpensive 3d printers, many desktop CNCs, and the majority of open source drone platforms.” (Catalogue)

Modelling the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A, F and G / Coughlin, Geoff
“The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 is regarded as one of the best fighters of World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, it first saw combat in the summer of 1941 and went on to be produced in several variants. It remains a hugely popular subject for aviation scale-modellers. This book, the first of two to cover the Fw190, provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to modelling the Fw 190’s A, F and G variants in 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale. Key aspects such as creating mottled camouflage patterns, undercarriage and cockpit detailing, final weathering and finishing, and diorama bases to display your models are covered.” (Catalogue)

Above the world : earth through a drone’s eye.
“Very rarely does a new technology level a playing field in an art form, allowing unknown talents to share headlines with established artists. Drones are one of these great equalizers. With this book, we are shining a spotlight on some of the world’s best aerial photography. The subjects of those showcased range from a volcanic eruption to the abstract patterns of fish farms as seen from above, and from never-before-seen views of Patagonia to powerful impressions of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. Above the World is an ode to the beauty of the aerial image as it can be seen and captured by anyone. Let yourself be inspired.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

The Airfix book of scale modelling / Mock, Jonathan
“Produced in full collaboration with Airfix and Humbrol, this book explains how to build scale models to suit all levels of modelling skill. With full colour photography throughout, different kits in a range of scales are reviewed and evaluated, along with a comprehensive overview of the paints and accessories that are available.” (Catalogue)

Great to share with family:

The flying machine book : build and launch 35 rockets, gliders, helicopters, boomerangs, and more / Mercer, Bobby
“Shows readers how to turn rubber bands, paper clips, straws, plastic bottles, and index cards into amazing, gravity-defying flyers. Each project contains a material list and detailed step-by-step instructions with photos. Mercer also includes explanations of the science behind each flyer, including concepts such as lift, thrust, and drag, the Bernoulli effect, and more”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

50 model rocket projects for the evil genius / Harper, Gavin D. J
“Plans, diagrams, schematics, and lists of parts and tools for model rocket projects.” (Catalogue)