The Olympic Airways story has fascinated Graham M. Simons for many years. This new book represents the culmination of decades spent researching the history of this fascinating Greek airline. It is a story of evolution, conflict, personality and politics, all set against a backdrop of world and civil wars, coups and counter-coups.During the course of his research, it became apparent to the author that many of the fine details pertaining to the company weren’t widely known, although almost everyone had heard of the towering, controversial, leading figurehead who oversaw much of the central part of the story: Aristotle Socrates Onassis. His colorful life is threaded through this history, lending it drama and multiple levels of intrigue.The airline’s story cannot be told in isolation. Olympic did not spring fully formed into being in 1957. The named company may have come into being then, but its roots were set much further back in history through a number of predecessor airlines – both national and international – who had been using the Hellenic Republic and Athina as the crossroads of the air for the Eastern Mediterranean since the dawn of aviation.This is the story of the birth and dramatic life of an airline with a chequered, controversial and complicated history. Graham M. Simons has skilfully woven all the various threads to create a powerful and important historic record.
After building his first race cars out of southern Louisiana junkyards, Bob Riley quickly established himself as a leading light, if not genius, when it came to race car design. His first major suspension design helped Henry Ford II make good on his vendetta to beat Enzo Ferrari at Le Mans. Riley’s first radical Indy car designs with its ingenious center hub mounted suspension resulted in A.J. Foyt’s landmark fourth victory at the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. Since then, Riley has continued to be at the heart of the world of motorsports, working with its most famous drivers at the biggest events, including the Daytona 500, where his engineering helped Dale Earnhardt finally win NASCAR’s marquee event.
Americans love the “genius” angle like everyone else. They love winners. Sports stars are overtaking Hollywood these days in popularity. Racing readers are a small but predictable group and suspect the generation familiar with Bob’s exploits at Indy would be keen on a book like this. They’re the same age group pumping up the vintage magazine market and the collectible car market.
In the quest for ultimate speed, Formula One combines human drama, cutting-edge technological innovation and high-stakes finance in a thrilling global circus watched by half a billion avid fans.
The Fastest Show on Earth brings the FIA Formula One World Championship vividly to life for everyone from first-time race-goers to avid fans wanting to delve even further into the Fastest Show on Earth. Experts from within the industry share their insights into the effect that recent revolutionary changes to regulations have had on engines, tyres, brakes, aerodynamics, fuel, safety and the use of data in a whole new era of racing.
It is both a superb technical guide – including circuit diagrams, team histories, driver profiles and a comprehensive glossary – and a fantastic collection of writing offering fascinating insights into the inner workings of a world that offers everything from tragedy to thrilling triumph.
From the cut-throat intrigue of the Piranha Club to the unsung heroism of pit lane, every aspect of Formula One is covered in compelling detail.
The tragedy of bygone eras is skilfully evoked in ‘The Limit’ and ‘Jochen Rindt: Uncrowned King’ while the unending quest by drivers to find the mysterious ‘zone’ is explored in ‘Overdrive’.
Much more than just a sport and far more than a business, Formula One is a world of larger-than-life personalities and razor-sharp business people who reveal their leadership skills in ‘The Business of Winning’ and their ability to innovate in ‘Performance at the Limit’. There is also a window into the very private world of the ultimate ringmaster in ‘Bernie’s Game’.
This extensive guide includes the official FIA circuit diagrams, team histories, driver profiles, circuit fast facts, technical braking profiles, a special section on the history of Formula One in the US and the most comprehensive glossary of Formula One terms ever compiled.
The fascinating story of a century-old automobile dynastyFiat is one of the world’s largest automakers, but when it made headlines by grabbing control of a bankrupt Chrysler in 2009 it was unknown in the U.S. Fiat’s against-all-odds swoop on Chrysler—masterminded by Sergio Marchionne, the Houdini-like manager who saved Fiat from its own near-collapse in 2005 – has made the automaker one of the most unlikely winners of the financial crisis.
Mondo Agnelli is a new book that looks at the chain of unpredictable events triggered by the death of Gianni Agnelli in 2003. Gianni, the charismatic, silver-haired power broker and style icon, was the patriarch who had lead the company founded by his grandfather in 1899. But Gianni’s own son had committed suicide. Without a mature heir, the dynasty and Fiat were rudderless. Backed by Gianni’s closest advisors, his serious, shy, and determined grandson John plucked Marchionne from obscurity. Together, they saved the family company and, inadvertently, positioned Fiat as a global trailblazer when the global storm hit.
- A classic story of ingenuity and hard work, the book portrays a business dynasty that triumphed over adversity and family tragedy because of its own smarts, sweat, and ability to bend the rules
- A an engaging tale for those interested in the stories behind the economic crash, the book contains never-before reported material about how Fiat succeeded in making Chrysler profitable where both Daimler AG and Cerberus, its previous owners, had failed.
A story for a wide audience, from car buffs, business readers, lovers of Italy, and anyone fascinated by the lifestyle of Europe’s most glamorous industrial dynasty, this book tells the tale of how Fiat achieved the seemingly impossible — turning around an American automotive icon everyone else had given up for dead.
