Does any one know where I can get a CD of the 2 vol book? I have seen it listed in the bibliography section at varous web sites as The Grand Prix Car 1906-1954 - Laurence Pomeroy, re-published on CD by Tek-Trove & Engineering Information Services, ISBN 1-903149-05-3 but a google search on Tek-trove and Engineering services has provided me with no sources.
Thanks
Pomeroy's 'The Grand Prix Car'
Started by
VWV
, Feb 03 2004 20:56
15 replies to this topic
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#2
Felix Muelas
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Posted 03 February 2004 - 21:59
It shouldn´t be too complicated, as it is "obvious" that whomever was selling through the net the PDF version of the books -back in 1999- has already attained its commercial objectives and is not offering it any longer. So the copies are now in the hands of persons that did pay for them...
Some members of this Forum might have been curious enough as to see how would a computer "browse" a classic like that. How many times or where is "Boillot" mentioned, for instance? Actually a very surprising exercise that shows what a computer can do better, or at least faster, than an average brain...
Getting your own "printed" copy from those files, even with the use of a decent laser printer goes on to show the other side of the deal : no five or six hundred pages, a hundred plates and another hundred diagramas printed today at home can constitute a book. They do not smell like books, neither. In my opinion, that is.;)
But if you are curious, think that the price requested for second-hand copies is excesive or just cannot find them anywhere...and just want to have a look at a real classic...I am sure someone in this community might lend you a hand ;) Private Messages might be "de rigueur" in this situation, that is.
Some members of this Forum might have been curious enough as to see how would a computer "browse" a classic like that. How many times or where is "Boillot" mentioned, for instance? Actually a very surprising exercise that shows what a computer can do better, or at least faster, than an average brain...
Getting your own "printed" copy from those files, even with the use of a decent laser printer goes on to show the other side of the deal : no five or six hundred pages, a hundred plates and another hundred diagramas printed today at home can constitute a book. They do not smell like books, neither. In my opinion, that is.;)
But if you are curious, think that the price requested for second-hand copies is excesive or just cannot find them anywhere...and just want to have a look at a real classic...I am sure someone in this community might lend you a hand ;) Private Messages might be "de rigueur" in this situation, that is.
#3
Don Capps
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 16:26
Although the CD version lacks the heft and the tactile sensation of the originals, it cost me a good bit less than it would have to replace the originals. Interestingly, I found it more "friendly" than I anticipated and essentially treat as an ebook whenever I need to delve into it.
I am a bit surprised that such an approach has not been followed in making other such books available, particularly some of the older pre/immediate post-WW2 books. This sort of approach for reference material may have been cast upon the shoals of the Millenium Copyright Law -- better known as the Keep Mickey Ours Law. I do know that I was happy to get my copy and have used it a good bit.
Personally, I think that there is a "market" for digital research materials for researchers such as those found on TNF. Even if the material is confined to materials such as "reprints" of, say, the Barre Lyndon or simiolar books, I think more than a few would be interested. What some of us would like to see are many of the older magazines or journals in digital form. Another is the Gordon White microfilm material on disk.
At some point, those of us in this niche of the research world are going to have to deal with this issue.
I am a bit surprised that such an approach has not been followed in making other such books available, particularly some of the older pre/immediate post-WW2 books. This sort of approach for reference material may have been cast upon the shoals of the Millenium Copyright Law -- better known as the Keep Mickey Ours Law. I do know that I was happy to get my copy and have used it a good bit.
Personally, I think that there is a "market" for digital research materials for researchers such as those found on TNF. Even if the material is confined to materials such as "reprints" of, say, the Barre Lyndon or simiolar books, I think more than a few would be interested. What some of us would like to see are many of the older magazines or journals in digital form. Another is the Gordon White microfilm material on disk.
At some point, those of us in this niche of the research world are going to have to deal with this issue.
#4
KzKiwi
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 17:02
Sad news i'm afraid
My understanding is that the company no longer exists!
While in the UK about 8 months ago, I was determined to track down the CD version of the classic Pomeroy book - which I dont have.
Eventually I tracked down the phone # for 'Tek-Trove' and rang them. Essentially the company, at that stage, was in the process of being wound up - due to an unforseen family illness that directly affected the business....
The chap that I spoke too said that under the circumstances i was so lucky to catch him. He also confirmed that stocks of the CD were more or less non existent!!
Luckily for me, he was able to locate one, and at that time he was still able to charge me via credit card facilities. I remember him saying at the time that if I had waited a couple of weeks later before contacting him that i would not have got the CD. That's how close (and lucky for me!) that it was......
Regards,
Kirk
My understanding is that the company no longer exists!
While in the UK about 8 months ago, I was determined to track down the CD version of the classic Pomeroy book - which I dont have.
Eventually I tracked down the phone # for 'Tek-Trove' and rang them. Essentially the company, at that stage, was in the process of being wound up - due to an unforseen family illness that directly affected the business....
The chap that I spoke too said that under the circumstances i was so lucky to catch him. He also confirmed that stocks of the CD were more or less non existent!!
Luckily for me, he was able to locate one, and at that time he was still able to charge me via credit card facilities. I remember him saying at the time that if I had waited a couple of weeks later before contacting him that i would not have got the CD. That's how close (and lucky for me!) that it was......
Regards,
Kirk
#5
petefenelon
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 17:09
Originally posted by Don Capps
Although the CD version lacks the heft and the tactile sensation of the originals, it cost me a good bit less than it would have to replace the originals. Interestingly, I found it more "friendly" than I anticipated and essentially treat as an ebook whenever I need to delve into it.
I am a bit surprised that such an approach has not been followed in making other such books available, particularly some of the older pre/immediate post-WW2 books. This sort of approach for reference material may have been cast upon the shoals of the Millenium Copyright Law -- better known as the Keep Mickey Ours Law. I do know that I was happy to get my copy and have used it a good bit.
Personally, I think that there is a "market" for digital research materials for researchers such as those found on TNF. Even if the material is confined to materials such as "reprints" of, say, the Barre Lyndon or simiolar books, I think more than a few would be interested. What some of us would like to see are many of the older magazines or journals in digital form. Another is the Gordon White microfilm material on disk.
At some point, those of us in this niche of the research world are going to have to deal with this issue.
I had an interesting exchange of emails with Les Rix at the time I ordered my (paper) copy of his reissue of Pom 1&2 - he said he was interested in doing more racing titles but getting copyright sorted was difficult - the Pomeroy family had been very helpful though.
It's a pity Les can't continue with his work - he had an eclectic range of other industrial/technical material and the concept was right - making information available to enthusiasts in utilitarian form without bothering anyone who's concerned with "rarity".
#6
VWV
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 20:21
It's too bad that the CD is no longer for sale. I have found that a place on the 'net http://www.countrybo...tfor=190314907X that is selling a facacsimile copy of The Grand Prix Car, by Laurence Pomeroy. Does anyone have any knowledge of this version? As its only 344 pages which is exactly the number of pages in Vol 2 I wonder if this covers both vol's or is it only vol 2?
I have yet to be burned by buying stuff of the net but I have a strange feeling about this vendor and I'm reluctant to be stiffed.
If anyone is interested in making a copy of the Cd and selling to me you can PM me
I have yet to be burned by buying stuff of the net but I have a strange feeling about this vendor and I'm reluctant to be stiffed.
If anyone is interested in making a copy of the Cd and selling to me you can PM me
#7
petefenelon
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 21:07
Originally posted by VWV
It's too bad that the CD is no longer for sale. I have found that a place on the 'net http://www.countrybo...tfor=190314907X that is selling a facacsimile copy of The Grand Prix Car, by Laurence Pomeroy. Does anyone have any knowledge of this version? As its only 344 pages which is exactly the number of pages in Vol 2 I wonder if this covers both vol's or is it only vol 2?
I have yet to be burned by buying stuff of the net but I have a strange feeling about this vendor and I'm reluctant to be stiffed.
If anyone is interested in making a copy of the Cd and selling to me you can PM me
Says the publisher is "Engineering Information Services", which was Les Rix's company. So I guess this will be someone selling either one of Les's printed versions of Vol 2....
#8
Vitesse2
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 21:45
Originally posted by VWV
It's too bad that the CD is no longer for sale. I have found that a place on the 'net http://www.countrybo...tfor=190314907X that is selling a facacsimile copy of The Grand Prix Car, by Laurence Pomeroy. Does anyone have any knowledge of this version? As its only 344 pages which is exactly the number of pages in Vol 2 I wonder if this covers both vol's or is it only vol 2?
I have yet to be burned by buying stuff of the net but I have a strange feeling about this vendor and I'm reluctant to be stiffed.
Frankly, they've never had a great reputation, plus, if you read the whole entry, they don't actually claim to have stock of it:
Availability: This title is ordered upon request, usually dispatched within 28 Days Please note that we cannot guarantee supply if the title is out of print or being reprinted
#9
VWV
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Posted 04 February 2004 - 22:01
That is one of the great things about the TNF. It's got me interested in books I may not have ordinarly looked at on my own and it saved me money on books I shouldn't have bothered with.
It's great to have other enthusist's opinion on books.
It's great to have other enthusist's opinion on books.
#10
Gary Doyle
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Posted 23 February 2004 - 05:03
In response to Don Capps discussion of books on CDs and their use in research and the Pomeroy book in particular, I have been thinking about offering the book on Jimmy Murphy, King of the Boards, on a CD in Acrobat pdf's.
I recognize the price of the book has been a problem for some who would otherwise like to read it and possibly use it in their own research. I would like to have it read by as large an audience as possible because of the importance of not losing the history of this period. The cost of self publishing these small volume books and doing it appropriately is very expensive. A publisher would have had it printed in Korea, cut corners on the paper, remove half the photographs and restrict them and any color pages to one or two signatures. It would be less expensive but would it be what it could be?
The author, from a publisher, gets gets 10-20% of each book sold, usually closer to 10%. So, do the math on a retail price of $49.95 and 1,500 copies printed for three to four years of work, hundreds of dollars for photographic rights and thousands of dollars for commissioned artwork...at least in the Murphy books case.
But I whine to much...I recognize not everyone is going to go as over the top as I did. I lost all control and common sense in the production values of the book.
How do I offer the Murphy book on a CD at say $35.00 in Adobe pdf files that contain the text, photographs and artwork...the book as it appears in print... and not have it indescriminately duplicated and passed around, even with all the copyright and do not duplicate notices that would come with it? CD burners have changed things. I would like to do it but am afraid I might sell 1 or 2 and then be faced with 50 or whatever floating around losing the potential reimbursement from the CD or sales on the actual hard copy of the book. On CD it is not the same as being able to handle the product but it is close enough to be of value.
Since I am the publisher I am in the unusual situation that I can do anything I want. I just don't want to be stupid. But I want to balance that thought with a genuine desire to make it affordable. It is not the $500 + for Pomeroy but at $90 and $110 (slipcase) many people can not afford the Murphy book.
Any thoughts? Gary Doyle
I recognize the price of the book has been a problem for some who would otherwise like to read it and possibly use it in their own research. I would like to have it read by as large an audience as possible because of the importance of not losing the history of this period. The cost of self publishing these small volume books and doing it appropriately is very expensive. A publisher would have had it printed in Korea, cut corners on the paper, remove half the photographs and restrict them and any color pages to one or two signatures. It would be less expensive but would it be what it could be?
The author, from a publisher, gets gets 10-20% of each book sold, usually closer to 10%. So, do the math on a retail price of $49.95 and 1,500 copies printed for three to four years of work, hundreds of dollars for photographic rights and thousands of dollars for commissioned artwork...at least in the Murphy books case.
But I whine to much...I recognize not everyone is going to go as over the top as I did. I lost all control and common sense in the production values of the book.
How do I offer the Murphy book on a CD at say $35.00 in Adobe pdf files that contain the text, photographs and artwork...the book as it appears in print... and not have it indescriminately duplicated and passed around, even with all the copyright and do not duplicate notices that would come with it? CD burners have changed things. I would like to do it but am afraid I might sell 1 or 2 and then be faced with 50 or whatever floating around losing the potential reimbursement from the CD or sales on the actual hard copy of the book. On CD it is not the same as being able to handle the product but it is close enough to be of value.
Since I am the publisher I am in the unusual situation that I can do anything I want. I just don't want to be stupid. But I want to balance that thought with a genuine desire to make it affordable. It is not the $500 + for Pomeroy but at $90 and $110 (slipcase) many people can not afford the Murphy book.
Any thoughts? Gary Doyle
#11
green-blood
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Posted 15 April 2006 - 18:10
I've been working on my book collection, second child just arrived and I reckon I'd better do it now while I still have some cash, therefore I can read instead of being out at night.... logical right!!
anyhow I found this thread. Are there any copies of that Pomeroy CD still available, I'll never ever be able to convince the prettier one of this particular partnership that 500 sterling is ok to spend on an old (or 2) book.
help
I wonder did Gary produce a CD in the end??
anyhow I found this thread. Are there any copies of that Pomeroy CD still available, I'll never ever be able to convince the prettier one of this particular partnership that 500 sterling is ok to spend on an old (or 2) book.
help
I wonder did Gary produce a CD in the end??
#12
Terry Walker
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Posted 16 April 2006 - 02:00
I used to own an original Pomeroy Vol 1, but when I was having a cleanout I gave it, and a bundle of other motor racing history books to a friend who is a motoring historian. That was a long time ago, and the idea that it would now fetch 500 sterling boggles my mind.
Depending on the nature of the book, and the number of illustrations, an alternative to PDF for CD ROM publication is the route I took on re-issuing an old book of mine: virtual website on disc. I OCRd the text out of the original book, and still had all but a handful of the original 400 photos. The "website" was laid out using a website authoring program, and a tiny self-starting program was found on the net as freeware, so when you load the CD, the PCs own autostart routine takes you to the opening page.
I had hundreds of new photos as well, many I acquired since the book had been published back in 1980. So the book, originally an encyclopedia format card-cover black-and-white A4, became an encyclopedia format CD ROM with lots of colour as well, now with 800 historic photos.
I went this way because it was highly suitable for a small market of motoring history buffs, and also cheap to do. If you make an enquiry at your neighbourhood CD manufactureing facility, you'll be surprised how low-cost a glass mastered, pressed CD ROM can be compete with silk-screened art on the disc itself, plus case and cover inserts.
Depending on the nature of the book, and the number of illustrations, an alternative to PDF for CD ROM publication is the route I took on re-issuing an old book of mine: virtual website on disc. I OCRd the text out of the original book, and still had all but a handful of the original 400 photos. The "website" was laid out using a website authoring program, and a tiny self-starting program was found on the net as freeware, so when you load the CD, the PCs own autostart routine takes you to the opening page.
I had hundreds of new photos as well, many I acquired since the book had been published back in 1980. So the book, originally an encyclopedia format card-cover black-and-white A4, became an encyclopedia format CD ROM with lots of colour as well, now with 800 historic photos.
I went this way because it was highly suitable for a small market of motoring history buffs, and also cheap to do. If you make an enquiry at your neighbourhood CD manufactureing facility, you'll be surprised how low-cost a glass mastered, pressed CD ROM can be compete with silk-screened art on the disc itself, plus case and cover inserts.
#13
Paul Parker
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Posted 19 April 2006 - 20:58
I was actually sent a copy of the Pomeroy Grand Prix Car CD during the late 1990s when I was running a photo archive.
The person concerned was worried about copyright at the time. I looked at it briefly (I had already owned the original books years before) and I seem to remember that it was not too clever production wise, but then I'm rather Luddite with technology and this was presumably an early version.
I'll have to take another look next time I'm in the UK.
The person concerned was worried about copyright at the time. I looked at it briefly (I had already owned the original books years before) and I seem to remember that it was not too clever production wise, but then I'm rather Luddite with technology and this was presumably an early version.
I'll have to take another look next time I'm in the UK.
#14
giffo
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Posted 28 April 2009 - 06:44
I picked up a hardback copy of Volume 2 of this set on the w/e here in Perth W.Aust. (26 April 09)
It is in almost excellent condition. That is nearly perfect bar not having a cover.
Would it be possible if someone had an electronic copy of this book cover that I could print full size & use?
Please send me an email if this can be done.
Me, being a relative young bloke (41 this month) compared to some of our very knowledgeable contributors here at TNF had until Sunday only heard of these books let alone been able to take a look at one. I can now see what all the talk has been about. The amount of detail is immense. I’m looking forward to the many hours reading this.
It is in almost excellent condition. That is nearly perfect bar not having a cover.
Would it be possible if someone had an electronic copy of this book cover that I could print full size & use?
Please send me an email if this can be done.
Me, being a relative young bloke (41 this month) compared to some of our very knowledgeable contributors here at TNF had until Sunday only heard of these books let alone been able to take a look at one. I can now see what all the talk has been about. The amount of detail is immense. I’m looking forward to the many hours reading this.
#15
geoffg
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Posted 28 April 2009 - 10:01
There were at least two editions of this - one was a combined one, and the second was in two volumes. I seem to recall there were two versions of the two volume set, but this memory is a bit hazy. Also, if one looks carefully, one of the sets may have started out as an assembly of articles Pomeroy had written for a magazine, perhaps Motor?
The work is of course extraordinary, and very detailed. One of the best technical histories of any sort. I got my set in 1980 at a used bookstore in Santa Monica for the then good price of $300 (boy a lot of money back then), and haven't look back since.
Enjoy your copy. Its a treat.
The work is of course extraordinary, and very detailed. One of the best technical histories of any sort. I got my set in 1980 at a used bookstore in Santa Monica for the then good price of $300 (boy a lot of money back then), and haven't look back since.
Enjoy your copy. Its a treat.
#16
Johnny Mac
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Posted 28 April 2009 - 16:51
I have a original of 'Lawrence Pomeroy's Grand prix Car 1906-1939' that I obtained from a Indy 500 drivers estate. This book is in very good condition and the contents are astoudingly detailed. The original owner was apparently David Coventry Fairchild as this is written on the first page. My collections are all US racing and I would be interested in selling this book to someone who would have a better appreciation for the era.
