Just started to read this book (published in 1999) by Tobias Aichele. I am amazed at the number of errors in the photo captions. After a quick review, I counted 15 errors including identifying Tony Brooks as Jim Clark; Bill Mitchell as Zora Arkus-Duntov and a complete inability to acknowledge the existence of Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, father of the 4-cam Carrera motor and ex-CEO of Porsche AG.
The author is an ex-Porsche employee, is well-known at the factory and has published at least two previous Porsche subj. books. He had direct access to all of von Hanstein's personal archives and a serious publisher supporting him.
If I can find these errors surely the author or his editor could have found them before printing.
Is this level of accuracy the expected norm in motorsport publishing?
Paulie
Huschke von Hanstein biography 'The Racing Baron'
Started by
paulie
, Dec 29 2008 22:22
4 replies to this topic
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#2
fbarrett
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Posted 29 December 2008 - 22:58
Paulie:
It's been years since I read the book, but such errors are, unfortunately, somewhat common, mainly because some publishers don't want to spend the time and money for proper editing. Fortunately, others do! For whatever reason, this book was never a great success, though I recall that it went out of print very quickly.
Now you've made me curious enough to dig out my own copy and re-examine it!
Frank
It's been years since I read the book, but such errors are, unfortunately, somewhat common, mainly because some publishers don't want to spend the time and money for proper editing. Fortunately, others do! For whatever reason, this book was never a great success, though I recall that it went out of print very quickly.
Now you've made me curious enough to dig out my own copy and re-examine it!
Frank
#3
Vitesse2
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Posted 30 December 2008 - 09:23
Perhaps this could be merged with the existing "Errors in books" thread?
edit: especially as post 167 by ralliart also mentions the Hanstein book!
http://forums.autosp...&threadid=24999
Of related interest:
http://forums.autosp...&threadid=24389
edit: especially as post 167 by ralliart also mentions the Hanstein book!
http://forums.autosp...&threadid=24999
Of related interest:
http://forums.autosp...&threadid=24389
#4
Arjan de Roos
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Posted 30 December 2008 - 11:32
The book gives a portrait of the travelling Hanstein did as driver, team manager and ambassador for Porsche. Of course not all of one life can be included in one book. But no mention of Carel Godin de Beaufort. Not a word. I returned the book...
#5
D-Type
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Posted 30 December 2008 - 15:52
The book reads as though it is a series of articles in a 'popular' magazine compiled into a book. Come to think of it, that's a bit like the Neubauer autobiography. In history terms it covers a lot of the 'splat' rather than the 'bang'. Because of its style I would double check any content before quoting anything as definitive 'fact'.
Having said that, I found it a good read giving insights into von Hanstein, early days at Porsche, and into the sporting scene in prewar and postwar Germany.
But none of this justifies the sloppy caption writing, proofreading and researching.
Having said that, I found it a good read giving insights into von Hanstein, early days at Porsche, and into the sporting scene in prewar and postwar Germany.
But none of this justifies the sloppy caption writing, proofreading and researching.
