10 replies to this topic

[Victor]

Hi everyone,

 

I just recently finished reading Prince Bira's book  'Bits and Pieces' and really enjoyed it. It opened my appetite for motor racing book from the same era.

I am now considering buying Prince Chula's 'Road Star Hat Trick: Being an Account of Two Season of B. Bira the Racing Motorist in 1937 and 1938'.

Has anyone read this one? Is it a good reading?

Any comments will be very much appreciated.

 

Cheers

[Eric Dunsdon]

They were among the first motor racing books that I read as a boy and I really enjoyed them...still do!.

 

Also recommend 'Wheels At Speed' and 'Blue And Yellow'...More of the same. Good luck and good reading!.

[Victor]

Well, I only needed one little push to decide buying the book. I got it!

I will look for the other you have recommended.

Thanks Eric.

[Vitesse2]

The full sequence is 'Wheels at Speed', 'Road Racing 1936', 'Road Star Hat Trick' and 'Blue and Yellow'.

 

If you like Chula's writing, he also produced a history of voiturette racing for Motor Sport, as well as some pen portraits of various drivers - all published in wartime issues - and even a couple of articles for Meccano Magazine.

[Doug Nye]

All a good read - Chula wrote well and absolutely reflected the period - his enthusiasms - and his regal background. Recommended.

 

DCN

[Victor]

Thanks guys. Let's see what I can find.

Cheers

[Barttore]

Would any of the esteemed forum members that own books by B.Bira or on B. Bira by Prince Chula be willing to help me please ?

I am researching Dutch racing driver Herkuleyns and writing a biography. Herkuleyns was a colleague (and friend ?) of Bira.

Bira invited Herkuleyns to participate in the race in Thailand in 1939, that was cancelled by the outbreak of the war.

Does Bira mention Herkuleyns and his M.G.'s in one of his books ? They have driven several races together (1935-1946) in Bern, Nurburgring, Albi, Montlhéry.

As I can not buy every book that might have info for me, maybe you can help me in my quest, that would be very much appreciated. If I know which books contain info on him, I will probably try to get it.
Thank you very much.
 

Edited by Barttore, 09 October 2020 - 13:44.

[Michael Ferner]

I don't recall reading about Herkuleyns in "The Prince and I", for what it's worth.

[68targa]

Unfortunately the books do not have an index (or at least mine don't). In Blue and Yellow  I did find this small passage in relation to the aborted Siam race. There may be other mentions of course but it is ages since I read them.  I shall have to read them again which is no bad thing.

 

Edited by 68targa, 09 October 2020 - 15:07.

[Barttore]

Thank you for your quick replies 68targa and Michael Ferner !

For Bangkok he had indeed acquired the more competitive Ex. Herzberger MG K3 Magnette, which he already used in races at Angouleme, Albi and Picardie that year

 

that leaves  'Wheels at Speed', 'Road Racing 1936', 'Road Star Hat Trick' 

Edited by Barttore, 09 October 2020 - 13:58.

[Allan Lupton]

As has been said the Chula/Bira books have no index, so one has to plough through 'em to find anything.  I have "Wheels at Speed" and "Bits and Pieces"

I expect there's more but I did find, on p80 of "Wheels at Speed," the starting grid for the i935 Bern race with Herkuleyens (MG) 17th out of 18.