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)
