Review by Booklist Review
This book's format is oversize, and its actual physical weight is staggering, but this beautifully illustrated, extremely informative history-tribute to an iconic make of car is an absolute feast. The Porsche was born in Austria in 1948 (although the factory would soon relocate to Germany), the father being the son of the famous Ferdinand Porsche, who had brought the world the Volkswagen Beetle; the son's idea was along the same lines as that standing behind the Beetle, in this case, to make a sports car affordable for many. Porsche mass production began in 1950. The first model, the 356, became almost an instant classic in automotive history. Arrangement here is by model, with the chapter on the legendary 911 model (which was introduced in 1963 and recognized as one of the most significant automobiles ever made) lying at the heart of the book. In all chapters, text and illustrations are in a compatible and mutually beneficial marriage. A book for car enthusiasts to get lost in.--Hooper, Brad Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Since its 1931 founding, the German automobile manufacturer Porsche has been producing sports cars and custom-made racing machines that compete at the highest levels. In both areas, the manufacturer has a track record of wins by a large margin. Reggiani's (Racing Maseratis) coffee-table-type tome celebrates the Porsche ethos with more than 650 double-page color photos depicting models ranging from the first 356 Roadster to the latest Cayenne SUV. It is a fine homage to a fine automobile, with glossy paper and excellent production quality, but it is marred by a flimsy binding that is unlikely to stand up to more than a couple of trips through the book-return slot before needing repair. Given that a WorldCat search produces some 33 titles published on Porsche road cars over the years, many libraries probably already own one or more of these survey volumes. That factor, as well as this book's price, makes this a nonessential purchase for many libraries. But because it is a high-quality book filled with wonderful photos, facts, technical specifications, and rare models, it should be a mandatory purchase for specialized transportation libraries.-Eric C. Shoaf, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
