Book recommendations.

Looking for recommendations for books around the 1960's to 1970's era?
I don't like to use the words but what might be regarded as the fall of the British motorcycle empire. ?
Not so much gripe books but point of view of insiders.

"Whatever happened to the British Motorcycle Industry" by Bert Hopwood.
Straight from the horses mouth ?

Although some have called it a self-serving whitewash whilst wearing rose tinted glasses.
And others the gospel truth.

Whatever, its a good starting point.
Keep an open mind on everything said though.
Everyone could write their memoirs and memories,
and you'd have 1001 points of view for every 100 participant ?

This one... http://amzn.com/1550229001

Rohan said:

"Whatever happened to the British Motorcycle Industry" by Bert Hopwood.
Straight from the horses mouth ?

Click to expand...

Got a used copy for $12.54 off eBay,waiting for a postage cost.
Will look for the other book tomorrow.

For the out-and-out Norton enthusiast.

http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/Books.htm

More a general history of everything Norton, in many and varied volumes.

There is much background material hidden away in there,
in some absolute gems of stories.
Very subtle often though, in that general reserved British way....

The first two books are on the way from the UK, maybe they could be lent out once I have read them.

Book loan.

Edit.
No interest shown.

There is a lot of conflicting opinion recorded regarding 'the fall' and an obvious lack of anyone holding up their hand to take the blame!

Seems to me that one need to read in between the lines at least as much as the lines themselves

I for one would be interested to hear you thoughts post read, and it might make for an interesting thread ...

Not so much gripe books but point of view of insiders.

Click to expand...

Timewarp, I do not think you know what you have actually asked for - if limiting 'insider' views as only accounting for Norton and other manufacturer's owner/managers. I've spent over 2 decades studying real world history-events to beat the Beast-Crown at its own games to avoid taxes and regulations imposed by what appears on surface to be valid Govt authority to find they are all private corporations in recievership with golbal banksters. The real his-sttory behind WWII and beyond era of golbal shift in manfuaturing centers can only be found in archival transcripts of Parlement as agents of Bank of England owners on purpose choking down UK industry to put prressure on populations to experiment on with various socialism/communisms collectives to see what happened then refine and repeat for domination of the planet to death. It very hard to find and tomes of transcripts to go thought to find the direct statements of Parelment leaders that NV was combined and only funded enough to fool the workers into thinking they had a chance and THE Crown was looking after the people's interests. Call British Museum and ask if they ever had displayed the checks Rothchild wrote to support Karl Marx while composing his works to put banksters schemes on whole world. Contact Paralment acrchivist - ask for transcripts of the funding disscussions of this era of mystery that took Norton down when they could not make enough Commando fast enough to statisfy demand... This is real Blue or Red Pill swallowing and don't really reccomend believing what ya find as may leave ya depressed/angery/nauseated forever more- better informed.

As early as 1940 Harold Wilson was preaching a centralised Federal Europe and outlined a plan of infiltration of the Labour and Conservative parties to form a centre party of moderates which could brand any genuine opposition as extremists. The plan also included the destruction of the British manufacturing industries. Between 1964 and 1975, Wilson (Labour) was Prime Minister, except when he was replaced in 1970-74 by his Bilderberg colleague Edward Heath (Conservative). The two of them ran down British industry, limited MI5 investigational powers and moved towards European Union. Wilson was aided by Lord Victor Rothschild as the head of his Central Policy Review Staff, and his Chancellor Denis Healey (Bilderberger, TC, RIIA).

Click to expand...

The Brotherhood and the Manipulation of Society - You'll ...
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/manipulation/
..... and are involved in covert high-tech mind-control experiments for the Central ... The plan also included the destruction of the British manufacturing industries.

For Christmas I treated myself to a copy of "Shooting Star: The Rise & Fall of the British Motorcycle Industry" by Abe Aamidor.
I read it in two sittings, not because I couldn't put it down, more because there isn't much of it. It's full of quotations, appears to be well researched and has a well detailed reference section, that's the good bits. I'm sure that all the quotations are true, and the book does tell a very sad story, but when I finished it I was left asking questions like "So?". It doesn't really address questions like why and how did Turner exercise so much power, so badly; why did AMC collapse (it goes into some detail about BSA/Triumph), what happened to the other makes, Velocette, Greeves etc etc
My overwhelming feeling is one of disappointment that such an important (to me anyway) book, has treated the whole subject in a fairly superficial way. I must admit that I wasn't very keen on the Authors writing style, a bit too tabloid journalist for my taste. However I'm sure that others will enjoy his style!

I much preferred Bert Hopwoods book, at least it had some detail even if it was self serving.
cheers
wakeup

If you are interested in the saga of the British Motorcycle industry I can recommend the following:
Whatever happened to the British motorcycle industry - Bert Hopwood
The Giants of Small Heath - Barry Ryerson
The British Motorcycle industry 1936-75 - Koerner (available on line free)
AN EXAMINATION OF THE POST- SECOND WORLD WAR RELATIVE DECLINE OF UK MANUFACTURING 1945-1975, VIEWED THROUGH THE LENS OF THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS COMPANY LTD - Joe Heaton (Available on line free)
A History of Velocette - J W E Kelly
The Meriden Motorcycle Co-operative: An unconventional end to the decline of a British industry? (on line for free)
Motorcycle designer Valentine Page - Jim J Lee
60 years on 2 wheels - Jim J Lee
Triumph : the complete Story - Ivor Davies
And for something lighter
Stealing Speed - Mat Oxley
Tales of Triumph motorcycles and the Meridan Factory - Hughie Hancox

BobH

Some good recommendations there Bob, including several I've not even heard of before.
Thankyou !

BTW, a review of The Strange Death of the British Motorcycle Industry by Steve Koerner
showed this pic of him, outside Norton Motors Ltd building in Brum in 1992.
Not seen this pic or view before either...

Rohan Of all the books I have read on the demise of the British motorcycle industry probably the best (and I suspect the best researched) is The Giants of Small Heath by Barry Ryerson although in my opinion the reasons were manifold and included the market downturn in the late 60's and early 70's which affected all manufacturers Brit and Japanese.

I thought that Steve Koerner's comments were interesting - that the Brits aimed at the enthusiast motorcycle market, and promoted that concept.
So when that market diminished because of changing social conditions - and the mini etc - then they were not prepared for change.
And the rest is history....

Rohan. After reading many books on the subject I have come to the conclusion that the British motorcycle industry was on the slippery slope decades before it folded. It was just like skiing down a slope with a cliff at the bottom - a gradual decline and then over the edge. Many of the manufacturers were in a perilous financial position for years (Norton is a good example of that) and what with anti motorcycle (automotive if truth be known) government legislation that had been all prevailing from the early 1900's, pulling the problems associated with pulling the industry up by it boot laces in the 1960's and 70's was beyond the management of the day.
Again the same mentality prevailed when the unions took over Triumph - not enough capital, a reducing customer base and aging equipment - no wonder it failed and brought the Triumph name into disrepute with all the poor quality parts that were produced initially. Enthusiasm for a product does not mean that it production will be a financial success.
(Steps down from soap box !!!)

BobH said:

Again the same mentality prevailed when the unions took over Triumph - not enough capital, a reducing customer base and aging equipment - no wonder it failed and brought the Triumph name into disrepute with all the poor quality parts that were produced initially. Enthusiasm for a product does not mean that it production will be a financial success.
(Steps down from soap box !!!)

Click to expand...

The Co-op also were trying to produce a pretty awful product let alone all the well known quality issues. That T140 was just awful. The Co-op was doomed to fail, enthusiasm or not.

cheers
wakeup