The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car Hardcover – May 13, 2014

This was an excellent book, but it depends on your interest in the automobile industry.As a history buff, I want to know the history of the business, the main players, and top selling cars. For this, the book excels. However, if you want the history of the car industry from a mechanical point of view, this is NOT the book you want.If you want to get to know André Citroën, William Durant, Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche, Louis Renault along with the companies they founded, this book covers them all wonderfully. Then again, if you want to know how the engine developed, the innerworkings of transmission systems, the transformation from mechanical to electrical, etc, then this book is NOT the one.That being said, it's not perfect. I would agree with the criticism that too much time is spent on the British if you look at their influence, yet it's written by a Brit, so it's understandable. There are some major players that hardly get mentioned, like Volvo, Subaru, Mitsubishi. There's also some basic errors/typos (like "Honda's Infiniti") which should have been caught by decent editing.The one large section of the industry I found rather lacking was the Asian market. There is a chapter on it but nothing compared to the time spent on Westerners. The Japanese companies deserve more space. The book does cover them to a degree, though, just not as detailed as the others. As an editor, I would have pulled some pages from Britain and given it to them.In summary, this is a history of the automobile industry written for history buffs, and I thoroughly enjoyed it for that, even if it's not 100% perfect. I found the book to be a highly educational and entertaining read.

Interesting book, but too detailed in some secitions and a bit focused on British products. Also, it omits some models--e.g., a Daf, which I happened to own in the early 60's--a car that didn't have a traditional transmission, but instead one that was infinitely variable. Otherwise, I very creditable book.

Good solid history of the automobile. Its mechanical evolutions and the persons responsible for its development, styling and marketing. The writing flows. The writer has done a great job keeping the topic interesting. Highly recommended.

I grew up as the son of a very successful automobile salesman in the 60's, 70's and 80's, and so I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many of the marques and models described in this elegantly written book. While I have read many automotive histories and continue to be something of a car nut, I can't remember any of them which would be a better place to start from to try to understand the enormous importance of the men and machines chronicled here. Perhaps most important to me is the author's sharp eye for cultural and sociopolitical implications wrapped up in the automobile and its technology. His descriptions of the very human foibles of some of the main players in the development of the automobile are obviously well researched and keep this from simply being a discussion of mechanical and styling trends. I am grateful to the author for answering some questions I have had since I was a young man, and for causing me to think a bit more critically about some of the machines and events I was privileged to witness at first hand. Altogether, a bravura performance!

The world of automotive writing is a paradox. In the first case there are good writers who know little about cars. While well-written,their books suffer from a lack of insight or relevance. The second case is car historians who can't write. These books may be technically sound but the writers clearly have spent more time under a car than reading Strunk and White. It is rare to find writers who can combine both skills. Douglas Brinkley is one. Paul Ingrassia is another.I am well into The Life of the Automobile and I have realized that Steven Parissien is in the first group. First, the book is from England and has a particular British perspective. Germany was the birthplace of the automobile and France was the center of auto production until 1904, but to read this book you'd think England was the car center of the world. For example, there is page after page about the life of William Morris, father of the MG. Even Rolls-Royce didn't get that much press in the book. I also noticed that Henry Ford is taking a beating in this tome. He is called mean and ruthless and doesn't get much objectivity from the author.Maybe Steven Parissien had a Topaz. Or a Pinto.Ford was a man of his times. He was no saint. He saw the world through his own lens and acted on it. He was a bigot, a racist, and a terrible father but he also donated millions and changed the world. He deserves a fair hearing. Give us some credit as readers to make up our own minds.The book is a quick ride through automotive history. The author tends to stick to people he likes and skim over those he doesn't know or care to know. It's got some interesting information about the birth of the automobile but I wouldn't call it well-researched or balanced. It's a romp.A much better book is Paul Ingrassia's Engines of Change or Douglas Brinkley's Wheels for the World.Or you can read The Automobile Age by James Flink. It is referenced quite a bit in this book and is a much better history.The Life of the Automobile doesn't offer any groundbreaking insights. It's worth a read but only from the bargain table.

This book is well written in a relaxed style which assisted comprehension of the many facts. Remembering cars as they had their histories described was an enjoyable aspect.