G. William Krause

I need to begin this review with a disclaimer: I have long owned an MGB, the sworn lowbrow competitor to the Triumph TR6! So there was some possibility of some brand-loyalty bias here. :)

That said, though, there's absolutely no denying that the history of Triumph is just as fascinating and rollicking as that of MG, and no denying that its vehicles are just as intriguing and quirky. The brand is a perfect subject for a popular history, and this thin volume takes full advantage. The writing style is bright and enthusiastic, while the material presented seems accurate and balanced. It's an easy and engaging read.

The heart of a book like this, though, is the photographs, and this one has hundreds of great ones, including plenty of standard 3/4-angle shots as well as details of cockpits and engine compartments. They're presented on quality, coated paper with good color fidelity. My only real criticism of the book is here, though -- many of the images feel too small to me, and they're forced into the book's overall two-column layout, resulting in some cluttered page layouts and squinting at the images. This great book would be even better if the budget allowed for a cleaner layout and larger images, with the current material spread over more pages.

Really, though, that's a minor complaint overall. The book is a great retelling of a great automotive story, and would be a very worthwhile purchase for anyone who thinks old British cars are cool. And who wouldn't think that?… (más)