Specifications

• ISBN: 978-1-910505-25-0
• Format: 280 x 235mm
• Hardback, two volumes in slipcase
• Page extent: 848pp
• Illustration: 1,000 photographs, including colour
• Word count: 265,000

The author

Karl Ludvigsen is respected as a close and knowledgeable observer of, and participant in, the world motor industry. In addition to his industry activities as an executive with GM, Fiat and Ford and head of a consulting company, he has been active for over 60 years as an author and historian. As an author, co-author or editor he has some five dozen books to his credit, all concerning cars and the motor industry, his life-long passion. Many have been garlanded for their high standard of writing and research. He lives in Suffolk.

Reviews

“A great book on a seminal but intractably sprawling subject which manages to combine forensic attention to detail with an insightful overview of context. Being episodic in structure, satisfying chunks can be read and re-read at a sitting, and as ever, the prose is limpid and muscular. The quantity, quality and diversity of the illustrations is worth the price alone — a sumptuous mix of period photographs (including family snaps and early colour exposures), modern shots, instructive technical close-ups, cutaways, design sketches and engineering drawings, mostly culled from the compendious Railton archive.”
The Automobile

“A biography of Reid Railton, the brilliant automotive and Land Speed Record engineer, has been long overdue, but at last — thanks to the support of his daughter Sally Joslin and the impressive research of Karl Ludvigsen — the daunting task has been masterfully achieved… Guaranteed to garner many awards, this mighty tome is highly recommended.”
Classic & Sports Car (Book of the Month)

“Over the last few years since reviewing books for Historic Racing Technology, we have received into the office some truly magnificent books. We may live in the digital age but we are blessed with book publishers who persevere and produce some of the best quality books ever seen.
     “The latest to arrive, though, literally takes your breath away on all levels. Karl Ludvigsen, the American author who lives in the UK, is unquestionably one of the finest automotive historians ever. The quality of his research and writing are nothing short of brilliant.
     “Furthermore, Evro Publishing has done Ludvigsen’s work proud. The book itself reeks of quality in terms of production, layout and design.”
Historic Racing Technology

“An amazing story, brilliantly complied in unparalleled depth… There are hundreds of superb images, beautifully reproduced… If these words are starting to sound a little breathless — well, that’s the effect this amazing work will have on you, too.”
Octane (Book of the Month)

“This is an immensely interesting book for historians, engineers and motoring enthusiasts… Karl Ludvigsen has made this story come alive for us and perhaps this work will bring Railton into the limelight which he deserves… This is an important work, handled with consummate skill and beautifully produced… The illustrations are as relevant as they are comprehensive… Perhaps the Book of the Year so far.”
VSCC Bulletin

“Landmark work… a long-overdue book.”
Classic Cars

“The book is lavishly illustrated to a very high standard and each of Railton’s activities, put into the context of the time, is comprehensively covered.”
The Society of Automotive Historians

“A biography on Railton was long overdue… Karl Ludvigsen tackles Railton’s life’s work with poise and grace.”
Classic Car Weekly

“It’s about time Reid Railton, whom many consider one of the best automotive engineers of all time, got his due. Reid Railton: Man of Speed is a deep dive into his life, triumphs, tragedies and odd exploits.”
Autoweek

“If you are in the market for a book about one of the figures in land speed racing, and you have a lot of money and a lot of shelf space, look no further than Karl Ludvigsen’s fabulous Reid Railton: Man Of Speed. It is a dive as deep as the Mariana Trench, photographed to the hilt and saturated with details. It is, in short, just the book Reid Railton deserves… Ludvigsen, one of the best automotive historians in the world, lovingly details Railton’s life, his cars, boats, and triumphs and tragedies in this whopper of a book.”
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