Review
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"The book abounds with and unusual stories about these early Porsches, its founders, and the many variations
produced." – Porsche Club of America, Monterey Bay region "It's a book to excite any 356 enthusiast." – Australian
Classic Car Classic & Sports Car, May 2008UK magazine Circulation: 82,000 Once past the in-your-face typography and
rather basic design, this is another good offering from publisher Veloce. Working chronologically, the story inevitably
begins with the birth of Ferdinand Porsche and skips along until Porsche Number One is conceived, at which point the
pace slows in order to allow for a slightly more in-depth look at the following 18 years of 356 production. Although
Long's text is matter-of-fact in delivery, there is plenty of information to be found for those not already
well-educated in the subject matter. But the real attraction here is the vast collection of visual material. From the
posed publicity s of a 356A loaded with skis - and presumably heading for the hills - to the fabulous images of
ert Linge approaching outright victory on the 1960 Tour de Corse. If you own a 356, these pictures will make you
glad you do; if you don't, they're certain to make you want one.
Review by Mark Stubbs for Heat Exchanger, May 2008 Official publication of the Shenandoah Region of the Porsche Club of
America Brian Long is a very accomplished member of the motoring press. 'Book of the Porsche 356' is a new release of
the title originally published in 1996. This is not simply a reissue. It is extensively revised and substantially
expanded. I am certainly not an authority on the 356. But I have always been a fan and though never having owned this
model certainly followed with interest the development and the rise in value they have experienced over the past decade.
They are lovely cars and lets face it, the original design that is really still alive in the latest sports cars from
Porsche. Honestly though, I'm a six-cylinder Porsche kind of guy. I guess what I'm saying is that reviewing a book on
the 356 is not what I thought my first effort for this publication would be. I just couldn't help myself. When I first
looked at this nice hardcover volume the package design really caught my eye. Having restored a few European cars and
motorcycles has firmly engrained an appreciation for thorough research and a love of documented history. One of the
hardest things to document on a fifty-year-old vehicle is what was correct and when it came along. Porsche as a
manufacturer has constantly made running production changes to the product. This kind of thing can be as subtle as a
relocated clutch cable retainer or as obvious as new hood chrome. This book documents the timeline very well. Long has
collected a really impressive 242 photos (145 in color) for this volume. He apologizes for the quality of some but
justifies including them for the historic value and I agree completely. There are numerous factory photos as well as
lots of period sales material and racing art from the entire life of the 356. This is not just a coffee table book to be
browsed through with the flat screen on. The author is quite thorough about taking us through the entire run of the 356
from it's inception to the final 356C. He documents the race machines along the way and speaks to the affects developing
sales markets had on development of both the 356 and the Porsche Company. And there are photos of the Porsche family I
had never seen before. As any 356 fan knows there are hundreds of different iterations of these cars over its production
life and the author does a valiant job of covering them with photos and descriptions. He even shows the overlap with the
911. There is a whole chapter on modern reproductions of the 356 and they are listed and rated by company so those of us
who cannot afford the real thing or just want the look but not the patina can be aware of the various quality levels and
pitfalls. There are appendixes that cover running changes on the engines, year by year detail changes, chassis numbers
as well as the aforementioned replicas. The artwork in the book is wonderful and a pleasure to just browse through. I
smile every time I pick it up. It gets my top five star rating!
"[A] beautiful coffee table book ... Where this hardback shines is the comprehensive collection of imagery pulled
together by Brian and his team. The period photography and original advertisements are truly gorgeous and reproduced as
well as can be expected."- All Torque
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About the Author
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Born in Coventry, the heart of the British motor industry, Brian Long comes from a family with a proud heritage in the
automotive and aviation fields. He trained as a mechanical engineer, and worked for a time at his her's garage. Brian
became heavily involved in the classic car scene at 19, and says he turned to writing by accident. He has a long
association with several major car manufacturers, is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians, and a member of
the Guild of Motoring Writers. He now writes full-time and, since 1990, when his first book was released, he has had
more than 80 titles published. Brian currently lives with his family in Chiba, in Japan, where they enjoy life with
their Dobermann and Thoroughbred racehorse.
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