The N1 was the booster rocket for the Soviet manned moon program and was thus the direct counterpart of the Saturn V, the rocket that took American astronauts to the moon in 1969. Standing 345 feet tall, the N1 was the largest rocket ever built by the Soviets and was roughly the same height and weight as the Saturn. Though initially ahead of the US in the space race, the Soviets lagged behind as the pace for being first on the moon accelerated. Massive technical and personnel difficulties, plus spectacular failures, repeatedly delayed the N1 program. After the successful American landings on the moon, it was finally canceled without the N1 ever achieving orbit. The complete history of this rarely known Soviet program is presented here, starting in 1959, along with detailed technical descriptions of the N1’s design and development. A full discussion of its attempted launches, disasters, and ultimate cancellation in 1974 completes this definitive history.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 144

Dimensions: 153 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 29-11-2019

Provides 16 movie lessons showing exactly what is required in order to pass the New Zealand practical driving test for licence classes 1 to 6. Highlights the common errors and defines whether the error made will constitute a fault or terminated test. Meet the standards required to pass the Practical Driving Test.

Bind: dvd

Dimensions: 135 x 190 x 15 mm

Provides 16 movie lessons showing exactly what is required in order to pass the New Zealand practical driving test for licence classes 1 to 6. Highlights the common errors and defines whether the error made will constitute a fault or terminated test. Meet the standards required to pass the Practical Driving Test.

Bind: dvd

Dimensions: 135 x 190 x 15 mm

More and more people prefer the simplicity of a small mobile home to enjoy nature instead of a conventional house. It’s about swapping luxury for freedom. These houses are built on a trailer so they can be transported and are more complete than a caravan, with a high quality design finish.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 144

Dimensions: 170 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 12-10-2018

What’s next? The Current showcases the new vehicles and pioneers of the electric revolution. Electric motorcycles, bicycles, and their hybrids are visions of extra- terrestrial design set to enable a mobility that will be sustainable for future genera- tions without losing its main focus―FUN. Enjoy a grease-free ride, unprecedented instant torque, and silent riding with nothing but the sound of the wind and rolling tires on asphalt. These kinds of bikes will pave the way for a new form of outdoor activity without the negative environmental footprint. There has never been a more exciting time than now in eco-friendly riding. Embrace the opportunity to be at the forefront of future mobility―and look great while you’re at it. Instant fun? Guaranteed!

Bind: hardback

Pages: 208

Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm

Publication Date: 19-10-2018

The sea-level mountain railway has a long story of dramatic moments and events. The men who completed it in the 1930s and 1940s always referred to it as "The Kaikoura Job". This is the story of the scenic coastal line, from its early beginnings through to the reconstruction efforts following the devastating 2016 earthquake. Lavishly illustrated with historical photos and those taken recently in 2018.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 134

Dimensions: 210 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 01-11-2018

This stylishly illustrated book looks back at the glamour of Concorde air travel and is as sleek and elegant as the aircraft it celebrates. When the first commercial Concordes zoomed off the runways in Paris and London in the late 1960s, crossing the Atlantic in just under three hours, they established a new standard for luxury flight. Powered by 38,000 pounds of thrust and easily recognizable with its delta wing and drooping nose, the Concorde jet embodied the pinnacle of aviation technology and industrial design. It quickly became the preferred mode of transatlantic flight for superstars and business moguls alike. Opening with a lively history of the jet and how it changed travel, the book focuses on the look and feel of the Concorde. Photos of the jet’s evolving interiors show how the original, starkly designed cabin gave way to luxury seats and interiors designed by the likes of Sir Terence Conran and Andrée Putman. Filled with fascinating historical and technical background, and drawn from the author’s personal collection of more than one thousand Concorde-related objects, this elegant book offers rarely seen historical photography and firsthand contributions from the people who helped create the Concorde experience from take-off to landing and beyond.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 190 x 235 mm

Publication Date: 14-09-2018

Men and motorcycles: a story that has vacillated somewhere between cult and cliché for years. Custom bikes, in particular, have a history that is deeply rooted in the spirit of freedom and change of the 1960s, as well as man’s primal urge to build something with his own hands—or, in this case, tools. The Ride 2nd Gear is a showcase of the power and beauty of these bikes. The Ride 2nd Gear presents a stunning selection of recent custom motorcycles, as well as the small, local workshops around the globe in which they are built. Hotbeds of creativity and craftsmanship, these workshops are mostly run by single individuals and attract a small yet devoted community of fans and fellow builders. The custom bike community as a whole is united by its passion for the ride—one so strong that it is now attracting a younger generation. Whether alone or in a group of like-minded friends, in a city or in the countryside, just for the weekend or embarking on a long-distance road trip, these drivers are actively sharing and celebrating pure riding pleasure on their own unique motorcycles that are lovingly crafted with time, dedication, and technical expertise. From limited series to one-offs, The Ride 2nd Gear features the brilliant results of this process. Its pages are filled with bikes that offer extraordinary design and driving experiences. In fact, established brands are now acting on trends set by the custom scene whose bikes are often more radical and sophisticated because more attention can be paid to detail and each new idea can be fine-tuned to perfection. Some models shown in The Ride 2nd Gear stem from or are based on classic bobbers and choppers, Italian-style racing machines, plastic Japanese motorcycles, and rare BMWs or Triumphs, which may very well be up to 80 years old. Others are art bikes made for show or futuristic visions inspired by the aesthetics of science fiction, fantasy, or anime. But whether they preserve or radically expand on traditional craftsmanship, these custom machines are more agile, faster, and therefore more fun than anything produced in the past.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 352

Dimensions: 270 x 300 mm

In early 1928, during a time of pioneering, long-distance flights, two New Zealand pilots set off from Australia on the first attempted aerial crossing of the wild Tasman Sea. Amid fervent hope, government interference, a spirit of patriotism, wide newspaper coverage and family pride, John ‘Scotty’ Moncrieff and George Hood, along with their non-flying partner Ivan Kight, dreamed of closer British Empire ties, a safer New Zealand and a shot at aviation glory. The disappearance of their aircraft Aotearoa remains one of Australasia’s great flying mysteries. Bill Conroy has researched this fascinating and tragic story for more than three decades. In the first full-length examination of Moncrieff and Hood’s flight, he recounts the conception, planning, execution and aftermath of the project which enthralled both sides of the Tasman.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 176

Dimensions: 170 x 240 mm

Publication Date: 22-02-2019

The little grey Fergie is Britain's best-loved tractor, the light user-friendly machine that finally replaced the horse on farms. This highly illustrated account covers the full history of Harry Ferguson's tractor products from his pioneering work before the 1930s to the merger with Massey in 1957. The author has had access to fresh archive material and has interviewed many of the surviving men who were associated with Ferguson. The appeal of the Fergie lay in its lightness and utility, and also in the system of mechanized farming of which it was a part. Throughout the book, reference is made to the implements which lay at the heart of the system. Stuart Gibbard has won "Tractor and Machinery" magazine's award for the best British tractor book five years running.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 168

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 15-11-2019