The Automobile is a fascinating collection of one-sentence
anecdotes—more than two thousand of them. You may have known that Henry
Ford apologised in 1927 for his anti-Semitic remarks, but did you know that he
sacked the head of Ford’s German subsidiary in 1936 because he was Jewish? Or
that in 1933 the British car maker William Morris—aka the great public
benefactor Lord Nuffield—gave Oswald Mosley £50 000 to set up the
British Union of Fascists? Not all the stories are quite so worthwhile—but
every page has a nugget. How about this for foresight? In 1899, Scientific
American predicted that the car will “eliminate a greater part of the
nervousness, distraction and strain of modern metropolitan life”. Published by
Fitzroy Dearbon, £35, ISBN 1579580211.
More from 91av
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 91av articles
1
A whole new way to prevent death from sepsis shows promise
2
We might finally know how to use quantum computers to boost AI
3
How autoimmune conditions can unexpectedly drive mental illness
4
Hospital-acquired pneumonia reduced by daily toothbrushing
5
Can we ‘vaccinate’ ourselves against stress?
6
The biggest threat to Chernobyl is no longer radiation
7
Monkeys walk around a virtual world using only their thoughts
8
Why the right kind of stress is crucial for your health and happiness
9
Exclusive report: Inside Chernobyl, 40 years after nuclear disaster
10
Electric vehicle owners could earn thousands by supporting power grid
