The Motorcycle a Definitive History: A Comprehensive Chronicle of Motorcycles Throughout the World By John Carroll
The Motorcycle: A Definitive History (Collectible First Edition)
A Comprehensive Chronicle and Encyclopedia of the World's Greatest Bikes
A Comprehensive Chronicle and Encyclopedia of the World's Greatest Bikes
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Motorcycle: A Definitive History
- Author: John Carroll
- Publisher: Smithmark Publishers, New York
- Publication Date: 1997
- ISBN-10: 0831762926
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression thus. Premium oversized reference work.
- Binding: Hardcover with original publisher's heavy cloth boards, housed in a complete illustrated dust jacket under a protective archive cellophane wrapper.
- Physical Format: Large Quarto Format (Oversized 4to), beautifully augmented with hundreds of vintage archival photographs, technical specifications, and a global decade-by-decade chronological index.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's heavy hardcover boards are remarkably sharp, square, and firm. The spine remains pristine, straight, tightly bound, and perfectly uncreased with flawless structural integrity.
- Interior: Exceptional and pristine. The pages are clean, crisp, and fully intact. Free from handling stains, workshop grease, previous owner inscriptions, or dealer pencil marks. Shows very light, uniform age-related paper tanning along the margins, entirely standard for this specific 1990s print stock and serving as an authentic mark of its vintage provenance.
- Protection: Meticulously looked after, now beautifully preserved in a removable, archival-grade cellophane sleeve.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition: The original large-scale illustrated dust jacket is complete and unclipped. It exhibits only very slight, superficial signs of standard shelf storage wear along the extreme corner tips, completely free of deep sun fading, chips, or tears.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1997 by Smithmark, The Motorcycle: A Definitive History is an authoritative, encyclopedic reference work that serves as both a detailed narrative history and a comprehensive catalogue of the world's most legendary motorcycles. Author John Carroll opens with a brilliant introduction charting the mechanical dawn of the motorcycle and its early pioneering proponents. The volume then transitions into a massive global exploration, documenting the machines manufactured in each country decade by decade. Featuring an extensive alphabetical entry archive and an intricate chronological layout, the book maps out the design revolutions, engine engineering leaps, and competitive racing histories of the world's greatest marques. Illustrated with valuable historical photography, this first edition stands as a vital design archive and a highly prized piece of transport memorabilia.
Published in 1997 by Smithmark, The Motorcycle: A Definitive History is an authoritative, encyclopedic reference work that serves as both a detailed narrative history and a comprehensive catalogue of the world's most legendary motorcycles. Author John Carroll opens with a brilliant introduction charting the mechanical dawn of the motorcycle and its early pioneering proponents. The volume then transitions into a massive global exploration, documenting the machines manufactured in each country decade by decade. Featuring an extensive alphabetical entry archive and an intricate chronological layout, the book maps out the design revolutions, engine engineering leaps, and competitive racing histories of the world's greatest marques. Illustrated with valuable historical photography, this first edition stands as a vital design archive and a highly prized piece of transport memorabilia.
Author Profile: John Carroll
John Carroll is a highly accomplished motoring historian, archivist, and prolific transport author renowned for his exhaustive research into 20th-century engineering, vintage commercial vehicles, and motorcycle evolution. Known for his ability to synthesize vast technical blueprints, production figures, and brand archives into accessible, highly engaging narratives, Carroll has authored several foundational monographs that serve as crucial resources for restoration experts, industrial historians, and transport enthusiasts alike. His major reference works are tightly held within private motoring libraries globally.
John Carroll is a highly accomplished motoring historian, archivist, and prolific transport author renowned for his exhaustive research into 20th-century engineering, vintage commercial vehicles, and motorcycle evolution. Known for his ability to synthesize vast technical blueprints, production figures, and brand archives into accessible, highly engaging narratives, Carroll has authored several foundational monographs that serve as crucial resources for restoration experts, industrial historians, and transport enthusiasts alike. His major reference works are tightly held within private motoring libraries globally.
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