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Thrust: The Remarkable Story of One Man's Quest for Speed
 
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Thrust: The Remarkable Story of One Man's Quest for Speed (Paperback)

by Richard Noble (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam Books; New edition edition (1 Oct 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0553812084
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553812084
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.6 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 476,870 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Ever since Dr Johnson declared 200 years ago that no man travelling at 20mph in a coach could possibly "continue to draw breath", there has been no shortage of nay-sayers. They said it over and over to Richard Noble and his team, but they went ahead anyway and in October 1997 ThrustSSC, driven by RAF Squadron leader Andy Green, smashed through the sound barrier to set the first supersonic land speed record of 763mph.

This absorbing and richly illustrated book tells of Noble's obsessive quest for speed, beginning as a six-year-old watching John Cobb's 200mph jet boat Crusader and ending in triumph in the Nevada desert. There is as much financial as technical detail--Noble imaginatively and profitably stalked the Internet for donations as corporate sponsors fell by the wayside--and a jingoistic subplot as the Brits and Yanks vied with each other to achieve the sonic boom first.

But mostly this is a human story of struggle, achievement and the peculiar meanings of success. "We'd got through this", says Noble, "we'd succeeded. But success can be very sad once you've got over the initial elation. Suddenly it's all over and it can never be savoured again." --Nick Wroe



Product Description

The story of the world's first supersonic car and the entangled human emotions behind this great engineering achievement. It is the tale of Richard Noble's obsession with speed, from his early days with the crude self-built Thrust 1 jet car to the Thrust SSC - the fastest car in the world.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The inside story of a unique individual and his achievements, 11 April 2001
There are few good books about the Land Speed Record - with a few exceptions (eg "Man Against the Salt"), they tell you more about the cars than the people who drove them, and themselves, to the limit.

Being autobiographical in nature, this book was never going to fall into that trap, but in his typical "the team is all" fashion, Noble has invited several of the other Thrust team members, and a few others, to make their own contributions to this book. It says a lot about him that even though several of these contributions are not entirely flattering, or in agreement with Noble's interpretation of events, he let them be included. Consequently the reader benefits not only from the expert analysis of the Thrust technical team (designer Ron Ayers' contributions in particular are excellent examples of how to communicate complex engineering ideas to the layman), but also gets a feel for the tensions that ran through the team at times.

The book is partly a life story of Noble, covering his life and the various hare-brained but oh so brave schemes that he has been involved in, though naturally the main focus is on his two successful land speed record projects. It becomes clear the Noble is equally blessed and cursed with an insatiable drive and vision which though often frustrated by the limitations of everyday life, on two glorious occasions burst through to make history.

Despite his achievements Noble remains modest - though occasionally perhaps his protestations ring a litle false. One of the remarks in electronics-boffin Jeremy Bliss's contribution has an interesting resonance (you'll know it when you read it), but again, credit to Noble for including it.

Whatever, Noble emphasises the importance of every member's efforts in making both Thrust projects successful. I was fortunate enough to be living in Coventry when the Thrust SSC team held its parade through the city (read about it in the book), and spoke to several of the team including some of the contributors to this book. I found them all to be friendly, patient, helpful and informative, as they were with the thousands of members of the public that day. Noble is right to be proud of them all. Reading this book makes you wish that you could be a part of something so unique at least once in your lifetime.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A true business inspiration, 20 Aug 2000
I read this book in three days whilst on holiday and found it to be a true inspiration for anyones trying to do what everyone else says can not or should not be done. This gives a very great feel for the man that is a true believer in what he is doing and will not be swayed from the course he has set himself. I have had the pleasure to meet this man and can truly say 'What you read is what you get'. The determination in this man is continuing through on his next project, which he eludes to in the book, if you want to be involved in his new project then read the book.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Living proof for British sportsmanship, 6 Feb 1999
By A Customer
I first came across the book when attending an amateur rocketry workshop in Bristol. Luckily, on my way home, I was able to purchase the last remaining copy from a Heathrow airport bookshop. Wow. What a page-turner. It took me only two days to read the book.

Apart from Richard Noble's very personal account of his long way towards finally managing the Mach 1 record for land vehicles as a project leader, the book gives a lot of hints what went wrong with British (and European?) industry after WW II. Especially the author's remarks on the scrapping of Britain's Mach 1 contender aeroplane (the Miles M-52) give the impression that a good deal of British engineering superiority was simply given away to the US in the late 1940s and thereafter. What a pity. You British used to have such an outstanding aircraft industry which is almost forgotten today. Noble's achievements are a little compensation for this.

Thank God that you British still have such great sportsmen among you. Noble (and Andy Green, for sure) reminds us what one can achieve with a vision, will power and perseverance. Simply great.

P.S. This reminds me of the fact that the $10 million X Prize (for the first private passenger vehicle going into space) is still out there, waiting to be claimed. Isn't this something for a British team as well?

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate book of the ultimate record attempt
A wonderful account of the life-long pursuit of the landspeed record by Richard Noble. The book is lavishly illustrated with some fantastic shots of the cars Noble helped to... Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrust 1,2 and SSC projects, from despair to ecstatic succes
The overwhleming impression that this book leaves is how much a small dedicated team could achieve against the odds of apathy from government departments, many commercial... Read more
Published on 18 Jan 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book - The story of a war on the land speed record.
This is a fantastic book. Anyone with a smidgen of an engineering soul should read it. The story of Richard Noble's fraught land speed record successes and business set backs... Read more
Published on 1 Jan 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary British hero
Richard Noble and his Thrust project are well known but this book goes inside the bid for two land speed records. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 1998

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