William Boddy Livres

In a wide-ranging, rigorous analysis of the fledling American television industry--during the period of its greatest economic growth, programming changes, and critical controversy--Boddy traces the medium's development from the experimental era through the regulatory battles of the 1940s and the network programming wars of the 1950s.

Focusing on the impact of technological changes in audio-visual culture, the book explores how radio, television, and digital media have shaped American life throughout the twentieth century. It analyzes both popular and industry reactions to these innovations, highlighting the ongoing themes of anticipation, promotion, and resistance that accompany each new medium. By situating contemporary developments within a historical framework, it reveals the complexities and contradictions inherent in the evolution of electronic media in America.

It took one visit as a tyke in the '20s to the Brooklands Motor Course for William Boddy to get hooked. It had been built in 1907 by a wealthy landowner and featured motor racing and motor-industry testing through to 1939, when World War II interrupted its glorious history and brought the sport - and the course - to a halt. For over 50 years, Boddy would edit the magazine Motor Sport, forever keeping Brooklands and racing in his heart. So moved by the motor course, Boddy wrote its definitive history that had been long out of print, until now.

This recreation of a unique original work features on-the-spot reports of Donington Park's early car race meetings from 1933 to 1939 – many written by Bill Boddy OBE, the founder editor of Motor Sport magazine – including race results, lap times and more. Descriptions include not just race reports, but also a fascinating picture of a bygone era. Even in those early days, the meetings attracted in excess of 30,000 people while the cars competed on the part loose-surfaced track, most of which followed the line of the horse carriage tracks of the historic Donington Hall. The circuit was originally opened in 1931 for motorcycle racing, but it was because of the phenomenal success of the car race, culminating in the Grands Prix of 1935 to 1938, that the circuit had to be extended several times in those pre-war years. These reports create fabulous word pictures of Donington Park's pre-war car race meetings, making this book an essential buy for any enthusiast of motor sport history.