apex-the-inside-story-of-the-hillman-imp

A to B Books and DVDs – Brompton, electric vehicles, railways!

 

Please do have a browse our eclectic mix of alternative transport books, videos and assorted odd things, as we explore the interface between bicycles and the world of transport. From £5.99 to £47.00.

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apex-the-inside-story-of-the-hillman-imp

Apex: The Inside Story of the Hillman Imp

Apex: The Inside Story of the Hillman Imp
David & Peter Henshaw

You never quite know what we’re going to publish next. Actually, this was our first book, back in 1988. The Imp is a greatly misunderstood car, and actually a really nice little machine. If you’ve heard it’s unreliable, it certainly can be, but it’s unreliable in the way a fine racehorse can be unreliable. It’s highly-strung and needs to be cosetted, but it will do whatever you ask if it likes you, and trusts you.
Apex was reprinted in 1990, and we got a bit busy with other things for the next thirty years, then we realised that the Imp had become an iconic masterpiece of 1960s engineering and design for a new generation. So we dusted off the old Amstrad discs (yes, horribly true), reworked the text, brought the story right up to date with two new chapters, added 150 colour photographs, and here’s Apex 3.

£24.99!


doddings-farm-bere-regis-railway

The Doddings Farm Watercress Railway

The Dodding’s Farm Watercress Railway
David Henshaw

Narrow gauge industrial and agricultural railways reached their peak in the early years of the 20th century and gradually declined thereafter, killed off by industrial closures, changing working practises and road competition. By 2015 there was only one left. A single railway remained at work on a watercress farm in deepest, darkest Dorset. Largely forgotten by corporate executives, the ancient locomotive ‘Watercress Queen’ plodded around the watercress beds doing what it had always done since it was built in 1948. Today, in 2023, it’s still at work, although its future hangs by a thread today. Railway author David Henshaw tells the story of the locomotive, the people who worked the beds and the railway that refused to die.
Released August 2023 £9.99!


the-bromptonThe Brompton: Engineering for Change

Will Butler-Adams & Dan Davies


‘The Brompton’ is a fascinating 270-page read by Brompton’s managing director Will Butler-Adams. How a small engineering works in west London was brought into the 21st Century. This is obviously written with a ‘factory’ hat on, so a slightly different perspective to our book ‘Brompton Bicycle’, but Will is very honest about the things he might have done differently with the benefit of hindsight.

First edition hardback £25.00
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

electric-car-range

Real stories from early adopters

We Bought One!

Peter Henshaw

‘We Bought One!’ brings together the experiences of electric car owners, some new to electrics, but others involved for a decade or more.
50 pages packed with essential information, including hints and tips on which model to buy, new or secondhand, charging, and dealing with such hardy perennials as Range Anxiety.
£2.99  (downloadable PDF)

 

 

 


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The Hub of the Universe

The Hub of the Universe
A Century and more of Sturmey-Archer
Tony Hadland & Alan Clarke
NEW 2020 EDITION!

This book is a completely reworked second edition of the 1987 book ‘The Sturmey-Archer Story’ by Tony Hadland, rewritten with the assistance and co-operation of Alan Clarke of Sturmey-Archer


When we say reworked, we mean it. The book now runs to 368 pages, and it’s superbly illustrated with mostly colour photographs, many drawn from Sturmey-Archer’s own archives. Not the cheapest – in fact probably the most expensive book we’ve sold – but it does just about everything you could possibly want: part workshop manual, part history, part sumptuous ‘coffee table’ volume. In short, the very best book on Sturmey-Archer hub gears, brakes and other bicycle accessories you’re ever going to see. Unless Tony writes a sequel.
£47 plus postage

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Brompton Bicycle 3rd Edition

Brompton Bicycle: Revised 3rd Edition
David Henshaw

LATEST 2020 EDITION!
This updated third edition brings the story up to June 2020, through Brompton’s explosive global growth, to less salutary lessons, like failures, Covid-19 and the Electric model.
‘Iconic’ is an overused and clichéd term, but it certainly applies to the Brompton, and ‘Brompton Bicycle’ by David Henshaw is the definitive companion volume. Whether or not you own one of these folding bikes, you will find this an interesting and inspiring read. Where is this British company heading? Henshaw makes some interesting observations in the latest edition, which ends in a rather less cheery place than the earlier ones. It’s a much bigger story of course, so the book has grown to 224 pages and a bigger format. You’ll be very pleased to hear that the price remains unchanged, and is beginning to look a considerable bargain.

These books are sold from the author’s own stock and will arrive signed (and dedicated if you let us know in advance). If you don’t want a signature, let us know!

£11.95 plus postage

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atob-books-great-railway-conspiracy
The Great Railway Conspiracy
David Henshaw
First published in 1993, and reprinted in 1995, this 2013 edition is completely revised and updated
‘The Great Railway Conspiracy’ tells the story of the ‘Beeching’ era, looking in some detail at the political chicanery that led to the closure of a third of Britain’s rail network. Many people are surprised to hear that more damage was done to the railways after Dr Beeching’s departure as chairman, with many of the big closures being the responsibility of the following Labour government. It was not until the oil crises of the early 1970s that the process was brought to a close.
Books purchased from our web site can be signed by the author
£14.99 plus postage

 

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atob-books-bicycle-dvd
Bicycle – A Great British Movement DVD
More about cycle racing and competition than our usual fare, but a fascinating DVD that explains how and why cycling is back in fashion in the UK
Duration: 86 minutes
PAL Format – generally applies to Europe, but will work on most computer drives worldwide
£12.50 plus £1.99 postage




 



atob-magazine
SPECIAL OFFER! A to B magazine digital back-number set
A to B has been published since 1997 and now runs to over 120 issues. Not all have been digitised, but we’re gradually working backwards, and we now have a digital archive of over 70 issues. We send these by WeTransfer, which has proved very reliable and user-friendly. The cost
is a modest £25, or little more than 30p per issue, a third of the normal digital price and 10% of the paper price.

 

Media


gaint-lafree-panasonic-motor-drive-sprocket
MISCELLANEOUS
Giant Lafree Motor Drive Sprocket
Much stronger than Giant’s own Lafree sprocket, which is no longer available, our replacement sprockets are made in England by Talon Engineering. The drive sprocket is crafted from precision CNC-machined EN36B steel and we’ve never had a customer come back for a replacement, so it looks as though they will last as long as your bike.CAUTION: Our sprocket only fits the early Giant Lafree made up to 2006, and other bikes using older Panasonic gearboxes. It is not the same as the later sprocket types. Please do not buy ours in error!
A useful tip… you can double the life of the new sprocket by turning it round… the teeth only wear on one side!

 

Subject

CLEARANCE ITEMS
Electric Bicycles
David Henshaw & Richard Peace

First Published 2010
Half Price £6.50, plus postage

 

 

 

 

 


 
brompton-bicycle-book-first-edition
Brompton Bicycle
David Henshaw

Published 2009
A small number of the first edition are still available. Everything is much the same as the latest edition, but there are no post-2009 updates!
Half Price £5.99, plus postage
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