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Andrew Woodmansey

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Recreational Vehicles: A World History 1872–1939 Kindle Edition

by Andrew Woodmansey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

5.0 3 ratings

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“A unique automotive pictorial history . . . a simply fascinating read from cover to cover.” —Midwest Book Review

Has there ever been a stranger idea in the vehicle world than putting a house on wheels and taking it on vacation? However odd it may seem, it’s an idea that has caught on, and there are many millions on the road today. So how did this fascinating family of vehicles come about? Who were the first recreational nomads, what made them want to take to the road just for pleasure, and what did the first RVs look like?

The wild ideas of RV pioneers around the world led to both streamlined successes and spectacular failures. This history beautifully illustrates the vehicles and exploits of the early RV mavericks with over 250 period photos of the vehicles, their builders, and their owners. It explores the evolution of the RV from its horse-drawn roots through the steam era to the golden age of 1930s caravans and motorhomes. Many rare photos of early RVs were uncovered during the research for this book and are being published for the first time, shedding new light on the history of the RV.

The RV family is a global one, with six countries in particular having a strong RV heritage—the UK, the USA, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. In a world first, this history compares the early evolution of RV design and usage in each country. Also featured is an international gallery of RVs adapted for non-recreational purposes. By portraying not just the vehicles but also the trends, people, and fashions of the period, this unique RV history reveals the remarkable early days of transport-based tourism and leisure.

“A great read filled with incredible stories and characters.” —RV Camping Magazine

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Over all this is a much needed history on a subject that has greatly influenced our way of life in the 21st century. We are now a mobile society and its origins has been overlooked and nearly forgotten until now. This is a must read for every historian, regardless of their chosen interest.”
Richard Leisenring, Curator of the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum

“…it is a great coffee table book and would make an excellent gift for that keen RVer in your life who has pretty much everything else he could want and will provide many hours of reading that will be both educational and frequently surprising.”
Caravan World

“A unique automotive pictorial history, Recreational Vehicles: A World History 1872 - 1939 is a simply fascinating read from cover to cover.”
Midwest Book Review

"It’s a fun and fascinatingly well-written and -produced book that is also generously illustrated...We might only hope that Andrew Woodmansey might be contemplating another book!"
Helen V Hutchings, Speedreaders

“A good book takes you to places you’ve never been and opens your perspective in ways you might never have considered. This book does just that with an object so ubiquitous that we don’t really notice them, the recreational vehicle or RV.”
IPMS/USA

“Andrew Woodmansey has done an incredible study of his subject matter. This was a labor of love…a treasure for any RVer’s library.”
Escapees Magazine

“By portraying not just the vehicles but also the trends, people, and fashions of the period, this unique RV history reveals the remarkable early days of transport based tourism and leisure."
RV Camping Magazine

About the Author

Andrew Woodmansey is a recreational vehicle historian based in Sydney, Australia. Born near England’s New Forest, Andrew enjoyed many family caravan holidays as a child. After studying at Cambridge University, he embarked on a finance career spanning six countries, finally settling in 2000 in Australia, where he worked in senior operational roles at the Sydney Opera House and elsewhere. In 2014 he wrote ‘The Caravan Buyers Guide’. Andrew now writes about RV history and explores Australia in his camper trailer.