Here is what two very well known jeep historians had to say recently about WARBABY:
"If you think you know the full Jeep story and haven’t read this book, you are fooling yourself. Warbaby is the most comprehensive telling of the Bantam story to date and a Jeep library is not complete without it."
---
"I love this book! At nearly 400 beautiful pages, “WARBABY"... is a highly significant new book that thoroughly explores the origin of the very first ¼ ton 4×4 vehicle, the Bantam Reconnaissance Car. It is a thick and delicious banquet of early jeep facts and images that is a treat to consume. The book itself is striking, from its thick embossed hard bound cover to the clear text and sharp images reproduced on its pages. Handling it is a sensual pleasure; reading it feeds the brain"
----
On September 21, 1940 in Butler, Pennsylvania an awkward looking miniature truck emerged from the toolroom of the American Bantam Car Company.Stunning even its creators with its performance it was delivered for Army testing two days later, where it was recognized immediately as a tactics changing weapon of enormous significance and was dubbed a “jeep” by its testers. It went on to become one of the most decisive weapons of WWII, and the Army was not to be without one for decades to come. Displayed in some of the world’s most famous art museums the jeep is considered one of the most elegant American industrial designs of the 20th century and some regard it as the the most significant and influential automobile in American history.
Despite all this, in the 76 intervening years which have been filled with thousands of books and articles, internet sites, and films extolling the virtues of the jeep, the complete story of the jeep’s origins have remained largely a mystery, shrouded by fragmentary, conflicting and incomplete evidence, conjecture, supposition or outright guessing. UNTIL NOW.
At long last, 15 years in the writing and research, in William Spear’s definitive new book WARBABY is sets out the true and most complete story of how the jeep came to be and jeep experts around the world are already hailing it as a MUST HAVE VOLUME for any jeep lovers library. The history is not only revealed in full, but emerges as one of the most interesting and exciting stories in automotive history, from beginning to end filled with dozens of compelling characters in dramatic, high risk situations. Whether your interest is in industrial design, history, politics, biography, research, simple curiosity about the cars themselves or just interest in an old fashioned good story, WARBABY covers the territory.
HERE'S WHAT YOU GET
A sumptuous, hardbound 400-page volume complete with hundreds of rare historic photographs, documenting thousands of hours of research on the true origins of the jeep. A must for military vehicle buffs, WW II and military history students, industrial designers and fans of historical intrigue. These first edition volumes are certain to be collectors items in a very short time.
• It is BIG! 400 pages of 8.5 x 11.5 of heavy, highest quality paper. The book weighs in at 5 and a half pounds (2.5 kg)
• A hard back book with olive drab cloth cover and debossed with gold foil imprints.
• Traditional stitched construction with head and tail pieces; not just glued together.
• Professionally laid out and beautifully organized by an Italian layout artist of substantial reputation.
• Real off-set printing, not run off a glorified copy machine.
• Full color is used wherever color pictures can be found.
• Colorful dust cover practical as well as attractive.
• Limited production. 1,000 copies only have been printed.
This will be your only chance to get a first edition, first printing. There is no guarantee that a second printing will be justified or undertaken. There is no digital version. If you see one it is unauthorized and the author/publisher would appreciate your reporting it immediately.
FREE SHIPPING in the USA. Media Rate. (Will ship overseas at buyers expense, but, be warned it is nearly as expensive as the book itself and may involve additional duties and taxes.