Product Description

Some machines have it and others don't: Soul. They take your breath away, and your heart beats a little faster just knowing that they exist. They may not be the fastest, most efficient, even the best in their class - but they were designed and built by people who loved them, and we can't help but love them back.

For instance,
Zeppelin airships, whilst disastrously explosive in almost every case, were elegant and beautiful bubbles in the air

The battleships were some of the least effective weapons of war ever built, but made the people who paid for them feel good

Despite two tragic crashes, the Space Shuttle still leaves you with a rocket in your pocket

Some might dismiss this list as simply being for boys and their toys, but, as Jeremy Clarkson shows, that is to miss the point of what makes the sweep of the Hoover Dam sexier than a supermodel's curves; why the Princess flying boat could give white elephants a good name; and why the Flying Scotsman beats the bullet train every time.

In I Know You Got Soul, Jeremy Clarkson celebrates, in his own inimitable style, the machines which matter to us, and tells the stories of the geniuses, boffins and crackpots who put the ghost in the machine.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3001 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-25
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Synopsis
It will come as no surprise to anyone that Jeremy Clarkson loves machines. But it's not just any old bucket of bolts, cogs and bearings that puts that rings his bell. In fact, he's scoured the length and and breadth of the land, plunged into oceans and taken to the skies in search of those rare machines with that elusive certain something. And along the way he's discovered: the safest place to be in the event of nuclear war; who would win if Superman, James Bond and The Terminator had a fight; the stupidest person he's ever met; what an old Cornish institution called Arthur has to do with 0898 chat lines; and how Jean Claude Van Damme might get eaten by a lion...In "I Know You Got Soul", Jeremy Clarkson tells the stories of the geniuses, innovators and crackpots who put the ghost in the machine. From Brunel's SS Great Britain to the Spitfire and from the woeful - but inspiring - Graf Zeppelin to Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, they were built by people who love them - and we can't help but love them in return.

About the Author
Jeremy Clarkson made his name presenting a poky motoring programme on BBC2 called Top Gear. He left to forge a career in other directions but made a complete hash of everything and ended up back on Top Gear again. He lives with his wife, Francie, and three children in Oxfordshire. Despite this he has a clean driving licence

Customer Reviews

His best book
Without a doubt his best book.

he takes a look at some of the most beautifull machines invented (spitfire's, concorde, riva speedboats) and explains in humour and reverence a short history of the machine and the reason he likes it's soul.

A great read with some stunning pictues.

Interesting read into machines history
Once again Clarkson brings his many fans another brilliant book much in the vein of Karl Pilkington's "Happyslapped by a Jellyfish." However, unlike the mindless jabber that Karl Dilkington comes up with, this book offers readers some real education that doesn't include pillow men or three legged jugglers.

No regrets....At all
This book is simply brilliant. It re-ignited my lust for a Riva speedboat (I could never afford to own one) and it really sobered me up with his very astute thoughts about Concorde. Even if you are not into machinery, Clarkson's take on it all will ignite a spark in you that will allow you to begin to understand why so many of us love fast cars, fast aircraft, and beautiful bridges. Perhaps why some of us revel in man's ability to construct huge awesome things like aircraft carriers. Of course the Riva is perhaps the epitome of this. When I see one now I just stand in awe and almost drool. They are just so beautiful. Is this book Clarkson's best ever? Quite possibly.Perhaps you should read it to find out what all the fuss is about.If you do you won't regret it.