Brooklands: Cradle of British Motor Racing and Aviation (Shire Library)

An illustrated history of the birthplace of British motor sport and aviation.

Before the Second World War, Brooklands was the most famous motor racing venue in the world, attracting large and glamorous crowds to its banked circuit to watch races being won and records being broken. Also an important centre for aviation, Brooklands saw the first flight of a British pilot in a British aircraft.

With the outbreak of war in 1939, motor racing would stop, never to resume again, and the site became an important centre for aviation manufacturers, producing in its history both the Wellington bomber and the Concorde. Discover the history of this unique sporting site, from its heyday as a motoring treasure to its wartime service in aviation production.

Nicholas Lancaster conjures up the atmosphere of pre-war race meetings and early British flying achievements in this nostalgic look at the birthplace of British motor sport and aviation.