Book release today: William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Administration

McFarland Publishers Co. ^ | Aug 28, 2003 | Michael L. Bromley

[nicollo]

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640, USA.

Press Release

William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Presidency, 1909–1913

by

Michael L. Bromley

ISBN: 0-7864-1475-8
447pp. 86 photographs, statistics, notes, glossaries, appendices, bibliography, index $49.95 illustrated case binding (7 x 10) 2003

William Howard Taft declared, “I am sure the automobile coming in as a toy of the wealthier class is going to prove the most useful of them all to all classes, rich and poor.” Unlike his predecessors, who made public their disdain for the automobile, Taft saw the automobile industry as a great source of wealth for this country. The first president to acquire a car in office (Congress granted him three automobiles), Taft is responsible for there being a White House garage in 1909.

This is a look at the Taft presidency, his cars, his relationship to the automobile and the role of the automobile in the politics of his day. Appendices provide information on the White House garage and stable, Taft’s speech to the Automobile Club of America and a glossary of terms and names.

Michael L. Bromley is a writer of political and social commentary and automotive history. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

All rights reserved.

[nicollo]

Hope Freepers will have some interest.

The book is a narrative of the Taft administration written around his relationship to the automobile.

I'll let the book speak for itself, so if you'll pardon the .gif image, here are pages 1 and 3 of the book, from the Preface (page 2 is a photograph).

Hope folks enjoy it. Please visit my website's Taft pages. Thanks!

[Huck]

There appears to be a typo in the second sentence of the preface. But congratulations. That's a fine accomplishment, writing a book.

[nicollo]

Paging some friends...

The book's finally out!!!

[Huck]

I beat you to it. I saw Taft and automobiles, and my extensive freeper database said "nicollo"! Who else? But see my niggling annoying comment above.

[nicollo]

Damn, Huck, you're fast. Yes, you're right, the word "our" is missing (from "our own.") I sure hope the .pdf I have, which is a few months old, is pre-publication...

[Molly Pitcher]

Congratulations!!

[nicollo]

Lol, and nice to see you!

I'm back from a month in the Maine woods, just in time for the book launch... which I was hoping would have been back in July. Publishers run their own calandars.

I trust you are well.

[Molly Pitcher]

We have a new book by a FReeper!

[billhilly]

Good on you Michael. I'll look forward to the read.

[nicollo]

Thanks, Molly. But as you see, three years hard work, and all I get is a typo on the first page! How pathetic!

Huck, I checked my proofs, and, indeed, I slashed that sentence from an earlier one, and it appears not to have recuperated entirely. Oh, well. I'll use it as a reminder of how stupid I can be. I shan't let me editors get away without some pain on this one, though.

Btw, there's a nice article in this month's Smithsonian on the UC Berkeley Mark Twain project.

[Huck]

Not as well as you, spending months in the woods, publishing books, living a life of ease! But, for a scrapper like me, I am doing darn well. Good luck with the book.

[Huck]

I'm sorry nicollo. I didn't mean to be a pest. I am not an editor, but I do have to edit documents regularly, and I have this annoying habit of honing in very quickly on flaws and mistakes, whether it's in the text or on a graphic. A pain in the neck sort of trait to have. I am sure it will not diminish the experience of your readers one bit.

[nicollo]

Billhilly! Hope you're well!

[nicollo]

Well, you keep scrappin'. And yes, I have no complaints. Off now, on another three-year project, the election of 1912. Working title is "American Colossus."

Wow. I just realized that in three years my daughter will be 17. Ouch!

[Huck]

Is she good lookin'?

Kidding!

[Miss Marple]

I am going to buy this book. If I mail it to you with the postage for return enclosed, will you sign it for me?

Or, are you going to be on a book-signing tour that I can attend?

[nicollo]

Lol! I once told one of my editors that she's "better than chocolate ice cream." I'm gonna have to take it back. No typos in chocolate ice cream.

Thanks for picking this up. If you read the book, I want a full and very honest report back, good and bad.

Same goes to all here. Thanks, folks!

[freekitty]

Fantastic.

[tubebender]

Honored to be on this PING list. I'm sure it's a good read and I wish you the best on your newest. Any TV appearances scheduled yet...

[lepton]

Hadn't seen you in a while. Congratulations on the publishing.