MINI Book Reviews

[Number Six]

Being a proud new MINI owner, I found myself obsessed with the MINI brand, both original and new. So of course to quench this obsession I turned to books and videos.

I am betting there are others who've contemplated buying a book or two and I thought I'd share my thoughts on 3 books I've purchased (actually one book I won in a MINI photo contest).

The books are:

>>The MINI: Celebrating 50 years of a Modern Motoring Icon by Brian Laban

>>MINI 50 Years by Rob Golding

>>Mini: The Book by Anne Urbauer and Peter Wurth

First I am happy to report that they are ALL great books, and all for different reasons. I am going to review them in order of preference. Ratings are based on the 5 SMILIES category

The MINI: Celebrating 50 years of a Modern Motoring Icon by Brian Laban

Absolutely a very fun read. I bought this as an e-book as I don't believe it exists in any other format. I read the entire thing on my iPod touch with no problems. The author is entertaining, and well informed. He grew up with Minis and MINIs and really knows the history of the car. I always looked forward to picking it up. The only disappointment was that there are no photos. This book was still a great read and so I highly recommend it, but with pictures it would have been so much better.

One bonus to reading it on an iPod with wifi was that whenever I wanted to see a picture of a particular model he was writing about, I could easily copy the name and search for it in a browser.

MINI 50 Years by Rob Golding

This is also a great book. It's a traditional book with lots of photos. Not as great a read as Laban's book but the inclusion of lots of photos and the fun size and packaging of the book itself makes for a great addition to one's MINI collection.

Mini: The Book by Anne Urbauer and Peter Wurth

This is the book I won in a photo contest. It's a big book, high quality with lots of photos. My only complaint is that it perhaps focuses a bit too heavily on design and style rather than on MINI history. Still, a fun, sophisticated book to flip through and have on the coffee table and a good one to have in one's MINI library.

You really can't go wrong with any of these books, it just depends on what you're looking for. Cheers!

[mab01uk]

I have also read those Mini books and agree with your reviews.
Note, The MINI: Celebrating 50 years of a Modern Motoring Icon by Brian Laban is also available as a hardback book:
The Mini: Celebrating 50 Years of a Modern Motoring Icon (Book) by Brian Laban, et al. (2009): Waterstones.com

There are many good books on the classic Mini but for those mainly interested in the modern or New MINI, I would recommend these books below also for a good informative read:

New Mini: Graham Robson
Synopsis: This volume analyzes the Mini heritage and addresses the thinking behind the new-generation car, the BMW/Rover divorce, engineering the Mini for global sales, and speculation on future derivatives.
New Mini: Amazon.co.uk: Graham Robson: Books

Autocar Collection: New MINI
Collection of road tests of the MINI through the years
Haynes Autocar Collection

The New Mini by Patrick C Paternie
Explore the development of the Mini Cooper and learn how BMW paid homage to its ideal while creating a sophisticated, exciting and practical new car.
The new Mini: Amazon.co.uk: Patrick C Paternie:...

[Number Six]

Quote: Originally Posted by mab01uk (original)

I have also read those Mini books and agree with your reviews.
Note, The MINI: Celebrating 50 years of a Modern Motoring Icon by Brian Laban is also available as a hardback book:
The Mini: Celebrating 50 Years of a Modern Motoring Icon (Book) by Brian Laban, et al. (2009): Waterstones.com

There are many good books on the classic Mini but for those mainly interested in the modern or New MINI, I would recommend these books below also for a good informative read:

New Mini: Graham Robson
Synopsis: This volume analyzes the Mini heritage and addresses the thinking behind the new-generation car, the BMW/Rover divorce, engineering the Mini for global sales, and speculation on future derivatives.
New Mini: Amazon.co.uk: Graham Robson: Books


Autocar Collection: New MINI
Collection of road tests of the MINI through the years
Haynes Autocar Collection

The New Mini by Patrick C Paternie
Explore the development of the Mini Cooper and learn how BMW paid homage to its ideal while creating a sophisticated, exciting and practical new car.
The new Mini: Amazon.co.uk: Patrick C Paternie: Books

Excellent - thanks for the recommendations. Always in need of a new book!