Silver Ghosts and Silver Dawn (W A Robotham)

Author: W A Robotham, Hardbound, 290 Pages, ISBN: 9780094566903, 1st Edition, 1970 - Second-Hand book in good condition !

W A Robotham's forty-four years with Rolls-Royce cover a period of absorbing interest for anyone who has had any connection with the firm or its world-famous products.

Perfection, rather than commerciatsuccess, was the aim of its co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, aid the author's description of the comparatively early years of the company are highly revealing.

He describes the acquisition of the Bentley company, in 1931, and tells the thrilling story of the Ulster Tourist Trophy races in 1934-36 from, first-hand experience.

He goes on to describe the conversion of the company's main resources in 1939 to play a vital part in the national war effort and the book ends with a remarkable personal tribute to the chairman of the company, Lord Hives.

The author joined the Rolls-Royce company as a premium apprentice in 1919, and before long was working closely with Sir Henry Royce. He later worked as technical assistant to Lord Hives, and was thus in a unique position, during the greater part of his career, to know the inside story of the activities of the company.

In 1930 he became closely involved with the company's new task of manufacturing the Merlin aero engine, and later became Chief Engineer of Tank Design under Lord Beaverbrook at the ,Mlinistry of Supply.

After the war he worked on the development of the Rolls-Royce diesel engine, and was appointed to the main board of the company.