SPORTS CAR INTERNATIONAL DEC / JAN 2000
Alfa Romeo: View from the Mouth of the Dragon
By S. Scott Callan & Kip Crosby
CD-ROM version,
Interactive medium, directed & Produced by S. Scott Callan
Hardcover book version,
197 pages, 36 color & 16 B&W photos
(limited edition of 500)
From: Velocity Group: www.gearshift.com
Casual Reader: CD-ROM:
Enthusiast Reader: CD-ROM:
SCI Comment: If you have a computer, you'll love it! If you don't, go buy one! If ever there was a reason to buy a computer with CD-ROM capability, this is it. Scott Callan has lovingly developed what may be the first interactive medium CD-ROM devoted to the history of a marque, complete with clips of archival film (and, in places, the glorious sounds) of early Alfa race cars and digitally reproduced photos from the turn of the century through the 1930s. For those of us who don't understand techno-babble, the CD is easy to follow; it even comes with its own "operating manual," written in plain English. In most respects, it's formatted like a book; except that by clicking on highlighted words in the text, the reader can go deeper into the story if desired. Say you're reading about the P2 or 6C 1500 SS race car. Want to learn about races in which it was entered? Just double-click on a highlighted word in the text and - presto! - one can access vintage photos, film clips, and accounts of each race. Some technical drawings of the engine development can be seen as blueprints which become overlaid by photos of parts and a then a completed engine. By clicking on another part of the page, an index pops up. Want to learn more about Zagato and Alfa? Click on the name and - presto - wonderfully readable text and rare photos of Zagato and his panel-beaters pops up on the screen. If you have a large monitor, that photo may be the size of a coffee-table book! Callan's research seems to be extensive and impeccable. Rather than relying on various other tomes to describe each significant race, he read copies of contemporaneous newspapers and magazines. The writing is not the usual technical or turgid prose one finds in such books, but absorbing prose. Callan has done a wonderful job of tracing Alfa's evolution from the turn of the century through the 1930s, when it had its greatest racing success. The story is made more unusual and intriguing because it clearly places Alfa's development in the context of the r&d of other auto manufacturers, as well as the political, social and economic limitations of that era. For those who refuse to enter the computer age, the book offers the same informative text, but with far fewer archival photos and, of course, none of the film clips and sound.------ David L. Katz
Alfa Romeo: View from the Mouth of the Dragon
By S. Scott Callan & Kip Crosby
CD-ROM version,
Interactive medium, directed & Produced by S. Scott Callan
Hardcover book version,
197 pages, 36 color & 16 B&W photos
(limited edition of 500)
From: Velocity Group: www.gearshift.com
Casual Reader: CD-ROM:
Enthusiast Reader: CD-ROM:
SCI Comment: If you have a computer, you'll love it! If you don't, go buy one! If ever there was a reason to buy a computer with CD-ROM capability, this is it. Scott Callan has lovingly developed what may be the first interactive medium CD-ROM devoted to the history of a marque, complete with clips of archival film (and, in places, the glorious sounds) of early Alfa race cars and digitally reproduced photos from the turn of the century through the 1930s. For those of us who don't understand techno-babble, the CD is easy to follow; it even comes with its own "operating manual," written in plain English. In most respects, it's formatted like a book; except that by clicking on highlighted words in the text, the reader can go deeper into the story if desired. Say you're reading about the P2 or 6C 1500 SS race car. Want to learn about races in which it was entered? Just double-click on a highlighted word in the text and - presto! - one can access vintage photos, film clips, and accounts of each race. Some technical drawings of the engine development can be seen as blueprints which become overlaid by photos of parts and a then a completed engine. By clicking on another part of the page, an index pops up. Want to learn more about Zagato and Alfa? Click on the name and - presto - wonderfully readable text and rare photos of Zagato and his panel-beaters pops up on the screen. If you have a large monitor, that photo may be the size of a coffee-table book! Callan's research seems to be extensive and impeccable. Rather than relying on various other tomes to describe each significant race, he read copies of contemporaneous newspapers and magazines. The writing is not the usual technical or turgid prose one finds in such books, but absorbing prose. Callan has done a wonderful job of tracing Alfa's evolution from the turn of the century through the 1930s, when it had its greatest racing success. The story is made more unusual and intriguing because it clearly places Alfa's development in the context of the r&d of other auto manufacturers, as well as the political, social and economic limitations of that era. For those who refuse to enter the computer age, the book offers the same informative text, but with far fewer archival photos and, of course, none of the film clips and sound.------ David L. Katz
Classics and Sports Cars September, 1997 :
"Make no mistake, this hi-tech CD-ROM is actually a book. Alfa Romeo: View from the Mouth of the Dragon comes from the States and traces the history of Alfa from its Darracq roots and through all the great characters such as Ferrari, Jano and Merosi. To use the book you need a PC running Windows and-be warned-it does take a little getting used to reading a book on a computer screen. On the plus side S Scott Callan and Kip Crosby's book is an absorbing read and the big advantages of all this technology are motion sequences and subfiles on the more important figures. An excellent 500-page 'living archive' as fascinating as it is encyclopaedic."
James Elliott, Managing Editor, Classic and Sports Car, September, 1997
James Elliott, Managing Editor, Classic and Sports Car, September, 1997
REVIEWS
Book:
Book:
I first heard of this book in a review in Sports Car International magazine. As a dedicated Alfisti, I had to check it out. I was debating between the ($) printed version, or the ($) CD version. Needless to say, the CD version won. I was a little apprehensive about a "book on computer", but the authors did an amazing job. Basically, the navigation is through Powerpoint, so it's really easy to learn, once you figure out where exactly to click. Besides that, the sound and video clips make the CD worth it 10 times over. I couldn't believe some of the video, the blueprints, and such that were on the multimedia presentation. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in pre-war GP racing, or pre-war Italian autos.
Five stars
Wow. Simply Wow, October 12, 2001
Reviewer: Gene Fine from Cincinnati, OH United States
Wow. Simply Wow, October 12, 2001
Reviewer: Gene Fine from Cincinnati, OH United States
Actually Gene, the programming was something a little more elegant than powerpoint, but point well taken- ed.
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