Battle for the Beetle

Rating:
Summary: Battle for the Beetle
Review: An outstanding account of the history of the Beetle, from the time of it's inception as the People's Car, to the decissions on what to do with the car and the plant which produced it. Mr. Ludvigsen provides an incredibly detailed account of the Beetle and the automobile of the '20s and '30s that influenced it and the world. A must read for history buffs and fans of the auto industry.

Rating:
Summary: Battle for the Beetle
Review: An outstanding account of the history of the Beetle, from the time of it's inception as the People's Car, to the decissions on what to do with the car and the plant which produced it. Mr. Ludvigsen provides an incredibly detailed account of the Beetle and the automobile of the '20s and '30s that influenced it and the world. A must read for history buffs and fans of the auto industry.

Rating:
Summary: Excellence was Expected -- and Found!
Review: As with all of Mr. Ludvigsen's works, "Battle for the Beetle" is expertly researched and elegantly written.

The book is notable for its collection of historic photographs, detailing not only the evolution of the Beetle itself, but also many other rear-engined automobile development efforts from the same time period. While Mr. Ludvigsen certainly delivers on the political intrigue promised by his book's title, he also does a wonderful job of helping us understand the societal context which caused the rear-engine movement to come into being; in this way the Beetle as a technological artifact is placed into its proper intellectual ecosystem, a more interesting viewpoint than the more common "design genius" mythology build up around its creator, Professor Porsche.

In fact, this is no mere buff book, but an important work in the study of society and technology and how complex technological artifacts come into being.

But don't get me wrong -- if you love cars, and especially if you love Beetles, read this book!