Bøger af Floyd M Orr

This is the book collectors, restorers, and nostalgic fans of the machines of our youth have been waiting to arrive! After years of extensive research through archives of motorcycle magazines, books, and brochures from the classic era, the founder of the seminal Tiddlerosis website has published his magnum opus on the subject. The Tiddler Invasion covers many miles of two-wheeled motorized nostalgia. Thousands of facts, figures, colors, specifications, and even original prices are packed into more than 600 detailed pages. The story of the invasion of the USA by small motorcycles and scooters in the 1955-1975 era is told with enthusiasm for these many wondrous little machines by someone who lived through that special time in our nation's history. The book includes approximately 180 charts of the popular models sold in the U.S. during the period and well over 400 B&W photos. The author and two major collectors of these special little bikes share nostalgic personal remembrances of a wondrous time past. The focus of The Tiddler Invasion is on the most common machines of the period, mostly from Japan. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki each have a detailed chapter. Bridgestone, Hodaka, Tohatsu, and other early brands share a chapter. The story basically begins with the arrival of the Honda 50 in 1959 and ends with the release of the Gold Wing in 1975. The tiddler era rose to prominence in the Sixties and began its slow descent into obscurity as the Kawasaki Mach III, the Honda 750 Four, and the Kawasaki Z-1 took over the U.S. motorcycle market. The major brands from the USA are detailed in a chapter, too. This group is of course dominated by Harley-Davidson, Allstate, and Cushman, just as it was back then. There are no H-D Big Twins here, but plenty of Hummers, Toppers, Super Eagles, Mopeds and Twingles! There were countless European brands and models imported in the Sixties, but only those of significance are included. As we all know, most of the European models were either large road burners, obscure small Italian bikes and scooters, or off-road competition machines. You will not find Nortons, Guzzis, Maicos or Parillas here, but the European chapter is quite sizable nonetheless. The most difficult element to communicate to a prospective reader is the definition of the machines and parameters included in this book. The concept of The Tiddler Invasion is unique to the time and place. Although the 50cc machines began Americans' rush to motorcycle dealerships, the market rapidly expanded from that point. The smallest machines covered in the book are the true tiddlers, but these little putt-putts for kids comprised only the tip of the iceberg. Many classic 250cc sports machines such as the Ducati Diana, Harley-Davidson Sprint H, Honda Hawk, Yamaha YDS-2, Suzuki X-6, and Bultaco Metralla roar through the pages of this book! The Kawasaki Triples scream through it so much you will choke on the two-stroke smoke! The author has a thing for the Honda Scramblers, as if they were dark-haired beauties in bikinis or something. The kings of upswept exhaust pipes and crossbrace handlebars get their own chapter. Once you have possession of this book, you will never want to give it up. The Tidder Invasion is not a coffee table book of pretty color pictures. It is a reference guide crammed to the Snuff-or-Nots with useful info for collectors and enthusiasts of small classic motorcycles. The author began collecting motorcycle brochures and magazines in 1962. Reproductions of and detailed information from these sources are included in this extensive reference guide. The author of this book is not a collector, a photographer, or a restorer. He is a super-nerd who clearly loves these classic machines. The earliest part of this book was written in 1985 on a 1959 IBM typewriter. Now with the help of modern computers, the whole, wonderful, magical story of that very special era in American history can finally be told!

The second edition of Ker-Splash offers a greatly expanded view of the recreational boating hobby following a disastrous economic period in America. All types of non-fishing powerboats are covered, from jet skis to small yachts. The emphasis is on the history and economic status of each builder and the engines and drive systems employed.

Paradigm Shift is Floyd M. Orr's magnum opus on the fall of the American Empire. The rot from within Wall Street, Washington, and The Consumer Culture has been apparent for a very long time. We have been on our way down the chute and out the door of sanity since The Sixties. This is that story told from a psychological analysis of our social and political structure. Just when we thought the rampage of the Bush/Cheney regime was about to wake Americans up from their deep slumber, The Second Civil War finds a new leader in a tiny, frozen town in Alaska. Things will never be the same again in American politics, or even society. Our peaceful culture of democracy, education, and compassion has been rudely interrupted. This is the story of The Palin Matrix, a Paradigm Shift in our world that most of us wish had never been unleashed by an overly ambitious, old politician with nothing to lose but his dignity. His unscrupulous sycophant has roared through our national dialogue like the gush of an aural enema! Yes, Floyd M. Orr has a sense of humor, also too. Paradigm Shift is a roller coaster ride through the psychology of a nation. The sudden shifts from descriptions of our predicament in Depression 2.0 to the irreverent sitcom parodies will leave you breathless. Through it all runs a theme for all those Americans who are so weary of the lies and obfuscations from the right wing cable news spin machine that they are as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. Paradigm Shift is a left wing manifesto that attacks the right wing spin machine with an acidic splatter of hyperbole, outrageous humor, and a candid insight that must be experienced to be believed. We are all on this ship of fools together. It is past time to raise the sails, strap on our life jackets, and act like intelligent adults as we blow with the wind into The First Great Depression of the New Millennium.