Book Review: ‘My Cool Campervan’ by Jane Field Lewis and Chris Haddon

Posted on September 3rd, 2011

It may not come to much of a surprise to you, but I simply love all things retro, particularly things from the 70’s. As a graphic designer, I follow a lot of other designers blogs and my favourite is the ISO50 Blog of Scott Hansen as it houses some great imagery of 60’s and 70’s design and also some great photography of retro architecture and technology.

However, I most like the many images of retro futuristic vehicles that are often featured. A while ago there was a post about a 1970’s GMC American RV which I thought was amazing and got me wondering where I could find more retro imagery of campervan’s and motorhomes (and not just VW’s which, let’s be honast, get a fair amount of coverage these days!).

So, you can imagine my delght when I was contacted by Anova Books to see if I wanted to review a copy of their latest book, ‘My Cool Campervan: An inspirational Guide to Retro-Style Campervans’. I took my copy away with me in my not so retro T5 Camper during the August bank holiday weekend and once the sun was shining I settled down outside my van and started to read.

The most impressive thing about ‘My Cool Campervan’ is the spectacular photography provided by Tina Hillier which manages to show off the uniqueness of each of the campers featured using some great locations and outstanding ‘dressing’ of the vans themselves.

Now, for you die-hard dubbers, this isn’t just another book packed full of Splits and Bays (although both are featured in the book along with a few T25’s). Instead, ‘My Cool Campervan’ takes us on a journey through retro style campervans of all makes, shapes and sizes including custom builds, classic conversions and American RV’s. There truly is something for everyone in this book.

I, of course, really enjoyed the VW entries but was also really inspired by some of the not so well known vehicles contained in the book. For a long time VW owner and enthusiast it was quite an eye opener to think that, in actual fact, there are some really cool non-VW campers out there, many of which I would love to own!

However, my favourite moment had to be when I turned over the page and saw the Retro Green GMC American RV I had seen online all those months ago. I simply adore the thick green shag pile carpet and the ‘over the top’ retro-futuristic interior design (very reminiscent of one of the sets from ‘That 70’s Show‘).

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my read and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone with an interest in VW Campervans and all things retro.

My Cool Campervan by Jane Field-Lewis and Chris Haddon, published by Pavilion is available to buy on Amazon - Get your copy now >>

Win a Copy of ‘My Cool Campervan’ Right Here On The VW Camper Van Blog!

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Thanks to the guys at Anova Books, we have two copies of ‘MY Cool Campervan’ to give away. Two lucky winners can get there hands on this very inspirational journey through all types of retro campervans.

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The competition closes on at midnight on the 31/10/2011. Two winners will be chosen at random and notified by email. Prizes must be claimed within 14 days of receiving email notification.

Posted by Steve

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Posted on Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Posted In Uncategorized, VW Camper Van Reviews | Tags: Retro, Vintage, VW Books

2 Responses to “Book Review: ‘My Cool Campervan’ by Jane Field Lewis and Chris Haddon”

Greg on October 27th, 2011 said:
Very cool book, and a very cool blog. Unfortunately, I cannot afford myself a campervan!
I am, however restoring a 1972 1302s “super beetle”!
Check out my blog for more information and updates.

Fixmydub.blogspot.com

Sorry I don’t mean to hijack this post. I will be back and have added this awesome blog into
My bookmarks!

Greg
Steve on November 12th, 2011 said:

Thanks for you kind words about the Blog Greg!

How is your Bug coming on?

Steve