Sunday Times Bestseller As quintessentially British as a plate of fish and chips or a British Bulldog, the boxy, utilitarian Land Rover Defender has become an iconic part of what it is to be British.

The Second World War proved, among other things, the value of a basic 4-wheel drive vehicle of rugged construction. The success of the American Jeep inspired the Wilkes' brothers Maurice and Spencer, who ran the Rover Car Company, that a British version was likely to be well received. Launched in 1948, customers were never in short supply for their creation, the Land Rover, although there were some unexpected owners for such a sparse and utilitarian car, including King George VI and Winston Churchill. Once the British Army embraced it as their vehicle of choice, the Land Rover's place in motoring's Hall of Fame was secured. Since those days, the company has gone on to invent the concept of the luxury 4x4 with the launch of the Range Rover in 1970, and has added further to the distinguished stable with the Discovery and the Freelander. The Land Rover has truly conquered the globe - find out how inside...

The Range Rover's designers intended it to be a more comfortable and road-friendly passenger-carrying Land Rover, but customers quickly saw something much more in it. During the 1970s, while its immense practicality and capability were appreciated and acknowledged, a Range Rover became a sought-after and prestigious possession. It went on to change the face of Land Rover for ever. Range Rover First Generation - The Complete Story delves into the real story of the Range Rover, examining what lay behind the multiple changes in its twenty-six years of production. The book covers the full development story; custom and utility conversions; Range Rovers for the US market; full technical specifications and Range Rovers assembled overseas. If ever a car deserved the over-used epithet 'iconic', the first-generation Range Rover is it. The book provides an insight into the little-known difficulties and problems that were so well concealed by the Range Rover's makers and is a must read for all Range Rover and Land Rover enthusiasts. Superbly illustrated with 223 colour and 97 black & white photographs.

The Land Rover has become an icon across the world, famed for its classic design, its practicality and its longevity. In this revised edition of his acclaimed book, first issued as Land Rover - 60 Years of the 4 x 4 Workhouse, James Taylor charts sixty-five years of Land Rover development in comprehensive detail, bringing the story right up to date with the latest Defender variants. Contents include: Prototypes and development vehicles; Standard production models; The special editions; Land Rovers built outside the UK; Special conversions; Military variants; The Land Rovers that never were. The first book to look at the story of the Land Rover's gradual evolution. Comprehensively researched, extensively illustrated and accessibly presented, this will be an indispensable read for all those who have an interest in the legend that is Land Rover. Superbly illustrated with 476 colour photographs. James Taylor's major specialization is the Rover company and its descendants, and he is widely acknowledged as the pre-eminent historian of the Land Rover.

The Land Rover Story is a roller coaster ride through the life and times of Land Rover. Fast-paced and entertaining, it brings alive all aspects of Land Rover from its humble beginnings in 1948 to today’s world-wide renown, with the vehicles — successes and failures — and people at the centre of the story. The 1940s. How the Land Rover came about; the Wilks brothers; the Centre Steer enigma; development and production; launch and reaction. The 1950s. Rapid development and evolution of the original; successes and dead ends; worldwide reach; early expeditions; weird and wonderful modifications; the Series II. The 1960s. Consolidation and further developments; Series IIA; military models; initial development of the Range Rover; search for a V8 engine. The 1970s. The Series III; Range Rover’s popularity but lack of investment; Land Rover abandons US market; the British Leyland story; escape from BL and Michael Edwardes, saviour of Land Rover. The 1980s. British Aerospace ownership; Land Rover grows as most of Britain’s car industry self-destructs; emergence of the coil-sprung models; make or break time with launch of Discovery (Europe’s best-selling 4x4). The 1990s. Tdi engines; Defender and its development. BMW ownership; second-generation Range Rover P38; Freelander; second-generation Discovery; Td5 engine. The 2000s. Ford takeover, alliance with Jaguar, shift towards luxury; third-generation Range Rover L322; the G4 Challenge; Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport, TDCi Defender, Freelander 2, Discovery 4. The 2010s. Tata takeover, upsurge in sales and profits; Range Rover Evoque and Victoria Beckham; Range Rover 4; Range Rover Sport 2; Discovery Sport; Discovery 5; Range Rover Velar; DC100 concept; end of Defender production; rise of Defender as a fashion icon; and much more.

Why Not? After all, no-one had ever done it before. It would be one of the longest of all overland journeys – half way round the world, from the English Channel to Singapore. They knew that several expeditions had already tried it. Some had got as far as the desrts of Persia; a few had even reached the plains of India. But no one had managed to go on from there: over the jungle clad mountains of Assam and across northern Burma to Thailand and Malaya. Over the last 3,000 miles it seemed there were ‘just too many rivers and too few roads'. But no-one really knew … In fact, their problems began much earlier than that. As mere undergraduates, they had no money, no cars, nothing. But with a cool audacity, which was to become characteristic, they set to work – wheedling and cajoling. First, they coaxed the BBC to come up with some film for a possible TV series. They then gently persuaded the manufacturers to lend them two factory-fresh Land Rovers. A publisher was even sweet-talked into giving them an advance on a book. By the time they were ready to go, their sponsors (more than 80 of them) ranged from whiskey distillers to the makers of collapsible buckets. In late 1955, they set off. Seven months and 12,000 miles later, two very weary Land Rovers, escorted by police outriders, rolled into Singapore – to flash bulbs and champagne. Now, fifty years on, their book, ‘First Overland', is republished – with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough. After all, it was he who gave them that film.

Known around the globe as an icon of British engineering, theLand Rover Defender is the ultimate off-roader that has delighted owners for generations. Combining military utility with classic and distinctive design, the Defender had been a ubiquitous presence on the automobile scene since its release more than half a century ago. But 68 years since the first model came on the market, the production line came to a halt in January 2016. This presents the perfect opportunity to look back over the Land Rover's history, from its first iteration as a utility vehicle in 1948, to the 21st Century special editions. Landy fans and petrol-heads alike will love Land Rover Defender, a highly illustrated collection of classic and limited edition models, filled with specs, stats, and images of Defenders both at home and abroad. From its reputation as the essential go-anywhere vehicle, the Defender has even won some famous fans, and owners can include the Queen, Sir Winston Churchill and actor Steve McQueen amongst their numbers. In recent years, the Defender has gained a second life as a city vehicle, and proves itself to be just as at home bombing around the streets of London as it always has been in the West Country mud or on the African savannah. The last model came off the production line in February 2016, and Land Rover Defender will be a treasure trove for car lovers and Landy owners alike.