Hi, I'm new to this forum, which I found while looking on the net for info on Henry Gregor Felsen. He was my father, and I have obtained the copyrights to his books. I found an older thread with comments about his books. I'm just looking to find some of his old readers to make comments for a web site I'm building about him. I never realized that people REALLY liked his books as much as they did. I do know Stephen King was a fan. He named Hot Rod as one of the three books that most influenced him growing up. Would love to hear your comments!
Hello and welcome along. I remember reading many years ago about Stephen King liking Hot Rod though it took me until about 6 years ago to discover these books for myself. They are an excellent read and really capture a spirit of the era. It would be great to see them reprinted so that they would be available to a younger audience. I now have all your father's 'rod' books, including a first edition paperback of Hot Rod in excellent condition. It's one of my most prized books. Good to see you on here.
Hello HJ, Howdy and good for you and us! I must've read that book a dozen times! I had the great pleasure of meeting your pop years ago and he graciously signed my glovebox door.Very nice man.That was a high point in my life. Welcome to the forum!
Every young motorhead I knew scanned the Scholastic book flyers we got in school for your father's novels when I was growing up (late '60s/early '70s). From the prices I see the 1990 box set commanding on Ebay, I think that another run of them would have no problem selling.
My first Felsen was Street Rod, I got it for 50 cents at school libary book sale when I was in 7th grade 1977. I then looked and tried to read every book, I value them all and still have them. I loved the art work on the old Bantam paperbacks. Welcome to da HAMB, search on the board & you will find many posts about your fathers books.
Welcome to the HAMB,,,and thanks to the written words of your dad I found intrest in reading. I was 12 years old when I first read HOT ROD,,,that was in 1962. I still have a copy of that book along with several other Felson titles. I would stop short of saying the printed works of your father has led me down the path for my love of HOT RODS for the last 46 years,,,but he sure gave me a push!,,,Danny,,aka,,HOTRODPRIMER
I found your fathers book in the school libary back in the mid 60's,,, I was able to purchase the package of paperbacks and to meet him at 1 of the NSRA events where he had a display.... I was all-ways a motor head and his books were a great find for me...
I read his books in school in late 50's. Loved them all. I bought a boxed set a few years back, I wish I could have had him sign them. Those were the only books that I would read with any interest. I have looked at antique stores to find some old original ones. He was my favorite author.
Welcome aboard.... I read Hot Road during my teen years. It always thrilled me and it seemed every time I read it, it became a new story.....Didn't your dad also write other car books?? I seem to remember one I think 'Street Rod" about a kid with a Fuel Injected '57 Chevy.... Ken Jones Sierra Vista Arizona
I to read one of his books in the late 50's in high school. The book was "Street Rod" for years I wondered if Ricky survived the dunk in the river. I met your father at a NSRA event in Oklahoma City. I had been able to obtain the six book addition and sat and talked to him. He gave me a selfaddressed envelop, written in his had writing. Some one is missiing the boat if the do not make a movie using the books "Street Rod" or "Hot Rod
I am proud to day that I just read hot rod. I don't know how many times i have read it but it's been about every 6 months for the last 10 years. It is one of my favorite books of all time. So no i don't like his books I LOVE his books. I now have to go to amazon to find the rest of them and put them on my wish list.
Welcome, I first found "HotRod" in our school library about 1964. Read it several times before I graduated in '67. I would say it is safe to say that your dads books helped shape a generation. Yes they centered around cars (that's what sucked in all of us young gearheads) but they also gave a moral compass as well. Over the last several years I have accumulated a pretty good collection of your fathers books, and in a couple more years I will introduce my now 8yr old grandson to the magic that is Henry Gregor Felsen. Your dads work will live on for generations. Let us know when the web site is up and running. Thanks GV
I too read those books in our school library in the early 80s. I still am a voracious reader, in part from those books! Welcome to the HAMB!
also 67 years old and read the book in grade school. reading was a big deal when i was a kid. very little television and movies were avail to me so i read a lot. i have the 6 book series autographed by your father.
Wow...welcome! I'm 63 and I too started reading your Dad's books way back in the late 50's. Read is probably too lacking in description...I devoured 'em. Funny but true story...I was in San Antonio, TX. for my high school reunion last October. We went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch with some friends and I was talking about the HAMB and a thread about your Dad I started on here (don't hit me...I was trying to remember his name so I could buy some of his books for my granddaughter). As we got up to leave a guy at another table stopped me and apologized for listening to us...but said he had had your Dad as an instructor in college (Drake??) and agreed that his hot rod stories were the perfect read for budding car nuts. Oh, and I did buy one of his books through a fellow HAMBer. I'd love to be able to get the entire series for my grand kids though.
I loved those books! Read them a lot in junior high, then again as an adult. Welcome to the HAMB. Are you planning to republish them?
Hot Rod was the first book I ever bought with my own money. Think I was in 3rd grade at the time. Must have read it a 1000 times. Welcome.
wow hello and welcome to the hamb first thing i did when school started every year was head to the library and get their copy of hot rod. it was always the high lite of the new school year for me! then in the early 90's we met your father. he took a good bit of time talking to me that day and i was lucky to meet him. i walked away impressed! anybody that does not know bud crane is not much of a hot rodder!
Actually what most of the guys don't know on here is the person that signed on is Mr. Felson's daughter and a big welcome from a fellow Iowan. We might be neighbors , you never know. What subject did you teach and where, just curious ? BTW, I have a set of your Dad's books and I have to look at them again...it's been a awhile and I think he signed them.... My memory is a little faded as I get older. Welcome ! Cob HAMB Classifieds Moderator
Welcome. You can bet that everyone here appreciates your dad's writings. They were a staple in every gearheads library.
welcome.......I along with many of the guys here grew up reading your dads stuff,I read and reread them until I could see about every thing he discribed in color in my head,I still have the ones I bought thru the book club in grade school and even bought a couple of extras just incase my kids ever got the hotrod bug.I was really happy when 20 years ago or so they released the complete set in a package and of corse I was in line to buy them also,now even as an"adult" of 51 Ive read them all again in the last couple of years and they still bring out the feelings of what it musta been all about back in the day.......I only hope that kids still read these as this is what got many of us into what has become a lifestyle and ongoing passion I will carry to my grave.below is a photo model A I had in high school a direct result of your dads books.......good luck and hope to hear more from you on here soon.Meatball
58 years old and can say your Dad's books helped shape my life. Good gearhead stories with morals. Something the kids today could use. I have the boxed set and some loose original copies. Still read them every now and then. Great stuff. Pat.
I read all your dad's books when I was in sixth grade in the middle 1960s, and enjoyed them very much.
I'm almost 65 and still love those books. First read some or maybe all of them back in Jr. High. I bought a signed set from your father at the KKOA show in Holland, MI 16 or 17 years ago. I have also bought some library issues at yard sales and small town library sales. Some of them are very used. Sometimes I'll be tooling down some two lane blacktop and wonder who drove their hot rod there with a notepad tied to their thigh. Charlie
My story is similar to these. Went to high school in Illinois in the mid sixties, and read his books from the school library. Many years ago I found some old paperback copies, and still have them somewhere. Our thanks to your dad for the inspiration many of us found in his work.
In 1957 i checked out the book Hot Rod from the bookmobile. I have read all of your dads books. I blame him for a life time of love for cars. I met your dad in Okla, City at a NSRA event. I bought the box set of his books then and had him autograph one of them. Your dad was one of my hero's growing up. Then to meet him in person was just great. I talked to him off and on all weekin long, what a neat gentleman.
I turned 60 this year and vividly remember reading your Dad's novels, Hot Rod, Street Rod, and Crash Club in the late 50s. They helped make a life long reader of me. If you decide to re-issue the books I want a set. I still remember the Latin inscription on Dave Galt's Corvette "Aut Vinceri Aut Mori"
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