Building Chris-Craft: Inside the Factories - new book

[Brian Robinson]

I just wanted to give a shout out to Tony Mollica's new book he wrote with Chris Smith, Building Chris-Craft: Inside the Factories, which is available now on Amazon.com.

I got my copy last week and just finished it. Great book, great previously un-published photographs, and it is full of new insight. I highly recommend it!

[Al Benton]

The great short stories by Chris Smith (founder's grandson) in the sidebars of this new book adds tremendously to the content. It's definitely a "must have" to add to your Chris-Craft book collection, or a good book to start a collection. Very well written and illustrated, the photos are amazing.

Al

[Reginald Down]

I purchased a copy of the book from the Antique Boat Museum while in Clayton - It's great!

[Peter XK19]

Hey could anyone tell me if there is anything on the early fiberglass boats in this book? The 19 foot Commander SS or the follow up model XK-19.
Thanks

[Al Benton]

Peter, there's a couple of photos that Bill Basler provided of the Holland plant building the "plugs" that were to be used for building molds for (I assume) the Commanders. There's very little talk in the stories about fiberglass boat building.

In fact, most of the later chapters deal with the building of wood cruisers in the Holland facility where Chris Smith worked prior to moving to the Roamer facility. Much of the new insight that's presented in this book can be attributed to Chris Smith's memories of his hands-on experiences while his family still owned Chris-Craft. There were many other contributes that Tony acknowledges but his primary source for accuracy was Chris Smith.

Al

[kcupido]

Bought my copy of Building Chris Craft: Inside the Factories at the Hessel Show yesterday. Chris Smith was there personally, kindly autographing them.
But nuts, my Dad has it first; I have to wait a bit to get my hands on it!

[Captbob626]

I found it very interesting and would recommend it to anyone who wants more insight into Chris Craft and the family.
Good job Anthony!!

[tom king]

Here is the Amazon info which shows a few pages and the index.

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Chris-Craft-Anthony-Mollica-Jr/dp/0760335923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283883980&sr=8-1#reader_0760335923

[Wilson Wright]

Okay, I'll bite....Who is Anthony ???

[Chad Durren]

Tony Mollica

[Wilson Wright]

Anthony ??? Never in my life heard anyone call him Anthony... but as my wife says, maybe I just wasn't listening. It will be interesting if he chimes in.

[Captbob626]

Well the name on the book is Anthony so I assumed that was his name.

[Al Benton]

Wilson, that got me to thinking, I had to look at other books and sure enough Tony used Anthony on them too. We affectionately refer to him as Tony but his given name is indeed Anthony.

Al

[Wilson Wright]

Al:
You are right but I've been at meetings, Symposiums/gatherings, etc with Tony over the past 15 or so years and I never heard him introduced or called anything but Tony...I'll call him Anthony the next time I see him and I bet he responds, "Wilson, nobody ever called me that but my mother and then only when she was angry."

[Al Benton]

Wilson,
Mothers have a tendency to do that. Mine would add in the middle name when she was really steamed. I'm sure Tony would enjoy this conversation.

Al

[Stovebolt]

^^^HAHA^^^ Even if you didn't have one? Mine would do that. whatever name she thought of at the time, she'd throw it in. It usually broke the tension because I'd start to laugh.

Now that I think about it........sometimes she would get even more mad than she was......probably could have saved myself some suffering.....