Not only for Jimmy Dean fans but any auto/racing/motorcyle fan This book contains detail after detail of Jimmy's passion for speed and all things that bring him speed. It outlines the cars he bought, shows receipts and notes from Dean and the people he interacted with around the time of the purchases. It analyzes his mind at the time of the purchases and slowly builds a vehicular portofolio up to the purchase and ultimate destruction of the "Little Bastard" Porsche.
Lots of pictures with brief captions so even an A.D.D. short attention span person like me can enjoy.
homage to Dean very informative and the opening introduction from Marcus Winslow I found quite moving. Lots of photos I haven't seen before. Definitely one for the fan
Excellent Considering the popularity of James Dean there actually aren't that many books written about him, and those that are deal with a lot of fluff and rehashed accounts...James Dean: At Speed delves deeply into Dean's fascination with motorcycles, cars and racing...I like the detail of the purchase of his Porsche from Competition Motors in Hollywood. The author obviously researched this book well and included a lot of interesting photographs, contemporary Porsche brochures, that really make this book quite fascinating. The whole life and death of Dean is Shakespearian in its magnitude...It's a tragedy to be sure but Dean memory is embodied in our collective memory.
Superb! I highly recommend this book to any James Dean fan, who wants to know more about his love for race car driving, which was his true passion! This book is also very informative in other aspects of his life, and has rare pictures which are simply beautiful. Mr. Raskin did fine research work. In other words, superb!
Lisa L.
Highly recommeded! From the other side of the pond -- Sweden
James Dean: At Speed is a well-researched and fascinating book, answering many questions about Dean's life and his passion for motorsports. James Dean's life is as much of a mystique today as it was over fifty years ago when he died suddenly and tragically. Author Lee Raskin provides the reader with fresh and valuable information about Dean's need for speed through intriguing firsthand personal interviews with family members, friends and the racers he competed with.
James Dean: At Speed captures the energy and enthusiasm this young man demonstrated in both his acting career and his motorsports endeavors during his short twenty-four years.
Raskin certainly has the credentials to write such comprehensive book. He is a long time Porsche historian and an experienced vintage racer -- Arnolt-Bristol, Morgan 4/4 and 356 Porsche. He provides the reader with the details side of Dean that, heretofore, we never quite understood. For example, stories about Dean driving in his novice sports car races and how he becomes involved with the California Sports Car Club members.
Even though there are many recent James Dean books commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of his death, James Dean: At Speed stands above the others in two important ways. It makes Dean's motorsports exploits come alive and it contains a brilliantly-conceived fifty year epilogue that brings the reader up to date on the people and machines in Dean's life. I highly recommend this book, and it will most certainly become a classic over the years.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
