Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans
Product Description
By the early 1960s, the Ford Motor Company, built to bring automobile transportation to the masses, was falling behind. Young Henry Ford II, who had taken the reins of his grandfather’s company with little business experience to speak of, knew he had to do something to shake things up. Baby boomers were taking to the road in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari, whose cars epitomized style, lorded it over the European racing scene. He crafted beautiful sports cars, "science fiction on wheels," but was also called "the Assassin" because so many drivers perished while racing them.
Go Like Hell tells the remarkable story of how Henry Ford II, with the help of a young visionary named Lee Iacocca and a former racing champion turned engineer, Carroll Shelby, concocted a scheme to reinvent the Ford company. They would enter the high-stakes world of European car racing, where an adventurous few threw safety and sanity to the wind. They would design, build, and race a car that could beat Ferrari at his own game at the most prestigious and brutal race in the world, something no American car had ever done.
Go Like Hell transports readers to a risk-filled, glorious time in this brilliant portrait of a rivalry between two industrialists, the cars they built, and the "pilots" who would drive them to victory, or doom.
A Q&A with Go Like Hell author A.J. Baime
Review
"All I can say is: Wow! Go Like Hell drops you right smack in the middle an intense and ferocious battle between Ford and Ferrari in the 1960s. Baime's exceptional voice puts the reader into minds of the drivers, designers, and executives who formed the Golden Age of racing; his fantastic descriptions allow the reader to feel the pounding of the cylinders. If you like cars—nay, if you have ever seen a car—you must read this book!"
—Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
"Light up a Lucky Strike. Pour yourself a good stiff drink. Go Like Hell is a wonder, chock-a-block with great heroes and villains, a pedal-to-the metal account of greed and gumption, a chronicle of obsession and vain glory. Don't worry about that seat belt. Just go for the ride."
—Leigh Montville, author of The Big Bam, Ted Williams and At the Altar of Speed
"Go Like Hell is an epic. Ambitions, lives, fortunes, friendships, and a place in history--all are on the line here. A.J. Baime marvelously reveals the people behind the machines."
—Neal Bascomb, author of The Perfect Mile and Hunting Eichmann
"Mix sport, death and big business, the biggest. Throw in vivid portraits of Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford II, and the drivers, men obsessed with speed and fast cars while trying not to get killed. Go Like Hell is a very hard book to put down. Sharp and suspenseful from beginning to end."
—Robert Daley, author of The Cruel Sport and Year of the Dragon
"Baime’s skillful reporting and introspective writing style make for an insightful portrait of two automobile legends, as well as an exciting account of a bygone era in racing and in American culture."
—Publishers Weekly
"Turbo-charged look at the heated race-car rivalry between Ferrari and Ford... Baime’s rich descriptions of the card lift them to near-human proportions. The ultimate speed-read."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A remarkably intimate look into the famous 1960s Ford-versus-Ferrari battles at Le Mans."
—Automobile
"Like the cars it describes, Go Like Hell is a streamlined marvel built for speed, fueled by testosterone and likely to elicit happy grins from anyone who has ever heard music in the squeal of a tire or the roar of an engine . . . [Baime] hits the gas, pops the clutch and takes readers on a red-blooded ride to glory that will have them smiling all the way to the checkered flag." —Dallas Morning News
Customer Reviews
"Go Like Hell"
One Helluva Ride
Erik Arneson (North Carolina, USA)
Books on motor sport usually fall under two tired categories -- books that read like technical manuals or books that read like overwritten fairy tales. A.J. Baime creates a category all his own with "Go Like Hell" ... The book does more than bring its characters to life, it gives breath to an entire era. As if each page has its own pulse, "Go Like Hell" delivers on every level. The names Ford and Ferrari become much more than iconic brands, they emerge as men amongst boys -- history-changing forces overflowing with a unique and dangerous blend of ego, unchecked power and zero tolerance for failure. Throughout the read, names and events make appearances that keep you tied to a time never experienced or nearly forgotten ... all coming together in concert. Every human emotion comes into play when you are reading Baime's work and as you work your way through, you begin to play the parts of each of the characters in your head. You feel the pressure build ... the anticipation, the pain, the fear, the joy. You make decisions you think each player will make well before you turn the next page. You find yourself riding at speeds that make flying down the Mulsanne Straight seem like a Sunday drive. If you simply enjoy great writing, you will love this book. If you have any connection to motor sport at all, it would be criminal not to include it in your collection.
Go Like Hell to Read This!
Jamie Malanowski (NY NY)
A.J. Baime vividly captures the glamour and excitement of a special era in racing, but this is not just a book for car enthusiasts or racing fans. Like Laura Hillenbrand did with Seabiscuit, Baime does an excellent job of bringing to life for a general audience the personalities of the car designers and drivers who were giants of their sport, but who today are little known outside the automotive culture. They deserve the rediscovery they receive at Baime's hands. It's hard to think of a dad or grad who wouldn't enjoy this story.
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