The History of Racing: Faster

This is the Statt Mann Baby.  Time to Scatt a little bit.

I’m not qualified for a book review but I am qualified to know what I like.

Neal Bascomb’s book “Faster” is just that.  Not enough is done to explore motorsports history especially details about racing’s bed partner, politics.

Faster is a David and Goliath story from the 1930s.  It details an American heiress who built her own grand prix team and, eventually, hired a Jewish driver to beat the Nazi backed Mercedes behemoth head to head.

Lucy Shell did it with an under-powered French Delahaye driven by Rene Dreyfus in the run up to World War II.

The story is wonderful and educational but disappointed me in one very real detail.  Bascomb spent several pages glorifying the Nazi showcase at the 1936 Berlin Olympics without ever mentioning Jesse Owens.

He said in an email that his editor took out the mention.  It was a massive oversight.  Great book though especially if you aren’t allergic to learning.

Peace.