{"product_id":"blood-and-smoke-a-true-tale-of-mystery-mayhem-and-the-birth-of-the-indy-500-paperback","title":"Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indy 500 - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCharles Leerhsen\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"History comes alive\" (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e) in the wild and true story of the first Indy 500 and the dawn of the automotive age--now in paperback.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eForty cars lined up for the first Indianapolis 500. We are still waiting to find out who won. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Indy 500 was created to showcase the controversial new sport of automobile racing, which was sweeping the country. Daring young men risked life and limb by driving automobiles at the astonishing speed of seventy miles per hour with no seat belts, hard helmets, or roll bars. When the Indianapolis Speedway opened in 1909, seven people were killed, some of them spectators. Oil-slicked surfaces, clouds of smoke, exploding tires, and flying grit all made driving extremely hazardous, especially with the open-cockpit, windshield-less vehicles. Most drivers rode with a mechanic, who pumped oil manually while watching out for cars attempting to pass, and drivers would sometimes throw wrenches or bolts at each other during the race. The night before an event the racers would take up a collection for the next day's new widows. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlthough the 1911 Indy 500 judges declared Ray Harroun the official winner, there is reason to doubt that result, since Speedway authorities ordered the records to be destroyed. But \u003ci\u003eBlood and Smoke \u003c\/i\u003eis about more than a race. It is the story of America at the dawn of the automobile age, a country in love with speed, danger, and spectacle.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCharles Leerhsen\u003c\/b\u003e was formerly an executive editor at \u003ci\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e. He has written about sports and culture for \u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as \u003ci\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e. A native of the Bronx, he now lives in Brooklyn with his wife, the writer Sarah Saffian.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.82 x 9.08 x 5.85 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 22, 2012\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52624147743027,"sku":"9781439149058","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/ZzZ5Tlp2UzhxNitEWjc2RVM2V0FFQT09.webp?v=1761998313","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/blood-and-smoke-a-true-tale-of-mystery-mayhem-and-the-birth-of-the-indy-500-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}