NASCAR Legends: Memorable Men, Moments, and Machines in Racing History

I first came across this author's NASCAR writings in the pages of TV Guide, where, for years he has been that magazine's NASCAR expert. Although I knew relatively little about the sport, his knowledgeable yet playful style was instantly engaging, making me feel like an insider who had been following along for years. When I came across his book, "Full Throttle", about the life of Curtis Turner, I took a chance and was rewarded with one of my favorite books of that year. And so I was looking forward to more..."NASCAR Legends" describes a sweeping arc of NASCAR history, stopping at key points along the way to illuminate important people, races and tracks. Given the breadth of this undertaking, what the author manages to pull off is the rare feat of imparting a great deal of information and keeping it interesting every step of the way. The personalities, the inside stories, the triumphs, tragedies and drama are all handled with equal skill. The stories can be quite poignant, then suddenly turn on a dime to make you bray with laughter.Edelstein obviously has a great love for his subject, but never gets lost in subjective indulgence. By stepping out of the way and giving stage to the stars...the legends...he makes it seem as though we are part of a private party, sitting down with some of the greatest drivers, crew, and owners in the world, and hearing the stories directly from those who have lived it. It's a fun ride, and one that includes several breathless descriptions of the most intense moments in some important races that will make you feel as though you are there.This is a terrific read and one I highly recommend. Enjoy!

I've been a fan of Robert Edelstein's writing for many years (I particularly LOVED his last book, a biography of NASCAR legend Curtis Turner, which was reviewed on THE FRONT PAGE of the NY Times Book Review). He has an uncanny ability to take someone who has never raced a car into race cars and into the heads of the racers. This book is a wonderful collection of important NASCAR stories. But Edelstein has written a book which is not a typical "greatest hits" type collection of stories. He has mined NASCAR's rich history, in a way that is only possible from a writer like Edelstein who has been covering NASCAR for nearly 20 years. This book did for me exactly what I want from a book - I learned and I was entertained.

"NASCAR Legends" tells some of the greatest, most thrilling stories in the history of the sport. Author Robert Edelstein makes you feel like you were there at every great race, sitting in the driver's seat speeding down the track at something like 190 MPH; like you've met each legendary driver personally (you might even swear that the sumbitch bumped you coming out of turn two at Talladega). Many of the stories come from Edelstein's personal interviews with drivers, crew chiefs, and the like, and his insight into what's going on in the races and the racer's minds is really priceless. This book is a must-have.

I got this book for my stepfather who is crazy about Nascar. He loved it and read it in two days. He said that the autobiographies about the drivers in this book were a great read and he enjoyed learning about some of their personal experiences! It arrived very quickly and we are so happy with Amazon! I highly recommend this to all long term Nascar fans! The print is a little small, so if you have trouble reading small type you may want to request an oversize book if its available. Overall, very satisfied!

You don't have to be an auto racing enthusiast to love this book, but chances are you will be once you read it. Both Nascar fans and the simply curious will find Mr. Edelstein's book to be entertaining and informative. A quick read, full of fascinating information. Definitely recommended.

This book covers the people of early NASCAR racing. It tells some info on people that raced and some involved with the tracks etc. A good read. Wayne A. Lee .

If you are interested in lear ning more about this great American sport I would highly recommend this book. It is one of the best.

I really thought this book was both fun and incredibly well written. I look forward to more from this author.