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Umbrella Mike: The True Story of the Chicago Gangster Behind the Indy 500 | 
 enlarge | Author: Brock Yates
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $3.97
You Save: $10.98 (73%)
New (12) Used (4) from $3.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 122840
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 1560259663
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9781560259664
ASIN: 1560259663
Publication Date: June 26, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Fast shipping, great customer service
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The true story of a heroic racecar driver who managed to thwart an evil Chicago mobster during the difficult years of the Depression.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Disappointed April 24, 2008
I bought this book because of my interest in the Indy 500, because the title was very intriguing, and because I was familar with the author from articles he wrote for a popular automobile magazine. As it turned out, the book was not that interesting and added very little to my knowledge of the "greatest spectacle in racing". I rate a good book as on that I will want read again and again and that also motivates me to find out more on its subject matter. This book does neither.
 I.M.S. Influence of Mobsters on the Speedway? January 2, 2008
Excellent expose by autoracing expert Brock Yates of Chicago gangster Mike Boyle and his dominance in Indy-car racing in the late 20's through the early post WWII period. Yates brings out the links between Boyle and nearly all of the big name drivers and engineers of the day. With Favorite driver Wilbur Shaw, Boyle's Maserati won Indy twice, and became the most successful Indy car in history. But one wonders how much influence Boyle had, through Shaw, in convincing Tony Hulman to purchase the track after WWII? Although not a subject Yates discusses, the implications arre certainly there. The book is marred only by the lack of an index (highly needed) and Yates redundant phraseology about WWII.
A welcome addition would be a chart showing the links between Boyle and arch rival Joel Thorne. A must for Indy history fans!!
Indianapolis Dynasty May 6, 2007
A fascinating look at mainly preWWII (but some post-war) Indy 500 and open-wheeled racing history. This is a great read if you are at all interested in American open-wheel racing, which was one of the most dangerous forms of motor racing in the world but a unique motorsport art form.
Umbrella Mike: True Story of a Chicago Gangster Behind the Indy 500 March 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great Book, couldn't put it down until I finished it! If you like the history of how a great race car was born and how three special guy's, Wilbur Shaw, Ted Horn and Cotton Henning made the Masarati 8CTF a legend, get this book! This car was a winner in 1939-40, should have won in 1941, and finished no worse than 4th from 1946 to 1948. It was still competing in the 500 until 1951.
One of the more interesting Indy 500 owners February 14, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The book was a good read on one of the more interesting characters in Indianapolis 500 history. There has been little previous information about one of the most successful car owners in Indy history.
The material was not too in depth, but gave a good account of the Boyle Maserati that won the Indy 500 in 1939-40 with Wilbur Shaw behind the wheel.
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