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At the Altar of Speed: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt | 
 enlarge | Author: Leigh Montville
Publisher: Broadway
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 390489
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 232
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5
ISBN: 0767909925
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.72092
EAN: 9780767909921
ASIN: 0767909925
Publication Date: January 21, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Some slight wear on book from reading, binding and pages are in very good shape.
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Product Description
He was The Intimidator. A nightmare in the rear-view mirror. A unique winner in the boardroom. A seven-time Winston Cup champion. A driver whose personal success story and dedication inspired the adoration of millions of fans. Then on February 18, 2001, just seconds from the Daytona 500 finish line, the world of stock-car racing suffered a devastating loss as Dale Earnhardt fatally careened into a track wall. The tragic shock waves, and an unprecedented outpouring of respect and love, have not stopped since.
At the Altar of Speed takes readers behind the scenes of Earnhardt's celebrated life, tracing his rags-to-riches journey to the top of America's fastest-growing sport. Beginning with Earnhardt's early days growing up in small-town North Carolina, veteran sports writer Leigh Montville examines how a ninth-grade dropout started on the dusty dirt tracks of the South, went through two marriages and a string of no-future jobs before turning twenty-five, then took about a million left turns to glory. Through the pitfalls and triumphs, Earnhardt would ultimately become a celebrated champion, whose lifetime earnings would top forty-one million dollars. The son of a legendary racer, the father of a NASCAR star, he lived a total auto-racing life filled with triumph and sadness, great joy and great pain.
Transporting readers to the colorful, noisy world of stock-car racing, where powerful engines allow drivers to reach speeds of 200 m.p.h., At the Altar of Speed vividly captures the man who drove the black No. 3 car, a man whose determination and inner strength left behind a legacy of greatness that has redefined his sport. Illustrated with a section of full-color photographs, At the Altar of Speed is a tribute to both the man and his unbeatable spirit.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Exciting tale that will interest even those who aren't NASCAR fans! June 27, 2007
I haven't been much of a NASCAR fan, but after listening to AT THE
ALTAR OF SPEED: THE FAST LIFE AND TRAGIC DEATH OF
DALE ERNHARDT by Leigh Montville, I just might change
my mind.
This is a very exciting tale of Ernhardt, a ninth-grade dropout who
went through two marriages and a strong of no-future jobs before
turning 25 . . . he then became a legendary champion, only to
die in a 2001 crash.
Montville interviewed many close to Ernhardt, and it shows . . . I got
a real feeling for the man, as well as for his role in the tremendous
growth of the sport . . . though I still might not run to watch the
Daytona 500 or any other race on TV, I will not at least appreciate
all that the drivers have to go through to even enter the event.
 Great introduction March 2, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Biography on one of if not the best driver in NASCAR history. Montville walks the reader through the triumphs and defeats of Earnhardt Sr. through his racing career and establishment of DEI. He concludes with the legacy of the "intimidator" after his untimely death at the 2001 Daytona 500. Well written book that only introduces the reader to the Earnhardts.
Dale Earnhardt was the man! December 22, 2004
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
Scott Stout, I bet you didn't even read the book. Don't go bashing it just because you are not an Earnhardt fan. Folks are growing tired of your reviews, look how many find them helpful! (SS, WMD).
Montville informs well March 5, 2003
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
I just finished this book, and I absolutely loved it. It had me laughing, crying, and everything in between. I'm an avid NASCAR fan, and Dale Earnhardt is and will always be my favorite driver. I am following the path of his son, and I have also read Driver #8. Both books are fantastic, and a lot of fun to read. Very hard for me to put down!
 This Book was Written by a NASCAR Outsider January 2, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
It's obvious that this book was written by an (admitted) outsider to NASCAR. After finishing the book, I felt like Leigh Montville sat around listening to stories about Dale and then decided to write a book about those stories. I'm sorry, but I feel like the only reason this book was written was for compensatory reasons.In one section, Mr. Montville writes that whereas other NASCAR drivers said that they were friends with Dale, Dale did not feel that they were his true friends (saying that you would always see them hang out at his trailer, but you would not see him hanging out at theirs). Dale did admittedly hang out with other drivers (outside of race weekends) and go vacationing, hunting, and fishing with them. Being a huge NASCAR fan, I was overall very disappointed with this book (though I did enjoy the section about Dale and Neil Bonnett). If you want a brief overview of Dale's life, then this may be the book for you. If you want to find out the real/more in depth story, then I would suggest you buy a book from an author who either really knew Dale personally or has spent most of their life affiliated with NASCAR. That's what I plan to do.
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