It Was So, So Good!

The book Driving With The Devil by Neal Thompson (2006) is very interesting.

Don't misunderstand, I do not admire people who acquired wealth, power, and influence outside the law.

This book, in large part, is about people who lived outside the law to pursue their passion and to make money during the 1920's and 30's. Many of these same men entered WWII and became heroes for their bravery and sacrifices in war. Their love of V-8 engines, Ford cars, and fast driving on public roads as well as on race tracks led to the creation of NASCAR in 1948. It's about these men, their lives, and the places in the South where they lived and the methods they used to haul moonshine from the country to cities during and after Prohibition.

There's lots of interesting history about people, places, events, racing in the North compared to the South, and Henry Ford's connection to racing during the first half of the twentieth century.

The book's author, Neal Thompson, currently teaches at the University of North Carolina in Asheville for the Great Smokies Writing Program. He's written several books and was a journalist for several newspapers and magazines. Mr. Thompson researched fading history to prepare for this book.

I probably would not have selected this book on my own. My friend, Herschel Lamb, gave it to me as a Christmas present in 2006. After I started to read it, I enjoyed this nonfiction book so much that I didn't want it to end. I read slowly and often backed up a few pages to reread the material because it was so interesting and well written. I found myself studying the text as I read.

Thanks, Herschel, for knowing I would enjoy and benefit from reading this book.

Have a good week!