Product Description
He was The Intimidator. A nightmare in the rear-view mirror. 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. Beginning with Earnhardt’s early days growing up in small-town North Carolina, veteran sp… More >>
#1 by Susan Vann on July 2, 2010 - 6:27 pm
I love books about NASCAR. As a female fan of the sport, I love to learn about not only the history of NASCAR but about the men who make NASCAR so popular. This book is not only for Dale Earnhardt fans but I would recommend it for those people who didn’t like him. I think they will be surprised at how different Dale Earnhardt was off the track. “The Intimidator” only describes his on-track persona.
What makes this book a great read is that with each story you can almost hear the sadness in the voices of those folks who have lost a very special friend. Some of the tales told are humorous and with each recollection you learn more about Dale Earnhardt the man, husband, father, and friend.
Leigh Montville has put together what I can honestly say is the best tribute to a man who is missed by so many of us. He made me realize NASCAR will never ever be the same without that Goodwrench Black Number 3 Monte Carlo of Dale Earnhardt.
Dale, Rest in Peace!
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by Anonymous on July 2, 2010 - 8:07 pm
This is one of the best books I have ever read. After being a fan of Dale’s for so many years this book actually cleared up a lot of things about him that most people never got to see.
It’s not a coffee table book, which are good to look at, this book makes you actually see how things really were. The author did an awesome job of portraying Dale as a real man with fears and ambitions. The reader gets to see even the bad sides of Dale. Which is what made Dale the man we all loved or loved to hate as I admit I did for the first several years. But slowly learned to admire his driving and then actually root for him.
Awesome! Must Read for any NASCAR/Dale Earnhardt fan.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Martin Vymazal on July 2, 2010 - 9:04 pm
This is the first Dale Earnhardt book I have found that was NOT a coffee table book filled only with captioned photos.
This book covers Dale’s life from the beginning, discussing his friends and family. It tells the story of his struggle to become so successful.
Dale was always a very private person, and until now, it was difficult to find anything about his personal life away from the racetrack. The book even mentions that Dale advised Dale Jr. that he would regret living his “Club E” image in the public eye.
I been a huge Nascar fan for over 20 years, and admired Dale since he finally cast the monkey off his back by winning the Daytona 500.
All in all a very good read, leaving me the desire to find out even more about Dale.
Rating: 4 / 5
#4 by John Shorey on July 2, 2010 - 11:50 pm
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.
Rating: 2 / 5
#5 by Donna Urchak on July 3, 2010 - 2:32 am
Unfortunately while my husband and his friends were following Nascar I wasn’t paying attention. I went to my first race in Bristol following Earnhardt’s death and couldn’t help but notice the respect EVERYONE seemed to have for Earnhardt, no matter who they followed. I got this book to learn more. To me it was wonderful, it made you cry in places and in places I laughed out loud while reading it. I really enjoyed it and have already passed it on to someone else to read it. I don’t think that you particulary had to be a Nascar or an Earnhardt fan to enjoy it though. It was very entertaining. A good read.
Rating: 5 / 5