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‘Go Like Hell’ Only $1.99 This Month for Kindle

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The 2009 "non-fiction novel" chronicles the men behind Ford Motor Company's push to topple Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s.

Go Like Hell

Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans (© Albert Baime, 2009)

If you’re a fan of racing, reading, and reading about racing (though we couldn’t possibly recommend racing whilst reading), then you’re in for a real treat this month. Among the April batch of Kindle Book Deals is the superlative Go Like Hell, which chronicles the quest of Henry Ford II, Lee Iacocca, and Carroll Shelby to reinvent the image of the Ford Motor Company and build a race car that could beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Why Buy ‘Go Like Hell?

Because it’s a damned great book, for one. A.J. Baime’s 2009 book is essentially a “non-fiction novel” that dramatizes the stories of the men involved and pays as much attention to their unique dynamic as it does the actions that led Ford to famously sweep the Le Mans podium in 1966 with three Ford GT40 Mark IIs. In what ended up becoming the closest finish in Le Mans history, Ken Miles and Denis Hulme lost the top spot to teammates Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon on what was essentially a technicality.

1966 GT40s Le Mans


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Where Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans differs from other historically-informed texts is in author Baime’s voice. The narrative puts the reader right in the minds of characters such as Ford II, Iacocca, Shelby, Miles, Phill Hill, John Surtees, and Mario Andretti.

Carroll Shelby and Phil Hill at Le Mans, 1965 [Photo: Dave Friedman]

Carroll Shelby and Phil Hill at Le Mans, 1965 [Photo: Dave Friedman]

Despite Go Like Hell being very much about the story, don’t think that Baime didn’t do his homework: the research into the men and their mission radiates through their voices, and there are more than 20 pages of source notes to accompany the prose.


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If you’re one of those types who likes to say they read the book before they saw the movie, then this is your perfect opportunity: a feature film is on the horizon with Tom Cruise slotted for the role of Carroll Shelby and Brad Pitt rumored for the cast.

For this month only, Go Like Hell will cost you a mere $1.99 for your Kindle or Kindle app. If you love racing and want to learn more about the history of great brands and great men, you’d do well to give this one a read.