“This book tells the little-known story of the highly celebrated African American auto-racing event, the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes, which took place in 1920s and 1930s Indiana.”
“"Author Todd Gould has a remarkable eye for detail and a good ear for pace and tone. . . . For Gold and Glory is an exciting ride about an American legend, a book that almost turns an ordinary man into a superhero." —Black Issues Book Review
"Gould sets Wiggins' achievements in the backdrop of a colorful era of the early development of auto racing, which was also a time of gangsters, bootleggers, and the birth of jazz." —Booklist
". . . sheds light on the rich history of the time." —The Black Collegian
". . . provides new information about a little known African American racing circuit braving what was generally an inhospitable environment." —The Alternate: A Chronicle of 20th Century Motor Racing History
For Gold and Glory retraces the little-known history of The Gold and Glory Sweepstakes, a highly celebrated auto racing event for African Americans, held in Indiana and throughout the Midwest during the racial turbulence of the 1920s and '30s, when the Ku Klux Klan cast a dark shadow over the social and political landscape of the state and region. The story is told through the eyes and emotions of Indianapolis auto mechanic Charlie Wiggins, the greatest African-American driver of the era, known in the black press as "The Negro Speed King." Set against a colorful backdrop of gangsters, bootleggers, the birth of jazz, and the early history of autoracing in the United States, For Gold and Glory chronicles the tragedies and triumphs of a dedicated group of individuals who overcame tremendous odds to chase their dreams. Theirs is a uniquely American story.”
“Author Todd Gould has a remarkable eye for detail and a good ear for pace and tone. . . . For Gold and Glory is an exciting ride about an American legend, a book that almost turns an ordinary man into a superhero.”
— Black Issues Book Review
“Anyone who loves history and sports will thoroughly enjoy this story.”
— Bookviews
“This book offers much more than its title suggests. Gould describes how African American racing came to life in the 1920s and 1930s—'gold and glory' refers to the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes, a celebrated race for black drivers—but vanished before WW II. . . . The absolute segregation of early Triple A racing and the Indianapolis racing circuit is now difficult to imagine, but even today one finds few African American drivers in Indy cars or in formula racing. This makes Gould's excellent treatment of times long forgotten—or more likely never known—not only an excellent resource but also an excellent reminder of the times and the travails of the black community. . . . Recommended. All readers, all levels.”
— Choice
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