James Dean is the legendary hero with a legendary story; live fast and die young. For over half a century, he has captured the world with his casual style, unflinching look and rebel attitude. James Dean has defined the essence of cool and without-a-cause for generations. His star continues to shine brighter and brighter.
Never has there ever been, never will there ever be. The one, the only, James Dean.
Book Snapshot: A Glimpse Into 'James Dean: At Speed'
01/15/10
Lee Raskin's James Dean: At Speed is a classic book for James Dean fans to read that delves deep into the quintessential America icon's life capturing his passion for motorsports.
According to an Autobooks Bookstore Review, "This book provides...a minute-by-minute account of the events of September 30, 1955 leading up to Dean's death. The unmatched accuracy and careful attention to detail of this research have earned this book the endorsement of the Dean family and a personal foreword by Dean's cousin, Marcus Winslow."
The book chronicles Dean's infatuation with speed. He started off driving around his family farm on a tractor at the age of ten. He then upgraded to a motorized bicycle which soon led to purchases of powerful motorcycles.
When he started making it big in acting he bought a race-prepared MG sports car and then traded that for a Porsche Speedster, where he competed in races throughout southern California. It was on his way to a race when his legendary accident happened in his new Porsche 550 Spyder.
There is no doubt this book is a must read to debunk many of the myths and misconceptions that have become part of Dean's legacy.
Click on the links below to read two stories from a blog about Dean's travels on a Royal Enfield motorcycle across the Eastern United States. The facts from this blog were taken from Raskin's best-selling book, James Dean: At Speed.
http://www.royalenfields.com/2009/08/james-dean-rode-royal-enfield-across-us.html
http://www.royalenfields.com/search?updated-max=2010-01-05T07%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=2