Reviews
"A fascinating inside look at how ego and hubris destroyed an industry . . . a gripping and riveting must-read."--James B. Stewart, author of Den of Thieves and Disneywar " Crash Course has the feel of a definitive account. . . . It's hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to 'ride shotgun' on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . [A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets."-- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "In order to understand just how much of a mess it was--not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up--you really need to read Crash Course ."-- The Washington Post "Ingrassia tells Detroit's story with economy, vigour and restrained fury."-- The Economist "A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision."-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review), "A fascinating inside look at how ego and hubris destroyed an industry . . . a gripping and riveting must-read."-James B. Stewart, author of Den of Thieves and Disneywar " Crash Course has the feel of a definitive account. . . . It's hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to 'ride shotgun' on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . [A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets."- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "In order to understand just how much of a mess it was-not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up-you really need to read Crash Course ."- The Washington Post "Ingrassia tells Detroit's story with economy, vigour and restrained fury."- The Economist "A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision."- Kirkus Reviews (starred review), “A fascinating inside look at how ego and hubris destroyed an industry . . . a gripping and riveting must-read.�-James B. Stewart, author of Den of Thieves and Disneywar “ Crash Course has the feel of a definitive account. . . . It’s hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to ‘ride shotgun’ on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . [A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets.�- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review “In order to understand just how much of a mess it was-not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up-you really need to read Crash Course .�- The Washington Post “Ingrassia tells Detroit’s story with economy, vigour and restrained fury.�- The Economist “A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision.�- Kirkus Reviews (starred review), "A fascinating inside look at how ego and hubris destroyed an industry . . . a gripping and riveting must-read."-James B. Stewart, author ofDen of ThievesandDisneywar "Crash Coursehas the feel of a definitive account. . . . It's hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to 'ride shotgun' on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . [A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets."-Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "In order to understand just how much of a mess it was-not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up-you really need to readCrash Course."-The Washington Post "Ingrassia tells Detroit's story with economy, vigour and restrained fury."-The Economist "A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision."-Kirkus Reviews(starred review), "Paul Ingrassia, with longtime and impressive credentials thinking and writing about the vicissitudes of the American auto industry, has delivered inCrash Coursea devastating and compelling narrative of the ongoing hubris and miscalculation that felled one of our country's corporate treasures. Ingrassia explains clearly that the Big Three's days were numbered long before the recent bankruptcy filings of GM and Chrysler.Crash Coursethus becomes a cautionary tale for an industry's failure to make the changes necessary to survive in a global marketplace until it was almost too late."-William Cohan, author ofHouse of CardsandThe Last Tycoons "How did America's biggest business sink? It's complicated three Titanics, dozens of icebergs, and 60 million deck chairs per year being rearranged. Only Paul Ingrassia can explain."-PJ O'Rourke, author ofDriving Like Crazy "Crash Courseis one wild ride. Paul Ingrassia knows the auto industry from union hall to executive suite, from greasy plants to sleazy accounting practices. Passionate, biting and insightful, this book is a devastating critique of how capital and labor unwittingly colluded to break apart a great American industry. Rich with insider anecdote, peopled with unforgettable-and unforgivable-characters,Crash Courseexplains not just what happened to America's cars, but to its very soul."-Geraldine Brooks, author ofMarch "Paul Ingrassia is the best informed, most insightful reporter on the auto industry. A gripping decline-and-fall saga of Detroit's Big Three,Crash Courseis a fascinating inside look at how ego and hubris destroyed an industry, with riveting behind-the-scenes details and great reporting. This book is a must-read account of how the Obama administration took control and upended the Detroit power structure."-Jim Stewart, author ofDen of ThievesandDisneyWar
Synopsis
"A definitive account . . . It's hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to 'ride shotgun' on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . [A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets."-- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review This is the epic saga of the American automobile industry's rise and demise, a compelling story of hubris, missed opportunities, and self-inflicted wounds that culminates with the president of the United States ushering two of Detroit's Big Three car companies--once proud symbols of prosperity--through bankruptcy. With unprecedented access, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Ingrassia takes us from factory floors to small-town dealerships to Detroit's boardrooms to the White House. Ingrassia answers the big questions: Was Detroit's self-destruction inevitable? Why did Japanese automakers manage American workers better than the American companies themselves did? Complete with a new Afterword providing fresh insights into the continuing upheaval in the auto industry--the travails of Toyota, the revolving-door management and IPO at General Motors, the unexpected progress at Chrysler, and the Obama administration's stake in Detroit's recovery-- Crash Course addresses a critical question: America bailed out GM, but who will bail out America? With an updated Afterword by the author Praise for Crash Course "In order to understand just how much of a mess it was--not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up--you really need to read Crash Course ." -- The Washinton Post "Ingrassia tells Detroit's story with economy, vigour and restrained fury." -- The Economist "A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review), "A definitive account . . . It's hard to imagine anyone better than Paul Ingrassia to 'ride shotgun' on a journey through the sometimes triumphant, often turbulent, history of U.S. automaking. . . . A] wealth of amusing, astonishing and enlightening nuggets."-- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review This is the epic saga of the American automobile industry's rise and demise, a compelling story of hubris, missed opportunities, and self-inflicted wounds that culminates with the president of the United States ushering two of Detroit's Big Three car companies--once proud symbols of prosperity--through bankruptcy. With unprecedented access, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Ingrassia takes us from factory floors to small-town dealerships to Detroit's boardrooms to the White House. Ingrassia answers the big questions: Was Detroit's self-destruction inevitable? Why did Japanese automakers manage American workers better than the American companies themselves did? Complete with a new Afterword providing fresh insights into the continuing upheaval in the auto industry--the travails of Toyota, the revolving-door management and IPO at General Motors, the unexpected progress at Chrysler, and the Obama administration's stake in Detroit's recovery-- Crash Course addresses a critical question: America bailed out GM, but who will bail out America? With an updated Afterword by the author Praise for Crash Course "In order to understand just how much of a mess it was--not to mention how it got that way and how, if at all, it can be cleaned up--you really need to read Crash Course ." -- The Washinton Post "Ingrassia tells Detroit's story with economy, vigour and restrained fury." -- The Economist "A delightful mix of history and first-person reporting . . . Employing superb storytelling skills, Ingrassia explains in head-shaking detail the elements of a wholly avoidable collision." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
