Reviews
I've never met Earl Swift, but from the very first page of this book I like him. Auto Biography is exuberant, big-spirited, and more than occasionally profound., "Swift makes for an ideal traveling companion. ... He has added texture and nuance, as well as narrative economy, to a story containing volumes." -- Tom Vanderbilt (bestselling author of Traffic ), New York Times Book Review , on Big Roads "Told so beautifully, so hauntingly, and so unforgettably. ... A book about lost soldiers, bones, memory, and of course the war that took place in the high weeds of Vietnam." -- Washington Post , on Where They Lay "Perfectly enchanting. . . .Told with wit, intelligence, and a journalist's sense of integrity, this book is a treasure." -- Virginia Quarterly Review , on Journey on the James, Fascinating... The author tells Arney's story deftly and with great, often raw, humor, and it rarely loses momentum., [A] must read … It's the bromance of the ages: a ruined man and and a ruined '57 Chevy find happiness in each other's arms., A true tall tale that doubles as a complicated fable, Auto Biography is the wild and woolly saga of a 1957 Chevrolet station wagon, its 13 owners, and Tommy Arney, the appetite-forward, contradictorily honorable character who restores the four-door chariot to a glory even greater than its original., Engrossing and entertaining.... The narrative tactfully unfolds with deeply human stories of struggle, ambition, hopes, dreams.... Swift is a wonderful guide and the stories he relates are engaging in their own right., Full of crackerjack reporting and fuel-injected mirth... Swift's lengthy step-by-step description of the disassembly and recreation process is as nail-biting as any drugstore action-thriller. It's hard to conceive of a more riveting (or unriveting) work on the subject than Auto Biography., Swift delivers on the ambitious scope of his subtitle, and will capture the imagination of classic car fans and non-fans alike. Highly recommended., Earl Swift has done something astonishing. He has let us see the unwinding of the American Dream through the windshield of a single 1957 Chevy-and through the stories of every one of its owners. Auto Biography is funny and sad and wise, an ingenious joyride of a book., Swift excels at such descriptions of autos and people, as well as observations on society and pop culture., Dazzling. … Many readers likely will feel the description Swift paints of Arney in the first page and a half of the book is worth the $26.99 price tag alone., A good fun read. … There's rust, havoc, renovation and redemption, for the car and several of its owners. … The car talk is interesting and accurate; an easy and well written read. Swift is a big name, award-winning writer, and his chops show well here., "The best contemporary book I've read about automobiles." -- Matt Hardigree, Jalopnik "I've never met Earl Swift, but from the very first page of this book I like him. Auto Biography is exuberant, big-spirited, and more than occasionally profound." -- TRACY KIDDER, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains "Earl Swift has done something astonishing. He has let us see the unwinding of the American Dream through the windshield of a single 1957 Chevy-and through the stories of every one of its owners. Auto Biography is funny and sad and wise, an ingenious joyride of a book." -- BILL MORRIS, author of Motor City Burning "Fascinating... The author tells Arney's story deftly and with great, often raw, humor, and it rarely loses momentum." -- Booklist "A true tall tale that doubles as a complicated fable, Auto Biography is the wild and woolly saga of a 1957 Chevrolet station wagon, its 13 owners, and Tommy Arney, the appetite-forward, contradictorily honorable character who restores the four-door chariot to a glory even greater than its original." -- Christian Science Monitor "[A] must read ... It's the bromance of the ages: a ruined man and and a ruined '57 Chevy find happiness in each other's arms." -- New York Post "Engrossing and entertaining.... The narrative tactfully unfolds with deeply human stories of struggle, ambition, hopes, dreams.... Swift is a wonderful guide and the stories he relates are engaging in their own right." -- Publishers Weekly "Dazzling. ... Many readers likely will feel the description Swift paints of Arney in the first page and a half of the book is worth the $26.99 price tag alone." -- Daily Progress (Charlottesville, VA) "A good fun read. ... There's rust, havoc, renovation and redemption, for the car and several of its owners. ... The car talk is interesting and accurate; an easy and well written read. Swift is a big name, award-winning writer, and his chops show well here." -- Matt Stone, former editor, Motor Trend Classic "A fresh, personal perspective on America's love affair with the automobile." -- Joe Bargmann, of Popular Mechanics, Road & Truck, and the wildly popular blog, "Backseat Driver" "Full of crackerjack reporting and fuel-injected mirth... Swift's lengthy step-by-step description of the disassembly and recreation process is as nail-biting as any drugstore action-thriller. It's hard to conceive of a more riveting (or unriveting) work on the subject than Auto Biography." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Swift delivers on the ambitious scope of his subtitle, and will capture the imagination of classic car fans and non-fans alike. Highly recommended." -- Jason Fogelson of Forbes "Entertaining and enlightening." -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram "Swift negotiates a phrase like a car with a tight turning radius." -- The Durham Herald Sun "An entertaining, surprisingly informative and action-packed tale." -- Houston Chronicle "Swift excels at such descriptions of autos and people, as well as observations on society and pop culture." -- Dallas Morning News "A great read, with the cast, dialogue and drama of a novel." -- Detroit Free Press
