Books News

New title from P.J. O'Rourke is very long

By Jessica Schneider May 29, 2009, 12:28 GMT

A collection spanning thirty years, chronicling famed humorist and gearhead P. J. O’Rourke’s love affair with the automobile from mid-twentieth century to now—from heyday to sickbay. ...more

The author of both “Parliament of Whores,” and “Give War a Chance” has a new title out, one that happens to be about cars and also incredibly long.

His book “Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hell-Bending, Celebrating America the Way It's Supposed to Be — With an Oil Well in Every Backyard, a Cadillac Escalade in Every Carport and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Mowing Our Lawn” has been published by Grove/Atlantic, and according to the product description:

“A collection spanning thirty years, chronicling famed humorist and gearhead P. J. O’Rourke’s love affair with the automobile from mid-twentieth century to now—from heyday to sickbay.”

USA Today has a brief Q&A with the author, which readers can find here.

Booklist notes: “His essays recall adventures at the Baja 1000 and NASCAR, with rich detail of assorted characters and their cars and motorcycles. Notwithstanding long-time praise of European and Japanese design, he offers full-throated defense of American car design for American sensibilities and living conditions. Even readers who know nothing about cars and motorcycles will appreciate the joy and hilarity of this book.”