Umbrella Mike: The True Story of the Chicago Gangster Behind the Indy 500 (Hardcover)

by Brock Yates (Author) "MICHAEL JOSEPH BOYLE was a hard man among the beautiful people..." (more)
Key Phrases: star driver, motor speedway, starting field, Mike Boyle, Umbrella Mike, Wilbur Shaw (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Umbrella Mike, aka Michael Joseph Boyle--union official, friend of Al Capone, and auto-racing aficionado--is spiritedly limned in this Depression-era chronicle of a gangster's progress and the establishment of the Indianapolis 500 as the nation's preeminent auto race. Truly larger than life, Boyle got involved in the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup race, which introduced Nazism in motor sports. The Vanderbilt competition, which flourished 1904-16 and was revived in 1936 and 1937, attracted European as well as American drivers, thanks to a hefty prize purse. That auto racing got mixed up in the times' turbulent politics isn't surprising, but that Chicago gangsterism was part of the heady mix adds the brio that makes the book special. Until now, Boyle has been overlooked by students of the Chicago Outfit, and Yates does much to make amends. Needless to say, this is also a great book for auto-racing enthusiasts, an excellent shelf mate for Yates' pictorial study of the 1936 and 1937 Vanderbilt Cup events, Vanderbilt Cup Race (1997). Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"What makes the book so compelling is how human a story this is. Yates relied on the recollections of many of the great writers and competitors of the time. All told, this is a remarkable chronicle of a time and sport, lively and historically rich, that brings needed color to the era."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; illustrated edition edition (June 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560257768
• ISBN-13: 978-1560257769
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #817,646 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Boyle" of the Boyle Special, February 11, 2007

By	James A. Kroeger (Fairlawn, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Interesting book that provides the real story of the owner of Wilbur Shaw's last two Indy-winning rides. Gives you a real feel for racing in the 1930's. Only negative is that some of the details are repetitive (Yates described the differences between 1930s Indy Cars and the high-tech German racers at least three times).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One of the more interesting Indy 500 owners , February 13, 2007

By	Rand Thompson (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book was a good read on one of the more interesting characters in Indianapolis 500 history. There has been little previous information about one of the most successful car owners in Indy history.

The material was not too in depth, but gave a good account of the Boyle Maserati that won the Indy 500 in 1939-40 with Wilbur Shaw behind the wheel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, January 2, 2007

By	J. Gangloff (Upstate New york) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very interesting story about 1930's and 1940's racing at the Indianapolis 500 and the power teams at the time including Mike Boyle's. Probably most of this subject matter has been little documented until now. Brock also does a nice job interspersing these stories into what was going on at the time, war, etc. Well worth the investment.