Book Review- King of the Boards, The Life and
Times of Jimmy Murphy
Jul 26, 2003
07:35 am - Posted by Ed Hollowell, Administrator |
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| Review
by "Special Interest Autos" by Jim Donnelly |
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 King of the Boards
More than anything else, Gary Doyle wanted to see
his distant relative finally get recognition 80 years after his death.
Most knowledgeable race enthusiasts know that Jimmy Murphy was the last
American to win a European Grand Prix with an American car in 1921….Aside
from that, Murphy’s early demise left him in obscurity, especially
compared to the Twenties sports titans like babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and
Bobby Jones.
Murphy was raised by Doyle’s great-grandparents after he was orphaned
in the 1906
San Francisco
earthquake. “Labor of love” doesn’t come close to describing what
Doyle accomplished in resurrecting his memory: more than 330 pages of
text and appendices, some 300 photos and beautifully reproduced artwork
from the likes of Peter Helck, Walter Gotschke and Robert Williams. In
those days, a sophomoric and sensationalist press largely ignored
racing, so Doyle compiled an exhaustive bibliography of many older
publications, aided well by Internet searches and the great automotive
collections.
They enabled him to recount Murphy’s early days as a garage owner and
riding mechanic, who was working on engine development with Harry Miller
as early as 1914 before commencing on his driving career. He went on to
battle Tommy Milton for the land speed record at Daytona Beach, won in
France in a Duesenberg, re-powered the car and gave Miller his first Indy
win in 1922. What Doyle has abundantly documented was Murphy’s
fearless near-domination of the terrifyingly lethal board speedways
until his own death at
Syracuse
,
New York
, in 1924.
“King
of the Boards” is a magnificent, scholarly work by a very determined
author. It’s not just a racing book, or even an automotive history
book, it’s a work of American history about an era of change when
great athletes, now including Murphy, were all but deified. |
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| Review
by Old Cars |
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Old
Cars
Weekly News and Marketplace
King of the Boards—This
breathtaking assembly of fresh facts, unpublished photos, and newly
commissioned paintings studies the heavy hitters in racing’s Golden Age
of the 1920s, a time when just surviving the race was an accomplishment.
The author, Gary D. Doyle, has a strong passion for the subject as a
relative of the era’s hero, Jimmy Murphy. It shows through his
painstaking original research that works to correct previously published
fallacies and bring the human side to Murphy and other racing idols. Doyle
discusses in detail Murphy’s exploits at the
Indianapolis
500, the 1921 French Grand Prix, The Italian Grand Prix, and more.
 As
a relation to Murphy, Doyle had access to materials that were kept by the
family since Murphy’s death in 1924. These documents have been coupled
with photos from other notable collections and with newspaper accounts and
race programs to deliver information on board track racing that cannot be
found elsewhere.
Lovers of fine research will enjoy the
new information and a comprehensive, 23-page bibliography, while photo
fanatics will droll over the quantity of race stars discussed like Eddie
Rickenbacher, Tommy Milton, Ralph DePalma and others posed in Millers,
Duesenbergs, Frontenacs and Packards to name just a few. Famous characters
Fred and August Duesenberg receive their due attention since Murphy
piloted the brothers’ magical machines.
This book is absolutely necessary for
automotive historians, race fans, and collecto rs
with an interest in the performance history of their favorite marque. The
hardcover, 346-page book sells for $90 with a high-quality dust-cover or
$110 with a slip case, a wonderful bargain considering just one or two
unique racing photos from this era will cost more than $100 in an on-line
auction – and this book has hundreds of them! To purchase King
of the Boards, contact author Gary Doyle at 602-636-0471, via his
website at www.king-of-the-boards.com
or e-mail at garyd@futureone.com.
The mailing address is 914 E. Osborn #302
Phoenix
, AZ 85014. You will be very
pleased you did! |
