I was sent this book to read for the honors program at my college, and in my opinion, it is a far cry from the "masterpiece" that the Sunday Times hails it as. Parts have beautiful wording and imagery, but on the whole this book is a long, slow, and pitiful read. Alliteration is used far too often, and thus bogs down the already scattered story line. Unless it is required reading, I don't suggest this book unless you are most fascinated by the history of the upstarts of automobiles in the US and abroad.