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Race of the Century: The Heroic True Story of the 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race
On the morning of February 12, 1908, six cars from four different countries lined up in the swirling snow of Times Square, surrounded by a frenzied crowd of 250,000. The seventeen men who started the New York to Paris auto race were an international roster of a charismatic Norwegian outdoorsman, a witty French count, a pair of Italian sophisticates, an aristocratic German army officer, and a cranky mechanic from Buffalo, New York. President Theodore Roosevelt congratulated them by saying, “I like people who do something, not the good safe man who stays at home.” These men were doing something no man had ever done before, and their journey would take them very far from home.
Their course was calculated at more than 21,000 miles, across three continents and six countries. It would cross over mountain ranges—some as high as 10,000 feet—and through Arctic freeze and desert heat, from drifting snow to blowing sand. Bridgeless rivers and seas of mud blocked the way, while wolves, bears, and bandits stalked vast, lonely expanses of the route. And there were no gas stations, no garages, and no replacement parts available. The automobile, after all, had been sold commercially for only fifteen years. Many people along the route had never even seen one.
Among the heroes of the race were two men who ultimately transcended the others in tenacity, skill, and leadership. Ober-lieutenant Hans Koeppen, a rising officer in the Prussian army, led the German team in their canvas-topped 40-horsepower Protos. His amiable personality belied a core of sheer determination, and by the race’s end, he had won the respect of even his toughest critics. His counterpart on the U.S. team was George Schuster, a blue-collar mechanic and son of German immigrants, who led the Americans in their lightweight 60-horsepower Thomas Flyer. A born competitor, Schuster joined the U.S. team as an undistinguished workman, but he would battle Koeppen until the very end. Ultimately the German and the American would be left alone in the race, fighting the elements, exhaustion, and each other until the winning car’s glorious entrance into Paris, on July 30, 1908.
Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, 1908 . . .
The crowds gathering on Broadway all morning were not out to honor Abe Lincoln, either. They were on the avenue to catch sight of the start of the New York-to-Paris Automobile Race. There would only be one—one race round the world, one start, and one particular way that, for the people who lived through it, the world would never be the same. The automobile was about to take it all not just Broadway, but the farthest reaches to which it could lead. On that absurdity, the auto was about to come of age.
“By ten o’clock,” reported the Tribune , “Broadway up to the northernmost reaches of Harlem looked as though everybody was expecting the circus to come to town.” The excitement was generated by the potential of the auto to overcome the three challenges most frustrating to the twentieth distance, nature, and technology. First, in the form of twenty-two thousand miles of the Northern Hemisphere, from New York west to Paris. Second, in seasons at their most unyielding. And third, the very machinery itself, which would be pressed hard by the race to defeat itself. Barely twenty years old as a contraption and only ten as a practical conveyance, the automobile couldn’t reasonably be expected to be ready to take on the world. But there were men who were ready and that was what mattered.
—From Race of the Century
Their course was calculated at more than 21,000 miles, across three continents and six countries. It would cross over mountain ranges—some as high as 10,000 feet—and through Arctic freeze and desert heat, from drifting snow to blowing sand. Bridgeless rivers and seas of mud blocked the way, while wolves, bears, and bandits stalked vast, lonely expanses of the route. And there were no gas stations, no garages, and no replacement parts available. The automobile, after all, had been sold commercially for only fifteen years. Many people along the route had never even seen one.
Among the heroes of the race were two men who ultimately transcended the others in tenacity, skill, and leadership. Ober-lieutenant Hans Koeppen, a rising officer in the Prussian army, led the German team in their canvas-topped 40-horsepower Protos. His amiable personality belied a core of sheer determination, and by the race’s end, he had won the respect of even his toughest critics. His counterpart on the U.S. team was George Schuster, a blue-collar mechanic and son of German immigrants, who led the Americans in their lightweight 60-horsepower Thomas Flyer. A born competitor, Schuster joined the U.S. team as an undistinguished workman, but he would battle Koeppen until the very end. Ultimately the German and the American would be left alone in the race, fighting the elements, exhaustion, and each other until the winning car’s glorious entrance into Paris, on July 30, 1908.
Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12, 1908 . . .
The crowds gathering on Broadway all morning were not out to honor Abe Lincoln, either. They were on the avenue to catch sight of the start of the New York-to-Paris Automobile Race. There would only be one—one race round the world, one start, and one particular way that, for the people who lived through it, the world would never be the same. The automobile was about to take it all not just Broadway, but the farthest reaches to which it could lead. On that absurdity, the auto was about to come of age.
“By ten o’clock,” reported the Tribune , “Broadway up to the northernmost reaches of Harlem looked as though everybody was expecting the circus to come to town.” The excitement was generated by the potential of the auto to overcome the three challenges most frustrating to the twentieth distance, nature, and technology. First, in the form of twenty-two thousand miles of the Northern Hemisphere, from New York west to Paris. Second, in seasons at their most unyielding. And third, the very machinery itself, which would be pressed hard by the race to defeat itself. Barely twenty years old as a contraption and only ten as a practical conveyance, the automobile couldn’t reasonably be expected to be ready to take on the world. But there were men who were ready and that was what mattered.
—From Race of the Century
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 22, 2018
Interesting story. Good look at what the roads looked like in 1908 - let's just say there was plenty of room for improvement. Of course, they started on Lincoln's birthday - the middle of winter. So it is no wonder that they ran into snow, mud, rain, etc.
Fenster alternates who she is following, but follows mostly the German and American cars, and the Italians, too. These are the only cars able to stick it out to the end. Needless to say, the occupants of the various cars began to get on each others' nerves. They began to get on my nerves, too. At some point I was getting pretty peeved with Mr. Schuster (the driver of the American car after the first driver dropped out) - he wouldn't share the driving ... over thousands of miles. He discovered what anyone could have told him - it's just too exhausting to be the only driver. I think he came close to a nervous/physical breakdown before he agreed to let Mr. Miller take the wheel.
There were many problems with the cars - engines dropping out, leaky radiators, mired in mud, etc. It was interesting how someone was always willing to help them, either by pushing/pulling them out of the mud, taking them/the car to a place for repair (or bringing someone to help with repairs) - even when they didn't speak the language.
Not sure why this took me 9 years to read, so I downgraded it a little because of that. But it was a fun book.
Fenster alternates who she is following, but follows mostly the German and American cars, and the Italians, too. These are the only cars able to stick it out to the end. Needless to say, the occupants of the various cars began to get on each others' nerves. They began to get on my nerves, too. At some point I was getting pretty peeved with Mr. Schuster (the driver of the American car after the first driver dropped out) - he wouldn't share the driving ... over thousands of miles. He discovered what anyone could have told him - it's just too exhausting to be the only driver. I think he came close to a nervous/physical breakdown before he agreed to let Mr. Miller take the wheel.
There were many problems with the cars - engines dropping out, leaky radiators, mired in mud, etc. It was interesting how someone was always willing to help them, either by pushing/pulling them out of the mud, taking them/the car to a place for repair (or bringing someone to help with repairs) - even when they didn't speak the language.
Not sure why this took me 9 years to read, so I downgraded it a little because of that. But it was a fun book.
November 21, 2017
I loved the 1908 New York to Paris race and couldn't put the book down. At first, it was tough keeping the cars and drivers straight, but once they left the U.S. the focus was on a few competitors and the road. What a great book about ordinary people (who remained ordinary) pushing themselves to their limits just to say they did something.
June 1, 2020
This is a great book!! Reality is truly stranger than fiction and the 1908 New York to Paris car race proves it. This is a book that I genuinely laughed out loud while reading and had a great time following the race. Highly recommend!
July 23, 2013
Julie Fenster has the touch. The characters were interesting, and the details were excellent. The New York to Paris automobile race in 1908 came at a time when the auto was new; trains and horses were the primary means of transportation. Mechanical breakdowns, personal difficulties among the racers themselves and their sponsors, geographical obstacles, and language issues at various points all made for a very interesting and exhausting trip. Ms. Fenster created a very good story from an historical event, so credit all around to the author, the racers, and the cars.
July 24, 2013
Combination of travel book, adventure and history, which is why I was attracted to it. It’s a great story, but Fenster gets bogged down (no pun intended) with too much detail about all the problems the drivers encountered. Mainly, getting stuck in the mud. If I had to read one more time about someone getting stuck in mud up to (fill in the blank!) I could have screamed.
April 6, 2021
I read this book for a project and was just looking for info about the history of this race. I ended up enjoying it more than I anticipated and I was even a bit disappointed when it was done. As someone who usually gravitates towards fiction, that’s kind of a big deal for me.
For anyone reading this review who does not know about the New York to Paris race, it really happened, it was a huge feat, and it was a comedy of errors. By the end of the book, I felt a special affection for the competitors and the people whose lives they intersected.
Most of the articles I’ve read for my project, as well as this book, credit this race for paving the way for the automobile age and the myriad changes that came along with it. I felt for some of the bit players in the story, whose way of life would soon be obliterated by progress. Of course, everyone’s was, depending on how you look at it, and that brought on the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious. But the Pandora’s box of irreversible changes was not heavily pondered in this book. It stuck to the narrative of the race and its context, just what I was looking for.
“Why not 5 stars?” you may ask. My 5 star book list is my reread list. This one, though enjoyable, didn’t quite make it to reread territory... but it might if the mood strikes me!
🏎🚓🚘🚕🚙🚖🚗
For anyone reading this review who does not know about the New York to Paris race, it really happened, it was a huge feat, and it was a comedy of errors. By the end of the book, I felt a special affection for the competitors and the people whose lives they intersected.
Most of the articles I’ve read for my project, as well as this book, credit this race for paving the way for the automobile age and the myriad changes that came along with it. I felt for some of the bit players in the story, whose way of life would soon be obliterated by progress. Of course, everyone’s was, depending on how you look at it, and that brought on the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious. But the Pandora’s box of irreversible changes was not heavily pondered in this book. It stuck to the narrative of the race and its context, just what I was looking for.
“Why not 5 stars?” you may ask. My 5 star book list is my reread list. This one, though enjoyable, didn’t quite make it to reread territory... but it might if the mood strikes me!
🏎🚓🚘🚕🚙🚖🚗
March 8, 2017
The real story (as far as we know, since each driver naturally told his own tall tale of his hardships) that was the basis of the Jack Lemmon / Tony Curtis movie "The Great Race". Of course Professor Fate and The Great Leslie did not exist; nor did the intrepid woman reporter played by Natalie Wood; but I thought the Leslie Special looked like the American Thomas Flyer and Professor Fate's car like the German Protus automobile -- and there were reporters in some of the cars, covering the race via telegraph stations (whenever their car stayed long enough in a town to file copy) and a few pigeons. A few young ladies even rode in the Thomas Flyer for an hour or two, and came back by train. No western gunfights and no king a la "The Prisoner of Zenda" but plenty of bickering.
I thought it was very interesting. Not as funny as the movie, but still good stuff. There was no interstate highway - no well kept road between towns. Almost the moment the six cars (3 French, 1 Italian, 1 German and 1 American) left New York City, they were stuck in snow. In mud. In more mud. In potholes and sinkholes. Almost in the Erie Canal. Almost in various rivers. Most of the time the cars had to take to the train tracks, which blew out their wheels, broke their transmissions and busted what my mother (in the 1930s) would have called "the kingpins". They were to have crossed to the Eastern Hemisphere via the Bering Strait (like in the movie), but the organizers realized that the Strait would have thawed before the crews could shovel their way there. The American public helped along the American team and helped the foreigners get lost, or price gouged the French teams and stole most of the German team's load. Patriotic duty knows no boundaries (if you can make a buck from the foreigners). The German Oberlieutnant's and the French Baron's teams quit or were fired (One member joined the American team); but new teams were recruited and they kept going. The German officer considered it his duty to arrive in Paris, even if he arrived last - even if he had to learn how to drive. Same with the Italians. Same with one of the French teams. Their sponsor had to sell the car out from under them to make them quit the race. Same with the American driver Mr. Schuster of Buffalo. It was a tremendous effort. Foolhardy too (Hardy Fools.), especially in Siberia, where the few other people for versts were bandits or a small detachment of the Tzar's army guarding the railway line.
It really was some race!
I thought it was very interesting. Not as funny as the movie, but still good stuff. There was no interstate highway - no well kept road between towns. Almost the moment the six cars (3 French, 1 Italian, 1 German and 1 American) left New York City, they were stuck in snow. In mud. In more mud. In potholes and sinkholes. Almost in the Erie Canal. Almost in various rivers. Most of the time the cars had to take to the train tracks, which blew out their wheels, broke their transmissions and busted what my mother (in the 1930s) would have called "the kingpins". They were to have crossed to the Eastern Hemisphere via the Bering Strait (like in the movie), but the organizers realized that the Strait would have thawed before the crews could shovel their way there. The American public helped along the American team and helped the foreigners get lost, or price gouged the French teams and stole most of the German team's load. Patriotic duty knows no boundaries (if you can make a buck from the foreigners). The German Oberlieutnant's and the French Baron's teams quit or were fired (One member joined the American team); but new teams were recruited and they kept going. The German officer considered it his duty to arrive in Paris, even if he arrived last - even if he had to learn how to drive. Same with the Italians. Same with one of the French teams. Their sponsor had to sell the car out from under them to make them quit the race. Same with the American driver Mr. Schuster of Buffalo. It was a tremendous effort. Foolhardy too (Hardy Fools.), especially in Siberia, where the few other people for versts were bandits or a small detachment of the Tzar's army guarding the railway line.
It really was some race!
September 28, 2023
Story of an auto race around the world (New York to Paris) that took place in 1908. I picked up this book at a garage sale, thinking it looked interesting because I had never heard of the race and wondered how it was even possible to drive across lands that had few or no roads (and of course no gas stations). But it actually happened, and the book does a great job telling the story of the six teams that started the race in New York during the winter of 1908. The story cuts back and forth between the adventures of each team as they struggle with the nearly impossible task of driving across the US, then Japan, Siberia/Russia, and finally Europe to end up in Paris. (Originally, the route included Alaska and driving across the frozen Bering Strait! But the trip across the US took too long and melting ice made driving in Alaska impossible.) The author details the events of the race while also telling the story of several participants in a way that makes the story as good as or better than most novels.
February 1, 2020
In a time when automobiles were considered to be new technically this race around world seemed crazy at this time, with very few if any pave roads in most cities, the cars were exposed to the air, often got stuck in mud, tire often got flats, parts were always breaking down, and yet that's what happened. I suppose to show their toughness and pioneer spirit the race started out in New Year in the winter, On January 1St I believe. And from there what an adventure this books truly is. The writer Julie Fenster did a great job of capturing what it was like in that time period.
November 8, 2021
The amount of research that went into this is astounding. My hat's off to the author.
And the event itself is simply amazing. The effort required to push three cars (spoiler?) across 22k miles across expanses with no roads (in some cases) really hits me.
Be aware, they author does what she can in terms of narration, but the facts are stubborn things. This is a non-fiction title. If that's not your cup of tea, then probably give this a pass, but it's definitely an amazing read for anyone even remotely technically inclined.
And the event itself is simply amazing. The effort required to push three cars (spoiler?) across 22k miles across expanses with no roads (in some cases) really hits me.
Be aware, they author does what she can in terms of narration, but the facts are stubborn things. This is a non-fiction title. If that's not your cup of tea, then probably give this a pass, but it's definitely an amazing read for anyone even remotely technically inclined.
July 10, 2021
An important lesson in history. This book does an amazing job of assembling a comprehensive, detailed account of a landmark event during an early inflection point for the automobile industry. It is a surprising and heroic tale of triumph for America's nascent technology. Make no mistake, this is a well-researched history book. Delightfully, the author provides an engaging writing style that makes this book a joy to read.
October 3, 2017
Well written and very well researched. A well told tale, I liked it a lot.
June 16, 2025
Excellent account of the New York to Paris car race
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2015
A century later it is hard to imagine driving a car across America, Asia and Europe but three cars made the trip in 1908, on bad and/or nonexistent roads. A tribute to some intrepid guys and their perseverance. Good job by the author keeping track of the narrative of multiple cars and teams. The saga of the Thomas motorcar and the "cranky mechanic" George Schuster from Buffalo NY should be better known.
August 9, 2011
I didn't actually finish this, but more because life got in the way than because of the book itself. It's an amazing story - almost incredible that it is not fiction. Eventually I got to the point where I needed to just move on....
April 10, 2023
AWESOME!
Best way I could review:
vrum! vrum! BUM! Oh, no! That's cool. Superb driving.
Best way I could review:
vrum! vrum! BUM! Oh, no! That's cool. Superb driving.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews