The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America

by Eric Moskowitz

Genres: History, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Terry Hoover]

This is a very interesting book. Since I live in Michigan Henry Ford is a figure that I definitely have heard about. It's interesting to see the lengths he went to in order to put his company in the number one spot in the nation even if some were underhanded This book will appeal to someone who is interested in history and in cars

[William Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Hardest, Longest Race : Henry Ford and the Cross Country Contest that Changed America," by Eric Moskowitz, will be published by St. Martin's
Press very shortly. I am privileged to have been granted access to an ARC for the purposes of this review by the publisher, and I am most grateful. The book's subtitle neatly summarizes the main axis of exploration to get into this rather convoluted tale of the early years of the automotive industry and its initial forays into road racing. The race under examination took place in 1909 and was more like a modern rally race than anything on a dedicated track such as most modern readers might have some familiarity with. This complicates matters and the author early on goes to some trouble to spell out the technical challenges and obstacles confronting earlier attempts to approach this kind of motoring event prior to the digitization of far flung sources thereby paving the way to a far more piercing exploration of the subject matter. The race in question was from New York City to Seattle, Washington over public "roads" such as they were in 1909, The participants were competing for the Guggenheim Trophy, all concerned saw this as a way to promote the growth of the auto industry. Particularly notable in this regard is the critical role of Henry Ford who, alone, fielded a "team" of two stripped down Model T's or derivatives thereof. While promoters initially hoped for a large field of competitors drawn principally from America's rapidly expanding auto industry, the actual race fell far short of their hopes in this respect because of widespread and shrill concerns about a potential bloodbath on public roads! In the end, it turned into a competition between three cars, the two Fords, and something called a Shawmut. Without giving it all away, I will say that the drama here and much of the text's importance is related to the way in which the author sees Henry Ford's vision of marketing through racing and the enormous obstacles to any kind of race of this type (even today) and the logistical consequences of having an embryonic but widespread dealer network available to support your own team. The hardships endured and the insights they provide into the nascent American auto industry and, most importantly Henry Ford's influence on the industry and its marketing development are quite startling since we seldom see this side of Ford's complex character so well developed. Just think of a road race run largely in the absence of seriously developed roads and relying for navigation on local guides to get from one checkpoint to another in the almost total absence of accurate and detailed maps. You can well imagine the ensuing mayhem, and it makes for quite a tale full of adventure and insights not simply into the auto industry but into our nation itself and the ways that automobiles would come to change everything. Recommended for all collections.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and could not stop until I had completed it. A wonderful account of the 1909 Cross Country auto race to celebrate the Seattle Worlds Fair. A race of over 4,000 miles before there was anything like an interstate highway system, when most roads west of St. Louis were only made of dirt, or mud as they case was in Kansas. A race that was supposed to have close to 20 entries ended up with only 5, two of which were Ford Model T's. There were rules, but many times they were not followed. There was a winner, but maybe not the car that finished first. One of most impressive aspects of the book was the depth of coverage that Ford has across the US by 1909. Dealers, mechanics, branch managers everywhere at a time nobody else was even thinking of nationally. It was a super look at a race, and time not that long ago when a few cars trying to see who could make from NYC to Seattle captured the national headlines and out countries attention.
Superb research!!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Eric Moskowitz must have done ton of research to bring so many shenanigans to light. Really fascinating non-fiction, especially if you have ties to the automobile industry. Non-fiction that
reads like fiction. (If it were fiction, you probably wouldn't believe it!)

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher St. Martin's Press and author Eric Moskowitz for approving my request to read the advance read copy of The Hardest, Longest Race in exchange for an honest review. Approx 368 pages, expected release Jun 2, 2026.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Moscowitz has crafted a well-researched account of a groundbreaking cross-country car race in “The Longest, Hardest Race.” He crafts an engaging narrative and one can’t help but admire these drivers. There were a couple of gaps in the narrative from my perspective that still have me scratching my head but don’t let that put you off. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the opportunity to preview this book.