thunder at sunrise: a history of the vanderbilt cup, the grand prize and the indianapolis 500, 1904-1916

Concentrating on the years between 1904 and 1916 and featuring a wealth of photographs, this book examines America’s first three races of international stature: the Vanderbilt Cup, the International Grand Prize and the Indianapolis 500. Researched in great part from contemporary sources such as newspapers and automotive journals, the book covers not only these races, but also the ways in which each spurred development of the American automobile industry, making it at last a true competitor for that of Europe.

Retired lawyer John M. Burns is a freelance writer who lives in Yardley, Pennsylvania.