Indianapolis 500 Chronicle by Rick Popely

[JThur1]

The biggest thing he complained about was the car colors column, which apparently was all Fox.

At what point though after you're deceased do you pass the info on to another.

That could have been taken care of simply by crediting Fox. Unfortunately, newspaper articles don't usually allow space for that. For that matter, most times that applies to magazines as well, but there should be room in a book for it.

At what point? I don't know. I'm not sure one can pass something on after they're deceased (at least without a will), but I see your point There are legal definitions, and then just simple ethics as well. See above about giving credit. Maybe that was more the sore point.

In both of my recent cases, my research was ripped o...erm, borrowed less than a year after the originals appeared.

[dalz]

Since the credible critics are here...has anyone here seen "The Indianapolis 500: A Complete Pictorial History" by John and Babara Devany, circa 1975? While it has a wildly overreaching title, it has many photos and quotes that I've never seen anywhere else. Not very deep in stats, but 3 pages and 4-5 well-selected photos from every race to 1975. Any glaring inaccuracies in it?

[11rowsof3]

I'm not sayin' my book is flagged, I'm just posting this unrelated video

[IndyDog]

Chronicles is worth the price in jogging or verifying memories as well as settling most arguments.

[GoodStone1969]

One often-overlooked section of the Fox book that is very useful and informative is the section about the cars and drivers that DIDN'T make the race, and why. I'm glad to hear the 1994 Fox book has been reprinted...maybe now I can get one.

[clovis]

I'm still working on finishing reading Chronicles, but am barely passed the 1933 mark. I just keep getting lost in all those pictures.

FWIW, I think any fan of the 500 should own a copy of this book. The pictures and colors are just fantastic.

As cheap as they have been on ebay the last time I checked, I'd recommend this book in a heartbeat. Shipping will be a little high, so flat rate box might be the way to go. This is a heavy book.

This had to have been an expensive book when new, and I cannot imagine what it would retail for today, if it was available as a reprint.

[clovis]

One other note about Chronicles:

Someone mentioned that Popely arranged the driver's and their cars as they would have lined up on the grid, and not in finishing order.

I actually like this. It shows how the starting grid has changed over the years, and shows where the pace car sat in the line up. Interesting suff, IMO.

[JimmyBly]

Just a quick story regarding the Popely "Chronicles":

About a decade ago Danny Sullivan was doing an appearance out at Jones Beach in New York. I drove out there with my copy of "Chronicles" in hand. Sullivan did his little talk to a nice sized crowd and after it was over I approached him for an autograph. I thought it would be a great thing to have him sign his winning photo in the 1985 section of my "Chronicles" book.

I had the book opened to the page and Sullivan happily signed. But then he started looking at the book and asking me about it. I explained what it was and what it's purpose seemed to be and he was truly impressed by the book. He and I both went through the 1985 pages of his win. With each turn of the page and each glorious photo, I saw it on his face that the entire day was being relived. He loved what the book was doing. I recall his comment on seeing the photo of Bill Whittington's car smashed against the wall at lap 193. Sullivan told me he was so happy to see that happen -- having the lead with just a few laps to go and a crash that brings out yellow. Looking at the photo of Whittington's wreck, Sullivan told me he was hoping the race was going to end on that yellow and he had it won.

As he was looking at everything in the 1985 chapter - the pace car, starting rows, finishing stats, photos, summaries -I was looking at Sullivan's eyes and can see he was captivated, almost in another place. I asked him do the photos and the little lap summaries he was reading bring back the day to him. He said, yes, the pages in the book were making him see that day clearly. (How's that for a compliment for a book that is chronicling a race.) Then he started flipping through the other chapters and pages, kept checking the front cover -- I suppose getting down the title and author.

Now whether Danny Sullivan went out and bought the book, who knows? But in my time with him (and it was a good five minutes or so) he was loving every second of Popely's "Chronicles." If a 500 winner can be impressed by an author's work on the race that he himself won, well, that book, I'd say, is a top book.

I love the book. Every May it comes off the shelf and gets pored over. We all have Indy 500 traditions, that book coming down off the shelf and being read during the month of May is one of mine. Love that book...especially page 309 where a I have the race winner's autograph right next to his winning photo.

[Indyote]

I agree with the feelings that the Popely is an underrated book.

Other underrated books?

I would like to nominate Huntinton's "design & Development of the Indycar" By now really outdated since it goes no further than 1980 which for some people may be far enough in time.
But if it comes to living up to it title, I think this book still does an excellent job for the period of time it describes.
I heard however that people didn't want to buy it because being softcover only it couldn't be much.

Indyote

[jnormanh]

I agree with the feelings that the Popely is an underrated book.

Other underrated books?

I would like to nominate Huntinton's "design & Development of the Indycar" By now really outdated since it goes no further than 1980 which for some people may be far enough in time.
But if it comes to living up to it title, I think this book still does an excellent job for the period of time it describes.
I heard however that people didn't want to buy it because being softcover only it couldn't be much.

Indyote

I have both books and consider them excellent. There may be a few minor errors in each, but until one of the "expert historians" does a better job, well, talk's cheap.

[JThur1]

I have both books and consider them excellent. There may be a few minor errors in each, but until one of the "expert historians" does a better job, well, talk's cheap.

This is exactly the type of thing I refer to with this forum, a level of chippiness that keeps getting posted, completely at random and unwarranted. If you'll take a look at the earlier posts to this thread, the people I assume you are derisively referring to as "expert historians" wrote quite positively about the Popely book. Either that or it's Donald Davidson you're referring to dismissively as an "expert historian", since he is the one that seems to have the most problem with the Popely book.

[Indyote]

This is exactly the type of thing I refer to with this forum, a level of chippiness that keeps getting posted, completely at random and unwarranted. If you'll take a look at the earlier posts to this thread, the people I assume you are derisively referring to as "expert historians" wrote quite positively about the Popely book. Either that or it's Donald Davidson you're referring to dismissively as an "expert historian", since he is the one that seems to have the most problem with the Popely book.

Well, given his knowledge about the 500, i can't think about ANY book Donald Davidson wonn't have any problem with.....

And this remark is intended to be a compliment to Donald by the way....



Indyote

[Doctorindy]

Bumping this thread is a refreshing trip down memory lane.

IIRC, a brief blurb about "Chronicles" came up on a TOGA (I think the Saturday rainout show). It was again reiterated that Popely basically "ripped off" all of Jack Fox's car color research. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to credit Fox, and to take the opportunity to make corrections. But to discredit and dismiss the book for that reason is a disservice.

The past several months I've been pouring through months and months of microfilm newspapers from the Teen's, Twenty's, and Thirty's, and learning the day-by-day detail of those old races and old months of May. In doing so, you'll start to get an appreciation of how much work probably went into the race recaps for "Chronicles." He was trying to detail the 'story of the month of May', and was getting it right for the most part. He mentioned stuff that most people alive now never even knew about. There's more to a race than the winner's name.

[rjohnson]

I thought I'd resurrect this old thread from several years ago. By chance, does anyone know how to access the "unofficial addendum" mentioned by Don Capps that lists errors to the Popely "Indianapolis 500 Chronicle" book? I'd like to obtain a copy of that addendum if at all possible.

[Don Capps]

I thought I'd resurrect this old thread from several years ago. By chance, does anyone know how to access the "unofficial addendum" mentioned by Don Capps that lists errors to the Popely "Indianapolis 500 Chronicle" book? I'd like to obtain a copy of that addendum if at all possible.

Try...

https://forums.autosport.com/topic/4...y#entry4486333