Too fast to live, too young to die - Keith Elliot Greenberg

In Too Fast to Live
Too Young to Die
readers take an evocative journey with author Keith Elliot Greenberg as he pieces together the puzzle of James Dean's final day and its everlasting impact. Greenberg travels to Dean's hometown to talk with folks who knew the star
and all the way to the California roads that underlay the tires of the actor's infamous Porsche Spyder. Taking the story back and forth in time
Greenberg gives insight into what drove Dean to live on the edge
the early loss of his mother
his relentless drive to explore for the sake of his craft. Dean once said
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
He lived to experience
and the one love that compared to his love of acting was his love of racing cars. Greenberg puts the event in historical context
reflecting on the world Dean lived in at the time
an era after World War II
the end of the Korean War
the advent of rock and roll
with the sixties coming down the pike. The star's too-soon departure froze him as a symbol of American Cool
and as proven by the 20 000 people who return to Dean's grave each year to pay homage
a major influence on youth culture for myriad generations. With fresh interviews with insiders
riveting storytelling
and acute attention to details
from vehicle specs to Dean's stops along the way (including for an ominous speeding ticket) to how the news reached the world
Greenberg delivers a thoughtful look at this historical moment.