The American Motorcycle Girls: A Photographic History Of Early Women Motorcyclists [Hardcover]

Cristine Sommer Simmons (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0981727050 | ISBN-13: 978-0981727059 | Publication Date: June 2009

Cris Sommer Simmons, something of an American motorcycle pioneer herself, has been collecting photographs of women motorcyclists for nearly thirty years. A long time rider, often on a Harley-Davidson, she has scoured photo collections across the country and then spend hundreds of hours researching the contents of the photographs she has found. This book is the best of her veritable treasure trove. 'Charming' is the best word to describe each and every shot. Equally, one might say 'informative' or even 'evocative' but in truth this is a hugely significant work that seeks to charm and inject the reader with nostalgia for a surely bygone era.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Parker House Publishing Inc.,Csi (June 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981727050
• ISBN-13: 978-0981727059
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > Motorcycles > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visual look a forgotten motorcycle riders, September 1, 2009

By 

A. Whitney (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The American Motorcycle Girls: A Photographic History Of Early Women Motorcyclists (Hardcover)

This book was sent to me by a friend who knows that I edit a motorscooter magazine. As the title says, it is about motorcycles not scooters, but it does have a couple of early scooter-like bikes such as a 1920 Briggs--Stratton model which is like an early go-ped. But even for a scooter-fanatic like me this look at "vintage" motorcycles and women from the early 20th century is awesome. Each of it 240 pages brim with images. It must have taken scores of hours to gather all of these photos. From promo shots of rough-n-tumble daredevils to glamorous women in period finery, each of these images tells a story. Captions often list the names of the women with a brief interesting note. In American Motorcycle Girls you'll meet Alice Brady, a stunt rider who rode The Wall of Death and whose mischievous smile lies beneath perfectly painted lips. Did you know that the first issue of The Motorcyclist (which eventually became the AMA's official publication) had a woman rider on its cover? Only a small portion of the images in the book comes from advertisements. Most are snapshots, casual pictures or news photos, with a few publicity shots. The book is written by Christine Sommer Simmons a three-time motorcycle hall of fame inductee, who obviously relishes the rich history of women riders.

Today there seems to be more women than ever riding. However 20 or 30 years ago, it was a rarity to see a woman on a bike that wasn't the passenger. Women riders may seem like a new phenomenon, but as American Motorcycle Girls shows, we are just descendants in a long line of females motorcycle enthusiasts.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!, July 2, 2009

By 

G. Swanson (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The American Motorcycle Girls: A Photographic History Of Early Women Motorcyclists (Hardcover)

This book sheds incredible light on the true pioneers of women in the motorcyle world. It inspired me to "get to know" the first women who were brave enough to ride across country through extreme conditions and against all odds and criticism. Its hard to believe that in a generation where women couldn't even vote or smoke, some were celebrating their independence and strength on the road, on 2 wheels. I love their names, their stories, the clothing they wore and the undeniable peace and freedom in their faces. The writer has immortalized some amazing women in this book and I applaud her in-depth research, wonderful writing and captivating photos. This is a great gift not only for motorcyle enthiasts, but for anyone who wants a glimpse into the history of women who dared to march to a very different (and very cool) drum. GREAT BOOK! Thank you!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable/wonderful/facinating, September 11, 2009

By 

Joan V. Mooney (Queens, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The American Motorcycle Girls: A Photographic History Of Early Women Motorcyclists (Hardcover)

Just browsing on Amazon I came across a book about women motorcyclists and I immediately was drawn to quickly review it.. After maybe two seconds I pressed on the buy it now...
I received the book shortly thereafter and was sooooo pleasantly surprised at not only the quality of the book and the pictures but of the history and stories. Being a woman biker myself I cannot wait to share it with all of my friends. I am going to buy another one or maybe more and give it as a gift...I look forward to sharing the book, keeping it on my table so everybody could see!