Customer Reviews

Art of the Chopper

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Art Of The Chopper is a flawless showcase for the photographic skills of Tom Zimberoff. In addition to visually profiling twenty top motorcycle builders, Zimberoff enhances his presentation with an informed and analytical commentary revealing the design philosophies and unique styles behind the manufacture and customization of these outstanding two-wheel motorized vehicles. Art Of The Chopper is a superb compendium of information enhanced photos and a simply outstanding tribute that will be much appreciated by all motorcycling enthusiasts and "chopper buffs".

My husband and I were at an Easy Rider custom motorcycle show
in Sacramento. As we were leaving, I stopped to talk with Tom
Zimberoff - I did not realize at the time just how talented this man is - wish that I had, I'd still be there talking to him!

Photography is an art and this photographer is truly an artist! He uses all of the technology available, plus his eye for the perfect shot, and produces a wonderful book full of photos and stories about the icons of the custom motorcycle business. Custom motorcycles are a fascinating subject, Tom Zimberoff adds the icing to the cake with his talent.

Anyone even slightly imterested in motorcycles will love this
book, I did!!

I saw this book on another website and bought it off of Amazon.com and could not be more pleased with it. There are beautiful pictures of choppers and short interview stories to go with each builder. Tom Zimberoff is awesome! I even have my book signed by a few of the bikers. This book is a must buy if you like choppers.

`Art of the Chopper' is an appropriate title given the calibre of photography in this title. The pictures are very detailed and I find myself opening up the book time and time again to look at the bikes again, to see the features and smaller details you often miss when watching the builders and their bikes on TV.

I bought this book because I wanted to learn more about the various builders I'd seen on Discovery Channel's Biker Build-off show on TV. While there's not an expansive volume of text on each of the 20 builders featured, the content is excellent because it gives you an insight into the philosophies of the individual builder on choppers and biker culture. The couple of pages of text written for each builder are a good sample to see if any one of the builders strikes a chord with you, and you would like to learn more about a particular character. After reading Zimberoff's text on Billy Lane, I decided to buy Billy's book to read, which I was also very happy with. After reading both, at least for Billy Lane what's written in `Art of the Chopper' is a good reflection of the builders featured and a good way of learning more about the people you like to watch on TV.

Aside from the excellent photography, and good accompanying text, the finish and presentation of the `Art of the Chopper' is first class. The binding is strong, dust jacket is sturdy and everything speaks `quality', which is important for a book you'll look at and enjoy on a regular basis.

After seing a piece on Zimberoff and this book on Speed Channel I headed down to borders to check it out. The pictures are amazing.They really do the bikes justice and help show why some of these machines belong in museums. There is a brief bio of the builders at the begining of each chapter.The only reason I'm giving this four stars is the absence of Indian Larry!! I'll admit I'm biased since his bikes are my favorite and for all I know Larry didn't want his bikes in this book..having seen many profiles on Larry it wouldn't surprise me if this was the case...now that Larry is gone maybe Zimberoff could make a small retrospective book on just Larry himself. Regardless there are plenty of styles to suit all chopper fans..from low and long to super high ape hangers...many of my friends that aren't down with choppers or even motorcylces for that matter are shocked to see this on my bookshelf..but after looking through the first few pages they always end up sitting down and checking it out front to back!..it's a real conversation starter.

I bought this book for my boyfriend, who is very interested in choppers. Him and his friends love looking at all the great pictures of choppers and reading about the influencial people in the chopper/motorcycle industry. A great book!!

THIS IS A GOOD BOOK WITH INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT TWENTY OF THE TOP CUSTOM BIKE BUILDERS. IT IS LOADED WITH GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS OF AWESOME CHOPPERS. THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT THIS IS A GOOD BOOK BUT NOT A GREAT BOOK IS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WHEN INDIAN LARRY IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED. IN MY OPINION ANYWAY, INDIAN LARRY WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL BIKE BUILDER. MAY HE REST IN PEACE.

PAUL GRAMS
ROCKFORD, IL.

The foreword is by Sonny Barger with a stand out quote, "Whether you call them transportation or art, they are all about one thing: fun." Beneath the wisdom is a photo of Barger sitting on a beautiful piece of art/transportation from 1957. We are experiencing a new wave of biker art with roots in the counter culture from the 1960's and American history even earlier.

The book is fun to page thru with 20 bike builders mostly recognizable from The Discovery Channel. There is the Godfather, Arlen Ness and Dave Perewitz, amazing and enduring builders. Billy Lane's Knuckle Sandwich is a knockout. Matt Hotch -- the innovator and The Martin Brothers are dynamos. Joe Martin makes bikes that look like they are from the future. I wouldn't want to ride "Purple Gangsta" or "Trend Killer" but I have admiration for Joe's unique fierce vision. Ron Simms aka The Thug's "Gold Sporty" reminiscent of the 1960's would be a personal dream ride of mine for riding around the East Village. The Gold Sporty looks like a stunning musical instrument transformed into a moving piece of art that whispers don't underestimate me -- I am a fierce beauty! The book also includes Mitch Bergeron, Roger Bourget, Chica, Jerry Covington, Cyril Huze, Pat Kennedy, Russell Mitchell, Jim Nasi, Bob Phillip, Harold Pontarelli, Ron Simms, Donnie Smith, The Teutels, Eddie Trotta and Paul Yaffe. The Teutels bikes don't do it for me but the father-son portrait with Senior's lovingly possessive hug around Junior's neck and behind them the spray painted shout "Keep DOORS CLOSED" sums up the symbiotic insanity of why they have made mega-bucks riding the new wave of the bike art movement. Televison and the internet form the global media machine that has made chopper art, personalities and marketing a mega-big business. It makes me treasure the enduring old timers and their contribution to the new wave of Chopper Art.

Paging thru the book is fun way to experience a new wave of biker art and some originals that have endured! There are short entertaining bio's that accompany the pictures and they are colorful -- the bikes and the builders.

The quality of the book, its production I believe to be 10/10, yes 10. The photographs are of a high quality, single shots to a page side & elevated and some very good side profiles across two pages taken with Leica M4 Cameras. Each page measures 10 1/4" x 11 3/4" (26 x 30 cm) x 1" thick gloss paper, some 20 owner builders with their amazing bikes, some 2 & 3 bikes featuring their artisic expression and design for the perfect Chopper.

The type face is standard; the text bio for each Chopper and the builder are very good short stories.

I believe this book is a must for any chopper or just bike enthusiast for the household coffee table and will always be a centre of conversation! I highly recommend this book and by the way only 4-days delivery from US to Australia, amazing service by Amazon.com