The Complete Book Of Police And Military Motorcycles [Paperback]

Joseph Berk (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1581601409 | ISBN-13: 978-1581601404 | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

From Pittsburgh's adoption of motorcycles for police use in 1909 to Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing's 1916 pursuit of Pancho Villa into Mexican territory on Harley-Davidsons, Indians and Excelsiors to the deployment of motorcycles in both world wars, this book tells the fascinating tale of these magnificent machines from their 20th century beginnings to their current use by police departments and militaries throughout the world. Joseph Berk, author of The Gatling Gun, explores every aspect of police and military motorcycles, including the history of their manufacture by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda and others; details of their procurement by selected U.S. police departments; critiques of the "Big Three" police models employed in the United States from officers who have put them to the test; a detailed outline of the intensive 10-day training program required of U.S. motor officers; an inside look at how specific police departments from Atlanta to L.A. utilize motorcycles on a day-to-day basis; and a look at the specific makes and models used by Special Forces and other military units from World War I through the turn of the century and beyond.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph Berk is a motorcycle enthusiast who has owned and ridden Harley-Davidsons for many years. An engineer with roughly 25 years in the defense industry, he also enjoys photography and writing and has published short stories in EasyRider and Iron Horse magazines.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581601409
• ISBN-13: 978-1581601404
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,909,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Book purchase, August 23, 2007

By 

L. TURNER "Chips" (Plymouth England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Book Of Police And Military Motorcycles (Paperback)

A very nice book on my specialised subject. Good photos, many in closeup.It covered the subject in some depth with some facts previously unknown to me.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book on Police and Military Motorcycles Ever, February 21, 2005

By 

Jill Starbuck "MotoChick06" (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book Of Police And Military Motorcycles (Paperback)

This book is an easy-to-read, comprehensive analysis of police and military motorcycles. The author's research took him around the world, and the coverage in the book is the better for it. A must-read for anyone interested in motorcycles.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate, May 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Book Of Police And Military Motorcycles (Paperback)

I found this book to be full of inaccurate statements and misinformation. Right at the start the NJ State Police "era" is incorrect. Bigtwin H-D fatbob tanks were never used for oil and then gasoline as stated. They were always used for gasoline. Only the 45 utilised one fatbob for oil and the other for fuel. This is just two examples.