Growing Up Harley-Davidson: Memoirs of a Motorcycle Dynasty [Hardcover]

Jean Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Series: History & Heritage | Publication Date: September 2001

Motorcycles have been a way of life for Jean Davidson. Her grandfather was Walter Davidson, one of the four founders and the first president of Harley-Davidson. Her father was company vice president Gordon Davidson. And Jean herself was a Harley-Davidson dealer, rubbing elbows with all the Harleys and Davidsons as well as the Hell's Angels and Outlaws, famous racers, and Evel Knievel. This is the history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles no one else knew-until now! Here is the fairy-tale story of how four boys built their first motorcycle in a shed; how a slippery-handed maid stole all the company's earnings from the coffee can that served as their "bank"; and how a hermit uncle donated his life's savings to resurrect the company and set it on the path to becoming the world's most famous motorcycle maker. Here is the inside scoop on behind-the-boardroom-door politics and corporate battles, the unknown history of the first Knucklehead and Sportster, the secret friendship with arch-rival Indian motorcycles, and more. Here are family stories and rare photos from the family album that no one else has seen before.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Partly a personal memoir but primarily a history of the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company, this is a pleasant departure from the many other company histories. Written by a granddaughter of one of the company's founders, it focuses mainly on the company's formation and growth during the early to mid-1900s and has the added perspective of details and commentary on the personal, social, and working lives of Harley's founding families. Much of this is anecdotal, derived from memories, family stories, and diaries, and will surely contribute to the lore that surrounds the Harley-Davidson motorcycle for example, that it was developed as a quicker, more fun way to get to the fishing hole than by bicycle. The observations, perspectives, and style of the book make it interesting and useful, although some of the material is sketchy or doesn't tie in well. Vintage photographs add interest but often have little link with adjoining text. A good addition for public library motorcycling collections and perhaps for academic libraries seeking historical material on Harley-Davidson. David Van de Streek, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jean Davidson is the granddaughter of Walter Davidson, one of the founders of Harley-Davidson, Inc., and the firm's first president. Jean began riding a Harley at age 12, and was a Harley dealer for many years. She has rubbed shoulders with all the Harleys and Davidsons, famous racers, Hell's Angels, and Evel Knievel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896585697
• ISBN-13: 978-0896585690
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing up Harley Davidson, April 18, 2002

By 

adam cox (Columbus, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Growing Up Harley-Davidson: Memoirs of a Motorcycle Dynasty (Hardcover)

This book proves that dreams due come true. The book Growing Up Harley Davidson is about the life of a family whos dream came true one day. It also shows that dreams come true even if the odds of doing so aren't so great. The book proves that if two minds are working together that anything is possible. However, this book showed along with this is a lot of time and money. This book first caught my eye because it envolved a family environment. It talked about in great detail about each generation of the family receiving it and the changes they made to make it better. The most interesting part of this book was at the ending chapters. It discussed the selling and of the buyback of the Harley Davidson Company. This was interesting to me because during that time of the selling the qualtiy of the motorcycles were going dowm along with the families dreams. I would recomend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about Harley Davidson Motorcycles.