Harley-Davidson: The Milwaukee marvel (A Foulis motorcycling book) [Hardcover]

Harry V Sucher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1988 | Series: A Foulis motorcycling book

Harley-Davidson did not seriously enter industry until 1907, at which point they faced strong competition from the already well-established makes of motorcycle. With sound products to offer and an aggressive sales and marketing campaign, the company grew substantially through World War I only to endure a crippling blow from the advent of the mass-produced cheap automobile. They survived this too, only to face the encroachment of vigorous Japanese competition. This book provides a history of the development of the company and the designs it produced, distinguished by its typification of the American spirit of free enterprise. Based on the creativity and hard work of two young men, Harley-Davidson became an American success story.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 353 pages
• Publisher: Haynes; 4th edition (1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0854297049
• ISBN-13: 978-0854297047
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,484,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Informative, candid, and detailed, but poorly presented., May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Harley-Davidson: Milwaukee Marvel (Foulis Motorcycling Book) (Hardcover)

While I commend Mr. Sucher for the extensive time and effort he obviously devoted to fact gathering and investigation for this work, I must state that the quality of writing, editing, and printing of the material leave much to be desired. The book is rife with glaring and distracting typographical errors. Sentences and paragraphs are often incomplete or otherwise mechanically unsound. Information is presented haphazardly and without a clear focus. And the type face itself is eye-straining, it being excessively cramped, poorly laid out and often fading as if it were issued from a printer that was low on ink. I found it particularly difficult to believe the text is in such a state in its fifth edition, and after numerous reprints. The writing style tends to be monotonous, even for a journalistic approach, and the information and verbiage is often redundant or crowded with insignificant facts that would be better relegated to an expanded set of appendices. Nevertheless, I must also say that this book offers readers a wealth of information on the history of Harley-Davidson and the development of its product over the years that probably is not available anywhere else. Diehard enthusiasts can gain from it invaluable insight into the mysteries of H-D, if they are sufficiently motivated to trudge through this unwieldy text.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reading for the history buff, December 20, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Nantucket, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley-Davidson: Milwaukee Marvel (Foulis Motorcycling Book) (Hardcover)

If you like detail, this is the H-D book. The author has been around the block more than a few times, having traveled the world extensively to assist in gathering information for this exhaustive work. Of particular interest to me was that considerable information was included that provides insight into the personalities of the founding fathers, as well as many other key figures that influenced the course of H-D for the last 95 years. I got a little bogged down in some areas of the book, feeling somewhat side-tracked into loosely related areas I didn't feel were particularly pertinent. From the title, (the Milwaukee Marvel) I was expecting it would deal mainly with the mechanical and technical aspects of H-D motorcycles. But the text is packed with information the author has gleened from personal experience as well as countless interviews he has had with people formerly connected with the Motor Company. What I found revealing were factors that shaped company policy and manufacturing practices. Unlike "Official Publications" of H-D (which tend to contain information and historical facts that only reflect favorably on the company), I felt that this work presents an honest and objective history. For H-D gurus who are looking for all the historical details, this one is a "must-have" for your library..

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, September 18, 2009

By 

R Greco (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley-Davidson The Milwaukee Marvel (Hardcover)

While some may not be comfortable with a history of H-D written by an Englishman, I say NUTS! What I read was clear and to the point! No favoritism and no bias....The way it should be....BTW, Harry Sucher was a fan of "The Big Yank"...