Jesse James: The Man and his Machines [Hardcover]

Mike Seate (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003

On the surface, with his collection of skulls, pet sharks, pit bulls and tattoos, Jesse James is the consummate motorcycle outlaw. Some of this comes naturally - after all, his great-great-grandfather was the famous outlaw's cousin. But this image is only a small part of Jesse James' persona. There's also his passion as an artisan and his success at custom building bikes (chronicled in Discover Channels video productions Motorcycle Mania and Motorcycle Mania 2). Now Jesse puts his talents to good use as the master builder in the popular new Discovery Channel series Monster Garage.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; First edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760316147
• ISBN-13: 978-0760316146
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #682,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool Bike Pictures, November 15, 2003

By 

joan esterhauz (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesse James: The Man and his Machines (Hardcover)

Few people who are fans of Jesse James or his TV shows "Monster Garage" and "Motorcycle Mania" are ever provided an inside look at the lifestyle and the man behind them, but this book more than delivers! I've always wondered what it would be like to attend one of Jesse's parties, go for a ride with his gang on the L.A. Freeways, or just get a glimpse into the West Coast Choppers workshop. The author and a talented team of photographers takes us deep inside the custom chopper world, leaving no stone unturned. Short of buying your own $80,000 Jesse James chopper, this is the way to go!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's all here - history, atmosphere, bikes, pictures, story, September 5, 2004

By 

Doctor Evans "cheezemaster" (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesse James: The Man and his Machines (Hardcover)

Maybe this was an "unauthorized" biography, but it's darned good. We get insight into how Jesse learned his craft, who he studied under and where he worked prior to starting his own shop. Jesse dreamt of having his own shop ever since he was a young boy, and this is a decent tale about how it came to be.

There are lots of pictures (the book is about 50% pictures, and 50% text). We gain insight into his parts business, the custom bikes, and Jesse's evolving aesthetic.

There is a section devoted to the recent Monster Garage work, and a section about Jesse's team, and what it's like to work with him.

I gather that "Jesse James Inc." is angry that this book was published without his permission, probably because he doesn't get a cut of the proceeds. Too bad for them. This is an interesting read. I'm sure the style mavens a WCC would want to project pure image, whereas this book is much more honest and human, and gives the reader some real insight into the man and his team.

Highly recommended.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Exceeds Expectations, November 11, 2003

By 

Darryl Holmgren "Tex" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesse James: The Man and his Machines (Hardcover)

This book was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be either a sordid tell-all type book or a slobbering fan's paen to his beloved Jesse. Instead I discovered a well-written, intelligent, honest, and entertaining biography. It is not perfect. The author errs on the side of caution, not discussing the darker elements of James' life, but such sordid details seem beneath the author. If the quote in the above review is an example of Mr. James' writing ability, this is the book to buy.