Customer Reviews

This Old Harley (Town Square Book)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I grew up in the country, in the days before there was much in the way of public transportation. Gasoline was rationed and it was expedient to think before blithely getting in the family car to go off joy-riding. How fortunate I was, then, for my family to have friends who owned motorcycles. Big, brawny men who rode big-brawny motorcyles. Indians and Harley-Davidsons were as much a part of my childhood as the family dogs, Bing and Chip. For two summers in the mid 40s, I even rode to Sunday School every week, on the back of a Harley. (Grandma didn't like that idea very much, but on the other hand, it got me there!) This lovely, splendidly-illustrated book brought back so many wonderful memories, especially the paintings of Dave Barnhouse, one of which adorns the cover, and is again featured on a double-page spread in the book. Another wonderful artist is James "Kingneon" Guçwa, whose paintings in a photorealistic style are so very real and lifelike that you want to reach out to touch those wonderful machines.

Other artists, either those who use words, or those with a camera are also represented in the 160 pages here. Some of the essays will bring smiles, or laughs, or even a wince or two at the reminiscences, especially if they blend in with--or even mirror--your own. Chapters are devoted to 'In the Beginning', 'Making History', 'On the Road', 'Daredevilry', 'Legends' and 'The Mystique'. Photos range from the early days of both photography and motorcycles, to eye-dazzling custom and even 'over' customized beasts. (Many with full technical specifications provided.)

Spending a few hours with this book is almost--not quite, but almost--as good as riding down the highway, the sun and the wind caressing your face (and sometimes its rain or snow!), the full-throated chugga-rumpety, chugga-rumpety of the exhaust echoing through your helmet.

Any avid fan of the Harley motorcycle will make This Old Harley a part of their collection: it provides a history and tribute to the motorcycle, gathers the stories and legends surrounding it, and charts its rise to transportation fame. Evel Knievel, Allan Girdler and more contribute to this colorful tribute album.

the old pictures are fist class and this book belongs on the den table for all to see.

Most of the Harley-Davidson memorabilia books I have read do a fine job of either showing all of the models over time or telling the story of how the product has developed from the beginning. This book also does well in those areas. This Old Harley has the additional benefit of containing fine writing by many of the best authors who have ever written on the subject.

Here are the chapters and the key essays:

1: In the Beginning . . .
"What My Folks Didn't Know, Didn't Hurt . . . Me" by Allan Girdler (former editor of Car Life and Cycle World, and executive editor of Road & Track)
"No Motorcycles Allowed" by Arlen Ness (with Timothy Remus) (Arlen is one of the best-known Harley artists in creating custom machines)
"First Harley" by Peter Egan (columnist and writer for Cycle World)

2: Making History
"My First Motorcycle . . . and What It Led to" by Harry Sucher (well-known motorcycle historian)
"Catching Up on History by David Wright (author of The Harley-Davidson Motor Company: An Official History) (Be sure to catch the photograph of Jayne Mansfield at the beginning of the essay and the "unauthorized" out-takes from the original book)

3: On the Road

"In Pursuit of the Unholy Grail" by Cook Neilson (editor of Cycle magazine from 1970 to 1979)
"A Work in Progress" by Timothy Remus (author of motorcycle art books)
"Riding Through Time: A Knucklehead Returns Home by Buzz Kanter (motorcycle racer and publisher of motorcycle magazines) (This is a great story of riding a cherry red 1947 Knucklehead from Connecticut to Milwaukee in the mid-1990s)

4: Daredevilry

"Hell Driving" by Lucky Lee Lott (motorcycle stunt star)
"Evel Ways" by Evel Knievel (no introduction needed)

5: Legends

"Once Upon a Time in the Wild West" by Michael Dregni (book author) (describes the outlaw imagery of early motorcyclists)
"The Billy Bike: Re-Born to Be Wild" by David Edwards (editor-in-chief of Cycle World) (how the Easy Rider bikes were re-created)

6: The Mystique

"V for Victory: How Harley Conquered the World by Ciara Fox (dedicated Irish motorcyclist)
"This Motorcycle Way" by Dr. Martin Rosenblum (the historian for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company)
"The Perfect Vehicle" by Melissa Pierson (author of a road-trip travelogue)

Along the way, all of my favorite memories of Harleys are recaptured, both visually and in discussions about sound. How many young people today know that the reason that all of those valuable baseball cards got shredded against the spokes of bicycles in the past was to imitate the sound of a Harley?

After you finish enjoying this wonderful book, take the time to make a long road trip on your favorite Harley!

This book has good stories but, the pictures don't go with the subject matter. In one chapter Buzz Kanter tells a great story about a ride to Millwakee on a Knucklehead , there are no pictures of it or the group just some pics of newer bikes 6 and one picture of a Knucklehead.

There are a lot of the "Harley Davidson experience" books out there, this one isn't bad, but I was expecting more. Get it from your local library if you can.

The perfect book to read in the dead of winter when there is snow on the ground and your suffering from the affects of motorcycle withdrawal syndrome.

I purchased this book as a Christmas present for my son-inlaw. The book arrived in great condition. As my son-inlaw loves Harleys he liked the book a lot.

I got this for my husband who love Harelys and he was very impressed with it!

Pure and simple and beautiful and well writen and and good book. Don't miss a rare Harley Davidson Novel "The Second Coming of Age" by: Vedrine