Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59495 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
With sexy full-page photo spreads and plenty of motorcycle lore, this commemorative volume celebrates the centennial of the legendary motor company. Davidson, vice president of Styling at Harley-Davidson and the grandson of one of the original founders, gives a decade-by-decade account of the company and the rise of biker culture. He describes the tinkerers perfecting the "motorized bicycle" in the basement of the Davidson family home in Milwaukee, Wisc., in 1903; the role of women riders-who were among the bike's earliest enthusiasts-and H.O.G. rallies and socials; and, of course, the postwar decades when rebel types "eager to have too much fun" captured the public imagination and forever changed the image of the motorcycle. The book includes two-page spreads of motorcycles for years during which Harley offered a new design, and Davidson shares his own passion for the machines and his memories of the family business throughout.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This absolutely gorgeous oversize book documents the first century of Harley-Davidson motorcycles--or "motorized bicycles," as they were referred to in earlier days. The author's history of the company has a personal touch, since he is the grandson of one of the four founders. In chapters covering two decades at a time, he chronicles the business side of the company and the mechanical evolution of the product. And what a product it has been--each step in its development is illustrated here with bountiful photographs, many of which came from Davidson's personal collection and company archives. This book is a firm invitation to take to the open road, and all the publicity hype behind its publication, including an initial print run of 250,000 copies, will mean that readership interest will be high. A book to savor. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
William G. Davidson became Harley-Davidson's vice president of styling in 1978. Willie G., as he's called by riders from Maine to Malibu, is the grandson of William A. Davidson, who with his two brothers and WIlliam S. Harley started the company nearly a century ago. Since the early '60s, Willie G. has been involved in the design of every model the company has produced, and he is unquestionably the protector of all things sacred at Harley-Davidson.

Customer Reviews

Makes a great gift.
I bought this for my dad for his birthday, the cover is leather bound and the pictures and stories within are in full color and very interesting! This gift is sure to be appreciated by any fan of the Harley legacy, be they simple enthusiasts or hardcore gear heads, they're sure to get something out of it.

My dad loved it, and he's really hard to buy for, recommend highly!

He loved it!
This was a gift for my Harley riding son-in-law to be. He loved it and made points as mother-in-law of the year!

They can't make seats either.
Perhaps Harley is going to publish an after-market book to correct all of the flaws in this book. Probably in chrome. I originally bought the book hoping to do some resarch on historic color schemes for a new bike, and in that quest I found the book to be quite valuable. Beyond that I found it to be curious that the book was a square format and all of Harley's bike are a horizontal format, so that every beauty shot of the bikes is printed across a gutter. You never get to see a bike in full. It's maddening. That being said, the history of the company and the culture is wonderful and inspiring. The shots from the archives are very well done and the tone of voice is very engaging. I just wanted to see the bikes. It's just like Harley's seats, good looking but kind of uncomfortable.