Motorcycles - History

The Harley-Davidson Century

Name: The Harley-Davidson Century
Author: Darwin Holmstrom
ISBN: 9780760784457

by Darwin Holmstrom (Editor)

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Overview

When the distinctive sound of a Harley-Davidson V-twin motorcycle roars through a city street, no one mistakes it for anything else. That off-kilter rumble is more than the sound of a 45-degree, single-throw-crank, air-cooled V-twin engine: it's the sound of America. Like America, Harley V-twin thunder speaks of cubic inches and wide open spaces, of beauty, power, and just a little rough-and-tumble rowdiness.

The saga of Harley-Davidson began when pals Arthur Harley and Bill Davidson began developing motorized bicycles. From its inception as a project in the boys' shop, the resulting Harley-Davidson Motor Company went on to become one of the most important motorcycle companies in the world. But Harley's first 100 years have not always been easy ones. As late as 1986 Harley's future was not assured. Teetering on the brink of insolvency a mere two decades ago, Harley-Davidson is now one of the most successful companies in America. The Motor Company's incredible turnaround has inspired the motorcycling world and business world alike.

The story of Harley-Davidson is the most fascinating tale in all of motorcycling, a tale told in its entirety for the first time in the pages of The Harley-Davidson Century. Written by the foremost experts on each era, Harley-Davidson Century is the most complete Harley book ever published, covering the Motor Company's first one hundred years in both words and photos.

About the Author, Darwin Holmstrom

Darwin Holmstrom has written or co-written many books on motorcycles and muscle cars, including the bestselling Camaro: Five Generations of Speed, BMW Motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Archive Collection, GTO: Pontiac’s Great One, Hemi Muscle Cars, Camaro: Forty Years, Muscle: America’s Legendary Performance Cars, Billy Lane Chop Fiction, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles, and many others. He is the senior acquisitions editor for Motorbooks, where he has worked for the past thirteen years. He lives in a heavily defended undisclosed location with large dogs and enough politically incorrect weaponry to make Jesus cry.

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Editorials

From Barnes & Noble

When foreigners think of America, they think of Gibson Guitars and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. This grand coffee-table book celebrates that image of full-throttled freedom, ingenuity, and style. Original photographs by David Dewhurst and Jeff Hackett set an open-air tone for the book, and nearly all of the 450 images are in color. In a similar vein, essays by Brock Yates, Hunter S. Thompson, Peter Egan, Greg Field, and others present the complete history of America's Motorcycle.