Evel Knievel: An American Hero
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.32 (649 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0312243901 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 222 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
From his recent liver transplant to his son Robbie's jump of the Grand Canyon to his very public support of mandatory helmet laws, Knievel remains foremost in the minds of his millions of fans. Today, at sixty-two years of age, Evel still makes headlines, proving that the appeal of daredevil never dies. With a showman's panache and a madman's daring, he has risen-along with the likes of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe-past mere celebrity to the exalted level of American icon. A high school dropout, an award-winning athlete, a petty thief, a motorcycle racer, and a political activist, Knievel earned his nickname because of his unlawful activities early in his life but rode that name to fame by consistently tempting death in the public eye. Robert "Evel" Knievel is one of the most unique heroes to earn a place in the collective psyche of this country. Evel Knievel stands as a truly perfect example of a certain uniquely American aesthetic, one in which pride and heart can overcome any circumstances at all.
Even if you like Knievel, you won't like this book! A Customer I agree with a previous reviewer who said this was a completely lazily-written book. Whether or not you approve of Evel's behavior, his life was anything but boring. Yet the tedious and poor writing style of this author tells Knievel's story in a way that's about as interesting as reading the White Pages upside down. It's unbelievable that a national publisher would print a book this sloppy. In addition to being poorly-wr. "Better Options Avalible" according to Comet Zipper. Skip this and check out Leigh Montvilles book. Or Steve Mandich's 'Evel Incarnate' is a kindle bargain at 0.99.. "Vapid puff piece" according to Andrew Milner. Nobody's demanding Boswell's Life of Johnson here, but Collins has fashioned a hazily-remembered, lazily-written biography of one of the 1970s most singular public figures. Where's the index or bibliography? Where's the list of sources? Who proofread this book (the word "athlete" is misspelled -- on the back cover, yet!)? I never thought I'd utter this phrase in public, but: Evel Knievel deserves better.
The desire to jump the Grand Canyon fascinated Knievel, but the federal government thwarted him, forcing him to settle for a crossing of Snake River Canyon in 1974. Though he did not, as was often claimed afterwards, break every bone in his body, it was probably as much his strange ability to heal and his willingness to reinjure himself as it was his motorcycling abilities that enabled him to continue performing. From Publishers Weekly Evel (n Bobby) Knievel's mother wanted him to be a painter, but the young teenager from Butte, Mont., was too wild and restless for anything so stationary, preferring