Evel Knievel

The name Evel Knievel is splashed large across the cultural fabric of the 1970s. He coupled daredevil feats of motorcycle jumping with keen instincts for self-promotion and showmanship to become an American icon. He was frequently seen on network television, was the subject of a movie, and had a very successful toy named after him. He basked in the limelight and wealth, but his career nose-dived following a failed jump across Idaho's Snake River Canyon, then skidded to a halt when he assaulted a former publicist with a baseball bat. After jail time for the incident, Knievel was broke and was never able to resurrect his career or popularity. The prolific Montville () thoroughly develops both the story and the phenomenon of Evel Knievel and in doing so shows him to have been egomaniacal, arrogant, impulsive, selfish, and a womanizer who regularly cheated on his wife. Montville's account is highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and written in a fluid, expressive style. This is a very readable narrative of a larger-than-life daredevil who personified much of 1970s Americana. Highly recommended for readers of popular culture and biography. [See Prepub Alert, 11/1/10.]—David Van de Streek, Penn State Univ. Libs. York

We all know Evel Knievel (d. 2007) the death-defying stuntman and extreme sportsman before there was any such thing. Now, best-selling author Montville, a former columnist for the Boston Globe and former senior writer at Sports Illustrated, shows us the real Evel. It seems that lots of people want to know; there's a 100,000-copy first printing.