I recently reread this biography on Evel Knievel. Book on our shelf from about two years ago, pulled it out for a quick thumb through, wound up reading it again. Excellent job by author Leigh Montville.
Evel Knievel: Interesting, larger then life character, but also just - uh - a tad narcissistic and a bit of a sociopath. Thief, con-man, philanderer, charismatic, complete jerk, insanely brave, intelligent, semi-nutcase - all rolled into one person - with a career that could only be hatched during the '70s.
If you witnessed any of his jumps during the era, as I did on television as a kid - lots of interesting details and behind the scenes info on his exploits - including the wacky canyon jump later in his career. As you may or may not remember, his career basically over after assaulting a writer with a baseball bat. Nice.
This is not a "motorcycle book", it's a well researched and written look into a pop cultural icon of the '70s. A damn interesting life anyway. Highly recommended.
