Evel Knievel : An American Hero

by Ace Collins

• ISBN13: 9780312267339
• ISBN10: 0312267339
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2000-11-04
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

Robert "Evel" Knievel is one of the most unique heroes to earn a place in the collective psyche of this country. 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. 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. Today, at sixty-two years of age, Evel still makes headlines, proving that the appeal of daredevil never dies. 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. 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.

Author Biography

Ace Collins is the author of biographies of Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, and many others, He lives in Hillsboro, Texas.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Butte---The City That Created Evel	1	(6)
The Evil Eye	7	(12)
Bobby Embraces Evil	19	(14)
Evil Days	33	(18)
Trying to End the Evil Ways	51	(12)
Bobby Becomes Evel	63	(16)
Evel Alone	79	(12)
Evel Bounces Back	91	(12)
Caesar's Hails Evel	103	(14)
Evel Cheats Death	117	(10)
Evel Returns	127	(10)
Evel Arrives in Style	137	(10)
Evel As an Icon	147	(18)
Evel on Tour	165	(18)
Evel Meets the Snake	183	(12)
Time Overtakes Evel	195	(12)
The Worst of Evel	207	(6)
Evel Cheats Death Again	213