Three-time "New York Times "bestselling author LEIGH MONTVILLE is a former columnist at the "Boston Globe "and former senior writer at "Sports Illustrated." He is the author of "The Mysterious Montague," "The Big Bam," "Ted Williams," "At the Altar of Speed," "Manute," and "Why Not Us? "He lives in Boston.
"[EVEL] goes beyond the action-figure image, painting Knievel in
all his contradictions....Now, in Montville's capable hands,
Knievel soars again in all his profane, self-deluded glory." -
"Sports Illustrated"
"In the late 1960s and early 1970s...the coolest man on earth was
Evel Knievel....Leigh Montville brings him vividly back in an
outlandishly entertaining new biography." "New York Post
""If Knievel lived 'as if his pants were on fire, ' then his
biographer writes like a house on fire...in describing the complex,
contradictory stuntman's battles with the demons that would
ultimately destroy him, [Montville] pulls out all the stops." -"
The Free Lance-Star
"
"In "Evel" [Leigh Montville] writes in a florid high style, as if
pulling a wheelie across every page. This can be smart, rowdy fun.
Mr. Montville tacks the young Knievel to the wall,
wonderfully....He catches the way the wingspans of Knievel's jacket
collars were the 'same as a good-size pterodactyl..."Evel" is never
dull." - "New York Times
"
"If you were a young boy, like I was, in the summer of 1974, you
talked about two things: Evel Knievel...and Hank Aaron...I hadn't
thought much about Evel Knievel in the intervening 35 years until I
picked up Leigh Montville's awesome new biography...you'll love
Montville's rollicking good tale--told with an Irishman's wink and
a nod--of how Knievel blazed across the American consciousness in
the late 60's and early 70s....Montville nails it just right." --
"The Hollywood Reporter"
"Montville fully imparts that sense of danger as well as Knievel's
mixture of singularly unpleasant personalities--thief, drunkard,
brawler, extortionist, womanizer, snake-oil salesman, all-purpose
con man--that somehow only enhance the legend. In the end, readers
probably will not love or even like Knievel, but they'll know the
seamier side of the American dream that much better."
"Booklist"
"Bestselling author and veteran sports columnist Montvil
Acclaim for "Evel: The High-Flying Life of Evel Knievel: American
Showman, Daredevil, and Legend" by Leigh Montville
"Inside the life and entertainment career of one of America's most
daring showman, who lived "as if his pants were on fire."
Bestselling author and veteran sports columnist Montville ("The
Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed
Robbery," 2008, etc.) points to the first biography of flamboyant
risk-taker Robert Craig Knievel (1938-2007) as a cheaply
commissioned, "cockeyed" screenplay (George Hamilton starred,
angling for a career revival) based on "a collection of tall tales
designed by the man himself to make people perk up and pay
attention." It was 1971, and while the film critically tanked, the
publicity skyrocketed Knievel's his popularity. Montville's version
ably describes his childhood raised by his grandparents in
depression-era Butte, Mont., and then as a young, street-educated
loner and general troublemaker. Greatly entert
Acclaim for Leigh Montville
"["Ted Williams "is] the complete package--a triumph, unreservedly
the best biography of this larger-than-life American."
--"Boston Globe"
"It is unlikely that any reader could view Ted Williams as just a
ballplayer ever again."
--"New York Times Book Review"
"["At the Altar of Speed "is]...both a tribute and a candid look at
[Dale] Earnhardt. [Montville] has succeeded wonderfully."
--"San Antonio Express"
"Montville's solid reporting is augmented by a whimsical style that
weaves Earnhardt's life, racing career, business ventures, and
impact on racing fans into a rich tapestry of racing. The book
delivers."
--"Times Daily"
"[A] vivid, intimate account. Montville's unique voice...makes old
yarns seem new."
--"Sports Illustrated"
"Montville is a wonderful storyteller and Ruth's story, from
Baltimore street urchin to international celebrity is indisputably
amazing...a fascinating tale, alternately happy
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