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What was it like to be both the voice of a generation and the symbol of Hollywood decadence? Fondas recollections of his Hollywood heyday feature unforgettable moments of partying and romancing, and of hanging out with just about everybody from Dylan to Dali, Beatty to Brando. He also offers some startling revelations about the Fonda family, including the effects of his mothers suicide and his largely neglectful father. Dont Tell Dad lets readers in on the truth behind a Hollywood legend, and vividly recaptures a gloriously chaotic era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

annoying, but deep.
Lets start with the bad.Peter either needed a better editor or less say over the final print.Within this book, there is a manual on how to sail.There is technical jargon for all you cinephiles.There is peter fonda, warts and all.and the biggest wart of all is probably his penchant for braggadocio.As if he is silently asking his audience, "wasnt i just the coolest thing?wasnt it super cool when i did that?"
So we get told about everytime he ever smoked a joint, or took some other drug, no matter how mundane...and we get an indepth description of each of the dozen times he flipped out at 'abstract authority'.Sometimes, what he is saying is flat out hypocritical, or just doesnt make any sense.There are many chapters and passages that are extremely tedious, because they detail the most pointless facts of what he did that day. At times i had to skip ahead to look for something interesting.
he marries a woman that hes terribly in love with, and at one point he mentions that they arent having sex as often. and the next thing i know, hes telling us how hes trying to score with some hot supermodel in rome, and he writes as if were supposed to be impressed with his romantic skills, as if were supposed to be happy that he scored with some hot chick.
In another strange phase, he refers to his friend warren oates by about 15 different nicknames...which would only mean something to his friend, who is deceased.
On the plus side,there is an emotional sweetness to peter that is somewhat nice, and hes honest enough to point out his flaws and faults, for the most part.And at least it wasnt under-detailed.
The main appeal about the writer, is that he wraps things up quite nicely with a tremendous story of how he was able to get his famous father to express his love, and also the general strong feelings of love that peter clearly has for his family, and relatives and family pets.In fact, the only parts of this book that brought me to tears was when he was writing about the deaths of certain dogs in his life. I imagine this book is a lot like knowing peter fonda in real life, kinda sweet and lovable, kind of annoying and egocentric.

A compelling and honest story
I picked up Fonda's book cheaply at a library book sale without any intention of ever reading the whole thing.I'm too young to remember Fonda at his peak and I didn't particularly like Easy Rider when I saw it in college.The problem is Peter Fonda is too good of a writer to put down.And his story is so action packed you'd think he led two lives to get it all done.

I had heard that it wasn't easy to be Henry Fonda's son, daughter, or wife and now I know why.Hank had a passion for social conscience, but he was aloof with the people who needed his love directly.Peter's mother was in and out of mental institutions before she committed suicide, and Peter's beloved first stepmother was torn from his life when Henry grew tired of her.A good deal of his early life was spent at boarding school or with relatives.

There are several references to John Wayne, as the two had their boats docked at the same pier.Wayne was the quintessential token conservative during his days in Hollywood, so therefore the cold and uncaring human being.But that wasn't Peter's experience.On their first meeting at the pier, Fonda called him Mr. Wayne which Duke would have none of.Duke remembered the day Peter was born, and Peter should call him, Duke.Peter writes of how a friendship grew and how understanding Duke was about Peter's counter-culture image.In many ways, Duke accepted Peter in the way he hoped his father might.

What you learn about Jane is that she was a naïve, caring, and trusting person who was constantly taken advantage of by cunning people.Peter isn't a big fan of her first husband, Roger Vadim, but he absolutely hates her second husband, Tom Hayden.Hayden glommed onto her name and fame to hear Peter tell it.His kind of war protesting eventually landed Jane in Vietnam, and Peter doesn't like that one bit.He was against the war as much as any Hollywood type of his generation, but unlike the radicals, he hated the "commies" and he thinks they took advantage of his sister.

As far as his movie career he explains the acting classes, early TV appearances, Roger Corman days, and his partnership with Dennis Hopper.And boy does he paint a funny picture of Hopper as a mad genius, self-promoter, and constant dope head.Still, you get the idea that he has affection for Hopper despite the craziness.In fact, Fonda seems at peace with most everyone.He comes through in this volume as a decent man with his own regrets telling a wickedly compelling story.

A era icon
Well started out well.However, a little too much step by step detail read more like a diary you would write while smoking pot.I'm not a prude but maybe he burned a little too many brain cells.So he's anti-establishment and rules.However, he's had the advantage of father's legacy or sister's which helped him get out of allot of crap.If i would of pulled knives or guns on the feds I'd still be in jail.
He's just anti-establishment which means nothing if you haven't any true motives.
Oh yeah, the only movie of his I've seen is easy rider and it's not exactly a cinematic triumph.It was a piece at the time that was highly needed.I mean, timing was excellent as well as the sound track.I love John Kaye!.In summary, if you want to read about a guy who bangs allot of broads (while married) and calls it romance, does allot of drugs and drones about unheard of movie sets this is the book for you.

Excellent Autobiography!
I have to admit that before reading this book, I knew nothing about Peter Fonda. All I knew was he was Henry's son, Jane's brother, Bridget's father, had starred in and written a counterculture film called "Easy Rider" and did drugs in the 1960's.This book showed that he is so much more than that. This is an excellently written memoir that takes us through his life. It's not pretty but it's honest. Yes, it's a story that includes lots of drugs and a fiery temper when it came to authority figures but that's who he was and I commend him for being honest. After reading the book, I came away really liking Peter.

What a great book!!
I knew very little about Peter Fonda before reading his book. He is a very interesting man who bares his soul to the reader. How can you critique what should have been written about (read other reviews)in his book. He loved his days sailing in the Tatoosh (spelled wrong?)The worlds finest wooden sailing yacht. so why wouldn't he write about his adventures on it, with such fond memories. This book was one of the best I have read. He is a very sensitive man who has overcome many odds and has turned his life in a very positive way. What a great book!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Motorcycles are mythic, far more than mere transportation, but some are in a class of their own, truly legendary machines. There are the Triumphs: James Dean's, Marlon Brando's in The Wild Ones, the one Steve McQueen took over the fence in The Great Escape. There are Evel Knievel's and Elvis's Harleys, the Easy Rider Stars `n' Stripes bike, and T. E. Lawrence's Brough Superior SS100; Von Dutch's Condor, Craig Vetter's Mystery Ship, and Mike Hailwood's Honda RC162. These are just some of the machines that have made motorcycle history, and that make this book a feast for the eyes and a fact-filled odyssey for the motorcycle aficionado.

Illustrated with commissioned photographs and historical images, the book profiles the bikes--not just the models but the actual motorcycles--that have achieved legendary status in the last century. Their stories, told here in detail for the first time, make up the story of the motorcycle in American culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Legendary Motorcycles: A Vivid History of Men and Their Machines
Legendary Motorcycles: A Vivid History of Men and Their Machines


Legendary Motorcycles is a book that is aimed at two-wheel enthusiasts, but it will be of interest to anyone who appreciates fine machinery or even recent cultural history.The book consists of a number of short, magazine article size chapters on famous motorcycles or motorcycles that belonged to famous people.Each chapter is beautifully illustrated with images of the motorcycles today and a series of period photos of the motorcycle in action.Legendary Motorcycles is written by Basem Wasef, a Los Angeles motor sports enthusiast. The forward is by Jay Leno, a man who is truly passionate about automobiles, motorcycles, or almost anything mechanical.

In his book, Wasef has covered a wide range of motorcycles, but his subjects are drawn primarily from the last forty years, rather than from the early years of motorcycle history, so if you are interested in early board trackers, pre-war road racers or exotic 1950s Grand Prix bikes, this is not the book's focus. The single early bike and rider is the chapter on T.E. Lawrence and the Brough Superior he loved to ride and that met his death on, the superbike of its day.There are a number of chapters on the motorcycles that are perhaps most identified with a number of famous racers including AMA stars Dick Mann, Mert Lawwill and Cal Rayborn. Then, there are ones on Wayne Rainey's Kawasaki Superbike, Freddy Spencer's World Championship winning Honda and Kenny Robert's infamous TZ750 powered flat-tracker.

There are articles on the eccentric painter and pin striper, Kenneth "Van Dutch" Howard, who in death, has become what he may have wanted to be least - a pop culture figure.In reality, Van Dutch - who was someone some of my mentors grew up with in days of early hot rodding - was an alcoholic, anti-social curmudgeon.He was a brilliant pin-striper but a crusty misanthrope who happier with his motorcycles than with most people.Its important to note here that many early hot rod and sports car enthusiasts were just as passionate about motorcycles, there was always an overlap between the car and bike communities.Evel Knievel is another legendarily difficult man who is featured in the book.He was a great showman and a household name in the same era as Joe Namath and Muhammad Ali. His long jumps and broken bones helped to contribute to the daredevil image motorcyclists enjoyed.

The addiction to "salt fever" is well covered in the book with no less than four men who were obsessed with record setting on the Bonneville Salt Flat covered including Rollie Free, Marty Dickerson, Leo Payne and Burt Munro.Two of these men raced big Vincents across the "big white dyno" in Utah, one rode a Harley Davidson and the last an Indian.For a book with twenty-six profiles, this may be enough salt content to raise some reader's blood pressure.

There is a nice chapter on the late John Britten, who was without a doubt the most original thinker in motorcycle racing in the past half-century.This New Zealander deserves to have a film made about him as his countryman Burt Munro did with World's Fastest Indian.What an eccentric, free-thinking and innovative man who died far too young. There is a welcome chapter on the great Motorcycle Top Fuel Champion Terry Christenson who those of us who attended drag races in the 1970s remember for his record runs on his Nortons. Mike "The Bike" Hailwood is also here, but not curiously for his great MV Augusta or Honda Grand Prix bikes of the 1960s, but for the Ducatis he made his brief Isle of Man comeback on at the age of thirty-eight.

For chopper fans, there is an article on the motorcycles from the film Easy Rider.Though I can appreciate some of the workmanship on these extreme motorcycles, I am not generally a chopper fan.There isn't much any of them seem to do well and most of them are viewed rather than actually ridden. And, for many of us who grew up in the 1960s, outlaw bikers gave motorcyclists a poor image that it took decades to undo. However, the bikes in Easy Rider did become cultural icons, especially the chopper with the "Captian America"paint job. For film fans, James Dean's two motorcycles are covered, but his inclusion in a book about famous motorcycles seems to be a bit of a stretch.However, it's a nice thing knowing that the same people who lovingly restored the house he grew up in also have his Triumph twin.

Steve McQueen may have not been known as a famous motorcyclist if it wasn't for On Any Sunday, the classic motorcycle documentary.Bruce Brown's classic film did for motorcycles what his Endless Summer did for surfing, it showed people who were suspicious about motorcyclists that riders were normal people and that what motivated most of us was the freedom and pure joy of riding on two wheels.For better or worse, On Any Sunday helped mainstream motorcycling and those scenes of McQueen and his buddies riding on the sand left an indelible impression on thousands of young viewers. I know that the Husky from that scene has been restored in recent months by the retired motocrosser Marty Tripes.Steve McQueen had the legendary racer and stunt man Bud Ekins as a mentor and so like Ekins, McQueen developed a deep appreciation for the sport.They were true motorcyclists as they appreciated not only the modern bikes they rode and raced, but the early motorcycles they came to collect.

The inclusion of Elvis is also a questionable one. He was probably such a captive of his fame that I can't see that he would have had a lot of time or the freedom to really ride.Basketball great Michael Jordon's racing team is also an inclusion that isn't warranted.While Jordon is certainly famous, the bikes he has sponsored are not.The late Renzo Pasolini who was killed racing back in 1973, is a bit of a quizzical entry as he is probably not familiar to most of the American and British readers who will buy this book. Also, there is hardly a real identification of him with the Harley XR750 that is featured, other than the fact that he raced it and it survives in the same condition as it was raced in, a rarity for a racer.

There are not enough continental or British riders included in the book.I would have enjoyed a chapter on the legendary Giacomo Agostini and any one of his MV-Augustas.Motocross competition is also largely ignored.I would have liked to see a chapter on Bob Hannah and his Yamahas, Roger De Coster and his Suzukis or any one of the many Swedish, Finnish, British or Belgian motocross heroes.What about Bruce Penhall and his World Champion speedway bike?A chapter on the Rickman brothers of England, who not only won many races, but won on the Rickman-Metisse kit bikes they built and designed themselves would have been a natural.Curiously, there isn't a mention of McQueen's Triumph-Metisse in the chapter on the star, especially as his appreciation for the innovative British bikes was so well known.Perhaps a Part Deux is being worked on and will broaden the coverage in this volume.

Overall, the well-written and beautifully produced Legendary Motorcycles is an excellent addition to the bookshelf or coffee table of anyone who loves motorcycles or simply appreciates the history and development of the eternal combustion engine.It would be an excellent holiday gift for the motorcyclist in
your life.

Great motorcycle reading with excellent photographs
This is an excellent book highlighting some very interesting motorcycles. Personally I found the chapter on the (Craig) Vetter Mystery Ship very illuminating both about the motorcycle and more about the man behind it.

Another noteworty chapter was on Burt Monroe's World's Fastest Indian. After watching the 2005 movie ofthe same title recently, I was able to pour over the pictures of the restored 1920 Indian Scout in the book with my wife giving us a multimedia motorcycle experience in the comfort of our family room.

I have recently read it from cover to cover and it is now in our "coffee table book" rack in the living room for future explorations and sharing with others.

David Thom

book
This is a great book. Purchased for a gift for a motorcycle lover. Makes a great addition to your library or a great coffee table book!

Wow - great book, pictures and words....
If you are into motorcycles, I think you will really enjoy this one.The author also writes for many motor related publications including, Robb Report, www.About.com and www.UltimateMotorCycling.com . So you can check out his quality work online before you buy.

Maybe a great gift idea!

Sort of misleading...
I thought this would be more like info on the bikes owned by the elite & famous. It is mostly people who raced bikes or owned racing empires. Not popular names like the title implies. ... Read more

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Interview With Peter Fonda/ Elke Sommer pictorial ... Read more

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Psychic Superjocks: How Sports Stars Use Esp ... Read more

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Chapters: Dana Carvey, Dirk Benedict, Myrna Loy, Peter Fonda, Michelle Williams, Martha Raye, Patrick Duffy, Margot Kidder, Dennis Cross, Robert Bray, Hank Worden, George Montgomery, Jeff Kober, Stanley Anderson, Esther Howard, Maggie Brown, Wally Kurth, Constance Towers, Stacy Edwards, Bill Bowers, Lane Chandler, George Burton, Kathryn Card, Patricia Belcher, J. Frank Glendon, Ethan Laidlaw, Glenn Simon. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 124. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Peter Henry Fonda (born February 23, 1940) is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, the brother of Jane Fonda, and the father of Bridget and Justin Fonda (by first wife Susan Brewer, stepdaughter of Noah Dietrich). Fonda is an icon of the counterculture of the 1960s. Fonda was born in New York City, New York, the son of actor Henry Fonda and his wife Frances Ford Seymour; he is the younger brother of actress Jane Fonda. On his eleventh birthday, he accidentally shot himself in the stomach and nearly died. Years later, he would reference this incident to John Lennon claiming "I know what it's like to be dead", which ended up becoming an indirect influence behind the Beatles song "She Said, She Said". Early on, Fonda studied acting in Omaha, Nebraska, his father's home town. He began attending the University of Nebraska at Omaha and joined the Omaha Community Playhouse, where many actors (including his father and Marlon Brando) had begun their careers. Fonda found work on Broadway where he gained notice in Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole, before going to Hollywood to make films. He started his film career in romantic leading roles. He debuted in Tammy and the Doctor (1963), which he called "Tammy and the Schmuckface". But Fonda's intensity impressed Robert Rossen, the director of Lilith (1964). Rossen e...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=171549 ... Read more

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Chapters: Evel Knievel, Jay Leno, Soichiro Honda, Steve Mcqueen, Peter Fonda, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola, Wayne Rainey, Glenn Curtiss, Kenny Roberts, Kel Carruthers, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, David L. Hough, List of Motorcycle Hall of Fame Inductees, Erik Buell, Mike Baldwin, Ralph Depalma, Burt Munro, Pat Hennen, Bill France, Sr., Bill France, Jr., Steve Baker, Jake Derosier, Malcolm Forbes, Dick Mann, Bruce Penhall, Doug Henry, Scott Russell, Bud Ekins, Jeremy Mcgrath, Ralph Hepburn, Ray Weishaar, Doug Chandler, Joe Weatherly, Roger de Coster, Jeff Ward, Wally Dallenbach, Sr., Paul Goldsmith, Christopher J.c. Agajanian, David Bailey, Erwin Baker, Sammy Miller, Rollie Free, Brad Lackey, Bob Hannah, Dave Barr, Larry Roeseler, George M. Hendee, Oscar Hedstrom, Joël Robert, Rick Johnson, Jean-Michel Bayle, Sprouts Elder, Chris Carr, David Aldana, Arlen Ness, Wes Cooley, Cordy Milne, Jim Pomeroy, Jack Milne, Gary Jones, Malcolm Smith, Heikki Mikkola, Bubba Shobert, Donny Schmit, Bessie Stringfield, Willie G. Davidson, Chuck Sun, Jeff Emig, Joe Leonard, Yvon Duhamel, Marty Smith, Dave Despain, Jeff Smith, Fred Merkel, Danny Chandler, Dick Burleson, Tony Distefano, Jimmy Weinert, Carey Loftin, Cal Rayborn, Danny Laporte, J.n. Roberts, Torsten Hallman, Erv Kanemoto, Gary Nixon, Pops Yoshimura, William S. Harley, Cook Neilson, Rolf Tibblin, Gene Walker, Reg Pridmore, Jeff Stanton, Arthur Davidson, Branscombe Richmond, Marty Tripes, Mert Lawwill, Gene Romero, David Zien, Bobby Hill, Broc Glover, Kent Howerton, Buzz Kanter, Scott Parker, Trampas Parker, Jay Springsteen, Mike Kiedrowski, Dave Ekins, Mark Barnett, Orie Steele, Ron Bishop, Billy Uhl, Ed Kretz, Carl Cranke, William A. Davidson, Walter Davidson, Sr.. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 502. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=66427 ... Read more

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Word count: 2852. ... Read more