American Chopper at Full Throttle

My nephew lives and breathes this show. He absolutely loved the book.

For starters, you wouldn't be considering buying this book unless you were a fan of the show and liked to watch the antics of the OCC boys as much as see the bikes they build. I don't own a motorbike or have my motorbike license (yet) but American Chopper is one of my favourite shows on TV. The book is fairly similar to the program itself, great eye candy and very entertaining, as a lot of the show's memorable moments are carried through into the book. Perhaps the most interesting parts of the book are the brief history and bio of all the major characters of the show and number of detail photographs of the bikes they build. The bio's add another level of enjoyment when you're watching the show because you feel like you know the guys a little better, understand a bit more of what drives them and in Sr's case, what aggravates him the most! Don't buy this book if you're looking for comprehensive technical detail or specifications and construction methods of the bikes. There is some further detail on the theme bikes (engine, wheels, construction, paint etc), but the information is really there to compliment the pictures of each of the bikes. The pictures are definitely a feature of the book, because things move too quickly in the show for you to really sit down and just marvel at all the details of the bikes. Being able to look over the bikes in my own time gave me a greater appreciation for the aesthetics of what is really mobile art. These bikes are not utilitarian by any means, and for those of us not living in the USA or unlikely to be able to ever see one of these bikes first hand, the book is a way to get a little dose of American Chopper without being around a TV, and deserves a space on any fan's bookshelf.

For anyone that loves the show, this book is a great way to delve into the history and details that make the Teutels who they are...vulgar yet charismatic, tough yet endearing. It always seems as though you never get to see enough of the bikes they build, but with this book, you see every minute detail complete with a "how they did it" approach. I love the Teutels and enjoyed learning more about their personal histories and pet peeves. It makes watching their show even more interesting.