The name Harley-Davidson is synonymous with the US motor-cycle industry. It is now, after more than a century of operation, one of only two US-based manufacturers to survive. Although the company s origins are older, 1903 is generally regarded as the year when the company s first motorcycle was produced. Three years later, the company s first factory was opened.
By 1917, and the US entry into World War 1, Harley-Davidson had been making motorcycles for more than a decade and, during the USA s relatively brief involvement in that conflict, no fewer than 20,000 motorcycles were supplied to the military helping the company to become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world by 1920.
Surviving the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson was to become one of the prime suppliers of equipment again when hostilities resumed, producing no fewer than 90,000 motorcycles for US and Canadian forces during World War 2 with a further 30,000 going to the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease programme.
In Military Harley-Davidson, Pat Ware explores the Harley-Davidson motorcycle in military service from the earliest days onwards. Providing initially an overview of the company and its history from 1903, the bulk of the book concentrates on the range of models produced by the company and how they were exploited for military use.
Whilst the book concentrates primarily on those motorcycles produced for use by the Allies in World War 2, the continuing military role of the Harley-Davidson in other theaters postwar is also covered. Alongside the narrative and a fascinating selection of images, the book also includes a full technical specification for each of the models discussed.
The Harley-Davidson is one of the great names in the history of motorcycles with a fan-base that extends worldwide. The role of the company in the provision of military hardware is a less well known but fascinating part of the history of the company and its products.
Military Harley-Davidson will be of interest to Harley-Davidson fans and owners and all motorcycle enthusiasts, military historians, wargamers and preservationists.
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