Showing results for "Choppers" in Biographies & Memoirs

Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read is the son of a strict Seventh Day Adventist mother and a shell-shocked former soldier who slept with a loaded gun at his side. Bullied at school, he grew up dreaming of revenge ("There are none so merciless as those who have been shown no mercy", as he later noted). He became a criminal legend who terrorised drug dealers, pimps, thieves and armed robbers on the streets and in jail - but boasts he never hurt an innocent member of the public.

Underworld standover man and executioner Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read was released from Pentridge Prison in November, 1991, vowing never to return. He became an instant celebrity when his autobiography Chopper: From the Inside hit the best-seller lists (it also holds the record as Australia's most shoplifted book). Six months later, he was back in jail charged with the shooting of a biker, and busy writing his second volume of memoirs.

This book is Chopper's redemption. It is the real story of the man, the criminal and the prisoner, told with black humour and surprising insight.

Never get too close to anyone, because you might have to kill them. Meet Mark ‘Chopper’ Read. You think you know him. His books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Australia. He's been the subject of an internationally successful film. His one-man shows have toured Australia to sell-out crowds. He's the most recognisable criminal brand name in Australia. But the truth is... you don't know him at all.

The man who answered the door was naked and covered with blood. His name was Larry Singleton and police in Tampa, Florida, soon discovered he had brutally murdered prostitute Roxanne Hayes and much worse. He was the mad chopper, who years before had cut off the arms off 15-year-old Mary Vincent outside Modesto, California. Mary survived and testified against him at his trial for killing Hayes.

Nicknamed "Mini-Man" for his diminutive stature, a mere five-foot-three and 125 pounds in his flight boots, chopper pilot Ron Alexander proved to be a giant in the eyes of the men he rescued from the jungles and paddies of Vietnam. With an unswerving concern for every American soldier trapped by enemy fire, and a fearlessness that became legendary, Ron Alexander earned enough official praise to become the second most decorated helicopter pilot of the Vietnam era. Yet, for Ron, the real reward came from plucking his fellow soldiers from harm's way, giving them another chance to get home alive.

Author Paul Teutul Jr. is arguably the most creative builder of custom "chopper" motorcycles in the world. His talents were revealed to millions of TV viewers worldwide on American Chopper as well as later in a spinoff series, American Chopper Senior vs. Junior. The Build gives the listener a glimpse at Paul Jr.'s life behind the camera, which included volcanic conflict with his father and business mentor, Paul Sr. Using his own story of improbable success as an illustration, Paul Jr. offers insights on how anyone can find and activate hidden talents.