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The Daredevil's Manual
Ever wonder what it takes to swallow a sword? Or how someone can walk across hot coals without burning the bottoms of his or her feet? Well wonder no more! The Daredevil's Manual offers a behind-the-scenes, no-hold-barred look at these stunts and many others —straight from the men and women who have turned them into an art form.
Today's modern daredevils breathe fire, eat live scorpions, parachute off buildings, juggle chainsaws, and catch arrows in mid-flight, barehanded. Author Ben Ikenson, a longtime daredevil admirer, exposes the mysteries of these and dozens more of the most celebrated stunts in the world through first-person interviews with the daredevils themselves.
The Daredevil's Manual offers step-by-step explanations of how the most fearless daredevils in the world perform their incredible feats of derring-do. Detailed drawings and descriptions examine how:
John Hall sails a motorcycle through a flaming wall of fire! Harley Newman escapes from hundreds of feet of plastic wrap encasing his body! Tom Comet balances a running lawn mower—on his chin! ...and much, much more!
Ben Ikenson is a speechwriter, journalist, and lifelong admirer of the daredevil and the art of the stunt. His work has appeared in numerous book and magazines, and he is the author of Patents: Ingenious Inventions—How They Work and How They Came to Be.
Today's modern daredevils breathe fire, eat live scorpions, parachute off buildings, juggle chainsaws, and catch arrows in mid-flight, barehanded. Author Ben Ikenson, a longtime daredevil admirer, exposes the mysteries of these and dozens more of the most celebrated stunts in the world through first-person interviews with the daredevils themselves.
The Daredevil's Manual offers step-by-step explanations of how the most fearless daredevils in the world perform their incredible feats of derring-do. Detailed drawings and descriptions examine how:
John Hall sails a motorcycle through a flaming wall of fire! Harley Newman escapes from hundreds of feet of plastic wrap encasing his body! Tom Comet balances a running lawn mower—on his chin! ...and much, much more!
Ben Ikenson is a speechwriter, journalist, and lifelong admirer of the daredevil and the art of the stunt. His work has appeared in numerous book and magazines, and he is the author of Patents: Ingenious Inventions—How They Work and How They Came to Be.
- GenresNonfiction
172 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2020
Love this one! Crazy stunts humans have mastered in here. But got this book after being told about it for the chapter on sword swallowing, as I studied with Harley Newman (featured in chapter starting on pg 55) it was recommended reading, and I am not disappointed! Also featured stunts I am interested in learning include: walking on broken glass, and blockhead or hammering a nail into your face (through my nose hole.) Not for the faint of heart, but fun read!
August 11, 2023
This book is more of a bio on each of the daredevils associated with the feats described, and has very little about any techniques or tips/tricks used. No secrets revealed within, and therefore somewhat disappointing.
March 12, 2008
this was an enjoyable read for me, but I must confess I did not heed the "do not try this at home" warning.
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July 28, 2011A quick fun read. It's really interesting to see how these people do what they do, although it doesn't really inspire me to dangerous feats myself.
February 23, 2013
Fun read. Can read in bits and pieces.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews