Short review - "Riding With the Rocketmen"

While both reading this book as part of a challenge and trying to clean out some books previously sent to me, I found this one.  Having enjoyed other books on cycling, this premise sounded very interesting. However, while the book was one that cycling enthusiasts will like, it wasn't really for me.  Here is my review of the book.

Title/Author: "Riding With the Rocketmen: One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants" by James Witts

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review: The book was far beyond my knowledge of cycling and the equipment, training and vocabulary used. It is clear Mr. Witts uses his extensive experience in writing about the sport in order to undertake this challenge, but because I am at best a casual fan of the sport - watching some of the Tour de France and read about some of the history is about the extent of how much I follow cycling - this book was certainly not written for a reader like me.

The humor, especially the self-deprecating kind, was excellent and it was okay to read about his own adventures as he attempts to complete a leg of the famous course. But all of the technical jargon, the many people involved in his journey and the sheer volume of this material in a fairly short book made it very tough for me. I am rating this book three stars as while it wasn't my cup of tea, cycling enthusiasts will really enjoy this one and that is the intended audience, not the casual, occasional fan like me.

I wish to thank Bloomsbury Sport for providing a copy of the book.  The opinions in this review are strictly my own. 

Link: Riding With The Rocketmen: One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants: Witts, James: 9781399403504: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession"

"Obsession" is a good word to describe the author's passion for this writing after he found the film clip that is the subject of this book.  Here is my review:

Title/Author:

“1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession” by Ned Boulting

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (good)

Review:  During the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020, author Ned Boulting bought a spool of film that featured a clip from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France.  This book could be considered a dedication to the obsession that Boulting soon had to find out as much information as he could about the people in the film clip and the events surrounding that race.

Boulting does a yeoman’s job of research, interviews (as best he could during lockdowns) and writing in order to gain this material.  The book itself covers a lot of material and that is both good and bad. The bad: Boulting diverges a lot from the film and the race and writes much about French and German history and important figures.  It is interesting, but it takes a lot of attention away from the main topic – the race and the stage 4 winner, Theofile Beekman.

Beekman is the lone rider who crosses a bridge (which had its own history, covered by Boulting, of course) on the film and he won stages but the overall winner was Henri Pélissier.  The stories of Beekman, Pelissier and others in the race were really interesting as were the writings about the Tour itself.  Had the book concentrated on the riders, the pieces in the film and the riders, it would have been a much better read.  

I wish to thank Bloomsbury Sport for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link: 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession: Boulting, Ned: 9781399401548: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “Coffee First, Then the World”

 Usually it takes more than the title to get me interested in a book, but the title of this grabbed my attention right away - and it turned out to be fantastic! Her is my review of”Coffee First, Then the World.”

Title/Author:

“Coffee First, Then the World: One Woman’s Record-Breaking Pedal Around the Planet” by Jenny Graham

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:   

When Jenny Graham decided to attempt to become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the world on a bicycle (with allowances for flights over oceans), she was both excited and nervous. This book that captures her adventures during this expedition was a fun and enjoyable read.

The best part of this book is her refreshing honesty about her fears and trepidations - and she does so with happiness and humor. This would sound like it would be difficult to pull off but Graham does so in a way that will keep the reader engaged and entertained. It doesn’t matter whether she is describing the terror of trucks running her off the road in Russia, the fear of snakes in Australia or when she sleeps outside in the elements on so many nights, it’s just fine to read about her adventures.

She does talk about her relationships with family and friends, but the real people aspect of this book is her interactions with those from other countries and cultures. The most heartwarming of these encounters are the many friendly people she met in Mongolia. Just like when talking about her fears and frustrations, Graham talks about these encounters with great energy, humor and joy - one can’t help but smile at some of these passages. 

One doesn’t have to be a cyclist, a fan of the sport or even know anything about a bike to enjoy this book. If the reader wants to get a first hand account of a fantastic accomplishment by one woman with determination, then this is the book for them.

I wish to thank Bloomsbury Sport for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-First-Then-World-Record-Breaking/dp/1399401068/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Doping"

Happy Independence Day to those in the United States who are celebrating today.  It feels ironic to be posting a review about a sports book that is international and not US-centric today.  This book on doping and PED use in international competition is one of the better books I have read so far in 2022 - and sorry, there is only a very brief mention of baseball in it.  Here is my review of "Doping." 

Title/Author: “Doping: A Sporting History” by April Henning and Paul Dimeo

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  The use of various types of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in various sports is not a relative new phenomenon.  Methods of doing so have been around about has long as the modern Olympic games, which started in 1896.  This book by April Henning and Paul Dimeo takes a complete look at this issue from many different angles.

One of the most striking features of the book is that while it is a scholarly work in which they present theories and possible resolutions, the language and format is very easy to follow and a reader will notice that aside from the scientific names of some of the drugs, it is written in plain language.  That will help the non-scholarly reader to comprehend and absorb the points the authors are making.

The variety of sports is far-reaching and international.  While much of the international competition in which the authors describe are the Olympic Games (both Summer and Winter) there are other international competitions included as well.  This is especially true for two sports that internationally have been ripe with drug issues, track and field and cycling. There is an entire chapter devoted to Ben Johnson’s disqualification from the 1988 Olympics, for example. 

There is also extensive research and text on the use of PEDs in communist nations during the Cold War era.  Most notably, that of East Germany, whose athletes would regularly earn more medals than the United States despite having a significantly smaller population. The stories of their athletes requiring the use of these drugs or else they could not compete were compelling.

Although their work on the use of PEDs was very good, the criticism and suggested solutions of the enforcing agencies, current the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made the book one that was hard to put down.  Just about any critical idea one can think of for these enforcers was included.  The determination of what was a PED and the science behind these decisions was questioned at times. This included things like banning cold medicines that were taken for illness but resulted in an athlete’s disqualification because it contained trace amounts of a banned substance. The lack of communication of what these banned substances would be and what products would contain them was criticized by the authors, as were the punishments as individual athletes would suffer from draconian measures. These included  bans from competition or awards taken away while larger organizations and nations would either receive light warnings or even nothing at all. The authors then conclude the book on their suggestions on how to right this matter, striking a balance between fair enforcement and keeping the competition fair for all.

From the first Olympic games to the 2016 scandal that plagued the team from Russian, this book is a wonderful and complete look at the use of various drugs and other scientific advancements to improve the performance of various athletes.  No matter one’s sports interest or interest in this topic, it is a book that is well worth the time to read.  

I wish to thank Reaktion Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:  Amazon.com: Doping: A Sporting History eBook : Henning, April, Dimeo, Paul: Kindle Store

Review of "Revolutions"

This book was another one that once I started reading it, I realized it was about a completely different topic than what I expected - and that was a good topic.  I never knew how much the bicycle has been a part of the women's movement for equality.  Here is my review of the book that shows that connection, "Revolutions"

Title/Author:

“Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels” by Hannah Ross

Tags:

Cycling, women, politics, equality

Publish date:

June 9, 2020

Length:

368 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While today it is certainly not unusual to see female bicycle riders, that has not always been normal.  From the early days of the bicycle when Victorian patriarchy ruled the day to modern feminist calls for equal pay for equal activity, the bicycle has played an important part in the advancement of the women’s movement.  One just needs to read this book by Hannah Ross to see just how much the bicycle has been a part of the movement.

Starting from the Victorian era with the wide ankle length dresses that made riding nearly impossible to a group of women riding each stage of the 2019 Tour de France a day before the paid male riders would hit that stage, Ross writes about the role of the bicycle and how activist women would either use the bike to show what women could do that went well beyond beating men at bike races or to just get some exercise which was something women weren’t supposed to do at that time.

While most of the book is about the struggle for women’s equality, there is some good writing in the last third of the book about competitive cycling and the races in which women have participated. This is especially true for the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ross also gives some much needed publicity to today’s competitive races for women – the biggest of these, the Giro Rosa, has to compete for attention with the Tour de France and sadly is not well known.  While there have been strides made in competitive cycling for women, Ross shows there is a long way to go.

More of a book on feminism and women’s rights, this book nonetheless is a very good read for those who wish to learn how the bike has been a part of the lives of millions of women in so many different ways.

I wish to thank Penguin Group Dutton for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Revolutions-Women-Changed-World-Wheels/dp/0593083601/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Review of "Descent"

Even though there are so many books about this topic and it is not a prevelant part of the sport any longer, I am a sucker when it comes to books on doping in cycling.  This is another memoir by a world-class cyclist who was caught and it is a decent read.  Here is my review of "Descent"

Title/Author:

“Descent: My Epic Fall from Cycling Superstardom to Doping Dead End" by Thomas Dekker and Thijs Zonneveld

Tags:

Cycling, memoir, drugs

Publish date:

December 5, 2017

Length:

226 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Doping was a part of the sport of cycling in the early 2000's and there have been several books out by cyclers or former cyclers about their cautionary tales of the practice.  This is another one of those books, this time written by Thomas Dekker. He was an up and coming Dutch cyclist who won a few races and had his eye set on bigger prizes when he was caught up in the scandal.

This book took a different tone than others I have read on this stain on cycling. Lance Armstrong was always defiant. Tyler Hamilton repented for his cycling sins and has worked to clean up the sport, which has been much cleaner in recent years.  Dekker, though, seems to beat himself constantly about doing this. He frequently talks about his excesses – his excess training, need for that boost, drinking, womanizing.  Through it all, he also shows some anger at agents who led him down this path and teammates as well.  By the end, however, he comes to the same conclusion that all others do – he had no one to blame but himself.

Reading the book was actually entertaining if not depressing at times. The stories of him out late with teammates and of how he lost his true love because of his excesses make for good reading – almost like a novel.  There isn't a lot about his actual races or training, at least not in comparison to other sports memoirs, especially cycling.  The best passage about his actual performance wasn't during a race but a solo run in a velodrome in which he attempted to set a new record for cycling the longest distance in 60 minutes.  While he fell just short of that record, his training and actual run was easily the best section on the book on the actual sport.

While there is no earth-shattering material on the well-exposed doping scandal in the sport, this book is an entertaining, fairly light read that fans of the sport or those who remember Dekker's career will want to read.  

                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying Links:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/descent-thomas-dekker/1126320446?ean=9781937715809

https://www.amazon.com/Descent-Epic-Cycling-Superstardom-Doping-ebook/dp/B077THGQW7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "The Rider"

While shopping for audiobooks to enjoy while recently making a long drive to participate in a bowling tourney, I found this gem of a fictional bicycle race.  I didn't realize the story was 40 years old, but while listening it still seemed fresh.  Here is my review of "The Rider"

 

Title/Author:

“The Rider” by Tim Krabbe, narrated by Mark Meadows

Tags:

Cycling, fiction, audiobook

Publish date:

June 12, 2003 (originally published 1978)

Length:

152 pages

Rating: 

3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:

The best way to describe this fictional story of a cyclist is that it tells what can go on in a cyclist’s head while he is racing down the mountain, trying to break away from the pack, or working on being the best sprinter he can be. The author, Tim Krabbe, took up the sport at age 30 as an amateur, giving credibility to the context of the protagonist’s thoughts and actions as he attempts to win a grueling tour race.

The story takes place in 1977 as the rider is competing in a race in southern France.  Throughout the race, broken down into stretches of a few kilometers at a time, the reader will learn about the intricacies of cycling, the various stages of a race and the wandering of a cyclist’s mind as he describes everything from his past to women he meets along the course. That made the story a bit hard for me to follow until the next segment where he let the reader know how far along the course he had progressed.

While the story was enjoyable, the narration was even better as Mark Meadows read the translated text (the book was originally published in Dutch, Krabbe’s native language) in an easy to understand manner.  His voice came across as soothing during the down time and the competitive nature of the main character was also evident when he was sprinting to attempt to win a stage.

Overall, this is a book recommended for cyclists and hard-core fans as they will best understand the nuances of the sport.  It is still an enjoyable story for people who have an interest even if they don’t follow the sport closely. 

Book Format Read:

Audiobook

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/The-Rider/dp/B007EB5D0K/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rider-tim-krabbe/1005032173?ean=9781582342900#/

Review of "The Comeback"

Those who follow my reviews know that while I love to read about all sports, I especially enjoy books on baseball, hockey and boxing.  Now I can add a fourth sport to this short list: cycling.  Between Tyler Hamilton's memoirs and this outstanding book on Greg LeMond, I am finding books on cycling just as compelling as the other three.  Here is my review of "The Comeback."

Title/Author:

“The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France” by Daniel de Visè

Tags:

Cycling, biography, history, performance enhancing drugs

Publish date:

June 5, 2018

Length:

432 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)

Review:

Greg LeMond woke up the American sporting public to the Tour de France with his upset victory in the 1986 race.  Three years later, after his career nearly ended due to injuries suffered in a shooting accident during a hunting trip, he again won the race by eight seconds over Frenchman Laurent Fignon. The final stage of the race is the starting point of this terrific book by Daniel de Visè.

While the book primarily tells the story of LeMond’s life and career, the reader will learn much about other prominent cycling athletes. The reader will learn why LeMond chose cycling for his sport (he wanted to compete in sports where “I could accomplish something myself without having to depend on others”), the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a family member and how he became the voice of “clean” racers when the doping culture of the sport became more prominent in the age of erythropoietin (EPO) and later “mechanical doping” in which a small machine would aid a cyclist with his speed.

Of course, the book delves into the fall of Lance Armstrong and Greg’s interactions, both the good and the bad, with the fallen star. It made for great reading, as it almost felt like a soap opera, as Armstrong first was counting on LeMond’s advice on the life of a professional cyclist, then later as the doping accusations became louder, Armstrong nearly destroyed LeMond’s life, including the public revelation of Greg being a victim of abuse.  While much of this material is available in other books, this account felt like a very intimate and personal version.  This was just one example of the outstanding writing that was on display throughout the book.

The story of Fignon is just as compelling in this book as is LeMond’s as their lives seemed to move along parallel paths. Like Greg, Laurent had his own demons and had to come back from a serious injury.  The 1989 Tour de France was the signature race of his comeback, just like LeMond, only with a different result. The reader feels both LeMond’s joy and Fignon’s agony in this result throughout the book as the results affected both men for the rest of their lives.

The strategy of tour racing, how teams work to ensure that their strongest rider will have a chance for victory and the cutthroat nature of the sport are all on display in sections about the races. The description of the peloton, or pack of riders, and what goes on in that mass of bikes and humans, was very compelling and I enjoyed learning just how important a role the peloton plays in the strategy for riders during a race.  

No matter the level of knowledge or interest the reader has in cycling, this book is a must read for all sports fans who love a good story of a classic comeback and of the adventures of athletes, both “good” and “bad”.  I have been enjoying books on the sport and this one is certainly one of the best.

I wish to thank Atlantic Monthly Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Comeback-LeMond-American-Cycling-Legendary-ebook/dp/B075VDQD2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520455693&sr=8-1&keywords=the+comeback+greg+lemond

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-comeback-daniel-de-vise/1127464947?ean=9780802127945#/

Review of "The Secret Race"

One resolution that I plan on keeping this year is to clean out the older books on my shelves or e-reader clouds.  The challenge I had earlier posted was one part of this resolution - the other was simply to read some of the books I bought a long time ago, but never got to read.  This book is one of them - and now I wish I had read it as soon as it popped up on my Nook. An outstanding memoir that provides an inside look at the world of cycling and its doping scandal, I recommend that everyone reads this, even if they are not fans.  Here is my review of Tyler Hamilton's memoir, "The Secret Race."

Title/Author:

“The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France” by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle

Tags:

Cycling, performance enhancing drugs, memoir

Publish date:

September 5, 2012

Length:

306 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The rise and fall of Lance Armstrong was a spectacular story on both ends.  The doping scandal that was rampant in the sport of cycling ensnared not only Armstrong, but many of his teammates and competitors.  One of those cyclists, Tyler Hamilton, shares his story about his time in the sport and with Armstrong (called “Lance” throughout the book, not “Armstrong) in this outstanding memoir, co-written with Daniel Coyle.

What especially struck me about the book was Hamilton’s attention to every detail about the doping that goes on in cycling.  Not just the substances used, but the nicknames given, the undercover nature of communication between athletes and doctors, the methods of taking the drugs and the benefits a cyclists gets during the races.  Whether it was Hamilton’s description of taking “Edgar” (Erythropoietin), the details of his “BBs” (blood bags) when getting a transfusion of his own blood, or the conversations between racers on the trail, this is a book that is a page-turner, no matter what the reader’s level of interest may be in the sport of cycling.

The stories of how racers would either avoid or outsmart the drug testers read like spy novels.  This level of deceit, lies and evasion could only be told by someone who lived this type of life and Hamilton does it well.  This is true when not only talking about his own doping, but also that of Armstrong and other Postal team members.  He at times seemed in awe of Armstrong (before Lance’s eventual downfall) because he was always able to find a way to talk his way out of a tough situation.

Hamilton’s story itself is also very interesting, with his own climb from riding for various smaller teams to getting a spot in the prestigious US Postal team, the one that Armstrong raced for during his record stretch of Tour de France wins, wins that have since been stricken from records.  Hamilton himself has had the same thing happen to him with his 2004 Olympic gold medal in doubt because of a positive drug test.  While relieved he was able to keep his medal when the validity of the second positive test could not be verified, he eventually came clean on his doping. 

If a reader wants to learn about the actual sport, this book is a great source to do so.  Hamilton’s description of the riders who have to set the pace for the leaders, those who ride in packs or those who have to keep pace with the lead cyclist so that leader can maintain the speed he needs to keep the lead, is full of details that make a reader feel like he or she is on the bike. 

This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about the doping scandals in the sport of cycling or learn about the story of this Olympic champion whose personal and professional life took many drastic turns.  Be forewarned – once you pick up the book, you will not want to put it down.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Race-Inside-Hidden-France/dp/034553042X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-race-tyler-hamilton/1112482596;jsessionid=B996605A850033F0C9EC1655247B2BC8.prodny_store01-atgap08?ean=9780345530424#/

Review of "Simon's Cycle Shorts"

This was a review request I received from the author which was a little different than most.  First off, this wasn't a true "sports" book in the sense that it covered more than just cycling or racing - it covered a wide range of topics.  Second, it is a collection of essays and stories - something that I rarely received requests to review.  Third - it was a fun book to read and I am glad the author found my site so that he could send the book.  Here is my review of "Simon's Cycling Shorts"

Title/Author:

"Simon’s Cycle Shorts – They Can Talk, You Know!” by Simon Bever

Tags:

Cycling, short stories, fiction, humor

Publish date:

April 3, 2017

 

Length:

124 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

One of the more popular clichés to use when something sounds interesting is that someone wishes that he or she could be a fly on the wall.  This collection of short stories and essays told from the viewpoint of a cycle is a variation on that thought in that the bike, in whatever way, was privy to some information and situations that in which more information would be sought by a curious person.

For example, one story told by a bike is about a prominent man who appears to be having an affair with a young woman.  The dialogue between the two bikes, since both people are riding them to this rendezvous, is revealing and hilarious at the same time.  There are also many stories based on real events such as the Tour de France and the Treaty of Versailles. 

As with any collection of stories or essays, there is a mixture of good ones, great ones and ones that a reader may not like or are indifferent toward them.  For me, most of these were fun to read (my personal favorite was about a spin class told from the bikes’ point of view) and some were just okay.  But many more were of the former than the latter that any reader who is in the mood for a light, quick read will enjoy this book.

I wish to thank Mr. Bever for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XY9V2YL/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B06XY9V2YL&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2