Cycling books: recommendation and avoid - Racing only

[Flying_Monkey]

You beat me to it! There aren't many books that I read once every couple of years, but that is one of them.

It's the only novel I have ever come across that deals with cycling, so it's lucky it is brilliant!

 

[Globalti]

The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton. A fascinating insight into road riding lore and a shocking twist at the end.

 

[Milemuncher]

The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton. A fascinating insight into road riding lore and a shocking twist at the end.

Yes, I agree, but I had forgotten about it.

And while we are at it, Tim Hilton's One more kilometre and we are in the showers is a really good read too.

 

[Mista Preston]

The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton. A fascinating insight into road riding lore and a shocking twist at the end.

Best read in a long while....totally recommend this book. I have given it to my wife to read

 

[threebikesmcginty]

would like to read that...

Someone selling that on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Le-Metier...79887?pt=UK_Books_maps_GL&hash=item19ca94020f

Cheaper than I bought it for - that's rapha for you!

 

[palinurus]

Benjo Maso's The Sweat of the Gods is a good overview of the development of continental cycling, compact and very readable.

 

[MacB]

I can only imagine how bad Man on the Run is as I thought Matt Rendells The Death of Marco Pantani was poor. I track what I've read as I do like to re-read good stuff, against the Rendell book I have put - interesting but not well written, against his A Significant Other I have the comment great detail but too much wanky writing....guess I'm not a fan.

but surely nothing could be worse than Indurain - A Tempered Passion - I couldn't physically read that again and only made it to the end via skimming.

The best reads, so far for me, have been - The Hour by Michael Hutchinson and We Might as Well Win by Johan Bruyneel.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Just finished the previously mentioned Laurent Fignon book, I'd recommend it to everyone with any interest in racing. It gives a revealing insight into the introduction of widespread EPO use in the early ninties, when donkeys were transformed into champions almost overnight.

Kimmages book from twenty years ago seems tame by comparison considering the fuss it caused at the time, being mainly about amphetamine abuse which was nothing in comparison to what came later.

 

[Dayvo]

In Pursuit of Stardom by Tony Hewson is an insight into the lives of three British cyclists, in the 1950s, trying to make the grade in Europe, by taking part in almost any event in order to earn enough money to survive until the next meet.

An interesting book for those interested in cycling nostalgia.

 

[Dayvo]

And there is a whole host of books to be found here: http://www.cycling-books.com/

 

[Noodley]

Update on Slaying the Badger - now finished just over a hundred pages. This is a seriously excellent book, so much more than just a story about the rivalry between Hinault and LeMond in one Tour..a fascinating insight, drawing from many sources including interviews with the main characters and others who played an important part in their careers. I have just got to a chapter where Moore interviews Paul Kochli about the development and selection of riders at La Vie Claire - very interesting, and he is very honest about why Roche did not end up at the team despite Bernard Tapie wanting him. I have read a previous book by Moore (Robery Millar) which I rated highly, but thought it might have been due to having fond memories of Millar as a lad - but this book confirms that he is a very good author and my view on the Millar book was not just due to the subject.

Get a copy!!!

 

[HLaB]

They are put away till Christmas but I've got Laurent Figon's book 'We were young and carefree' and 'Fallen Angel, the passion of Fausto Coppi' hopefully they are good. The one I'm slowly reading through just now is Geoff Thomas's 'Riding through the Storm', I got it cheap which is one reason for me buying it but its also good to have a cycling book not about a pro cycling.

 

[Paul_L]

half way through Millar's book, and after a dodgy start (i never get the bits about their family and childhood) it's turned into a great read.

Will Fotheringham's biography of Tom Simpson, Put me back on the bike is a brilliant book.

Not racing relating, but Tim Moore's French Revolution is also worth a read.

 

[bicyclos]

I picked up a decent book from a discount book shop in Southport. Chris Hoy the autobiography, got it for 3.99 and I am finding it an interesting read.

 

[naffets]

One not mentioned 'A dog in a hat' By Joe Parkin about pro racing mainly in belgium in the eighties
an easy entertaining read