Cycling books: recommendation and avoid - Racing only

[smutchin]

For anyone who owns a Kindle and hasn't yet read David Millar's book, it's currently part of their summer sale at £1.49. Absolutely essential reading.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Thro...017941031_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1375266131&sr=1-30

 

[Hill Wimp]

Another vote for David Millars book from me and also Tyler Hamiltons book The Secret Race is pretty good and gives a close insight into his ex close team mate liar liar Armstrong.

Next on the list to read is Seven Deadly Sins and Lanced by David Walsh.

 

[ColinJ]

For anyone who owns a Kindle and hasn't yet read David Millar's book, it's currently part of their summer sale at £1.49. Absolutely essential reading.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Thro...017941031_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1375266131&sr=1-30

Thanks for that - downloaded! It's a book that has been on my to-read list for a while, but I didn't want to pay the full price.

Incidentally - it is for everyone, Kindle owners or not - you can get free Kindle reader apps for practically every platform now - here.

 

[Buddfox]

Has anyone read the two David Walsh books "Seven Deadly Sins..." and "From Lance to Landis..." - are they any good? And am I right in thinking there is no English version of LA Confidentiel?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I was disappointed with Seven Deadly Sins, pretty sure that I have read From Lance to Landis, obviously left an impression! I've also failed to find LA Confidentiel in English, but I have only looked for digital versions

 

[Montelimar]

I enjoyed Tyler Hamiltons Secret Race, especially the shock he gets as a clean neo pro, just arrived from the States, desperately trying to hang on to the epo fuelled peloton of '96. Not a natural story teller but an honest and poignant account.
Stephen Roche, Born to Ride also interesting.

 

[oldroadman]

Ned Boulting's books are a good read, well written and entertaining, while being insightful at times. Alos some very funny anecdotes.
I have just read HUNGER, the Sean Kelly autobiog of the hard man himself. Every aspiring rider who wants to know what it takes to be a pro should read that. He's actually a good guy when you can get him to chat, with a very dry sense of humour.

 

[HF2300]

+ another for Racing through the Dark & The Secret Race. Wiggins' / Fotheringham's My Time is one to avoid, got it for Xmas and while there are a few interesting bits it comes across as a hastily (& badly) written cash-in

 

[smutchin]

Can anyone recommend a good book about Merckx? I'm ashamed to say that I know almost nothing about the greatest cyclist ever.

I read Daniel Friebe's Merckx biog a few months ago and loved it. Very readable.

William Fotheringham's one is also supposed to be good but I've not read that.

 

[smutchin]

I didn't think much of Robert Dineen's biog of Reg Harris - too salacious and not very well written either. Harris's life story might have seemed pretty scandalous 40 years ago but looks pretty tame now. I'd rather have read more about the actual cycling.

Graeme Fife's Tour de France: The History, The Legend is another I wouldn't recommend. Packed with detail and insight but written as a rambling stream of consciousness that makes it quite impenetrable at times.

 

[smutchin]

I have just read HUNGER, the Sean Kelly autobiog of the hard man himself.

Has he written a book? Surprised he never mentioned it in his Eurosport commentary... Well, maybe he did mention it... Just one or two times...

Actually, it's one I very much want to read. Glad to hear it gets the ORM seal of approval.

 

[laurence]

Bartali: road to valour was a good read... although it lacked a certain 'thing' as most of the main crux of the story is still secret. very interesting perspective on his lfe though. i read as i finished Coppi, Fallen Angel and thought Gino sounded like a character.

Definitely the Millar book, he's a good writer as well as it being a great story.

if you want an exellent true story that has nothing to do with cycling, then The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst is an incredible book and story. even if you have no interest in sailing it is worth reading.

 

[qigong chimp]

Millar? Hamilton? Fignon? Armstrong?
Nicole Cooke despairs of you.

 

[tigger]

Just getting into Slaying the Badger. So far so very good!

 

[StuAff]

For anyone who owns a Kindle and hasn't yet read David Millar's book, it's currently part of their summer sale at £1.49. Absolutely essential reading.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Thro...017941031_1_30?ie=UTF8&qid=1375266131&sr=1-30

Thanks smutchin, just bought it myself.

Just reading Bjarne Riis's 'Stages of Light and Dark'. It had some somewhat harsh reviews- road.cc's critic reckoned 'Stages of Dull and Grey' would be more appropriate- but I've found it a good read. It is not, understandably, scathingly and unequivocally straightforward on everything. His account is detailed on many counts, and parts of it are clearly (and painfully on his part) honest, but rather more guarded and cagey when it comes to the drugs issue. Riis is straightforward enough about his own doping, but there's no naming of names a la Hamilton. He was not, after all, going to do anything to jeopardise his team and his relationships within the cycling community. Bearing that in mind, it gets a recommendation.