Amazon.com - $10.19
Super Nerdy Distinction Award: Gilbert Lowell
Buy it if: You want the whole Lance picture, good, bad and ugly. And you have an open mind.
Don't buy it if: You're ready to nominate Armstrong for sainthood or simply feel like ignorance is bliss when it comes to the darker side of pro cycling.
You think it’s easy to win the Tour de France? It ain’t easy. Seven times in a row? This not the accomplishment of a regular person. And no one would ever label Lance Armstrong regular. But it’s not enough to enjoy the platitudes of It’s Not About the Bike or give in the doping skepticism of From Lance to Landis. No amount of EPO or testosterone is going to create an athlete like Lance Armstrong. And all the money in the world can’t put just anyone in the yellow jersey. There’s just no single determining factor that guarantees those kinds of results. But there’s certainly a set of circumstance. Good, bad and sometimes very ugly, Daniel Coyle pulls back nearly all of the curtains in Lance Armstrong’s War to deliver what is easily one of the most compelling sports narratives of all time. If you’re not firing up Amazon.com at the conclusion of this review to place it on order, you’re missing out.
How Daniel Coyle managed to get the access to Lance, his team, his family and even his enemies is never revealed, but Lance Armstrong’s War gives an unprecedented look at into a man who simultaneously plays the roles of cancer hero, social statesman and ruthless – make that cutthroat – competitor. From childhood prodigy to modern slayer the truth surrounding the man is in here, and it’s often dark around the edges.
While the book’s ‘present’ is roughly the same timeline as 23 Days in July, encapsulating Lance’s 6th Tour de France victory and the run up to it, Coyle also makes frequent trips to the past, with special attention paid to the boyhood Lance, who would routinely rebel against authority, with the author citing ‘You’re not my Dad!’ as one of his familiar refrains. Equally fascinating is the book's inclusion of stories that might seem familiar to those with some ‘Lance experience.’ The drug allegations, cancer and corporate income are hardly news, but somehow this writer manages to get those closest to Armstrong to talk rather forthrightly. As far as I can tell, no other work can touch this one in terms of depth or new perspectives. Or ability to get teammates like Joathan Vaughters and Floyd Landis to speak so plainly about the patron of the peloton.
These new perspectives stand in starkest relief with regard to Dr. Michele Ferrari, Lance’s exceptionally (even for him) controversial former trainer. What? Never heard of him? That’s by design. But Coyle clearly demonstrates the massive role the Italian adviser played in Lance’s cycling career. The question constantly assumed but never broached: How has someone so important to such a famous athlete gone so relatively unnoticed for so long? Coyle doesn’t intend to answer the question, but it’s the asking that’s important.
Other notable highlights from the book include the Armstrong camp’s ‘media blacklist,’ which keeps track of those who would write disparaging articles (and books!) Quotes from former and current team members also lend dimension to a man who is remarkably in control of his own image. And for the uber-cycling nerds out there, terrific insight into the technical innovations pursued by the gear gurus Armstrong employs. The story of the $250,000 ‘narrow bike’ is a superb example of modern athletic innovation.
Whether you love him, hate him or are completely indifferent to his comings and goings, Lance Armstrong’s War is a brutally honest, impressively deep and surprisingly humorous look at a man who is sure to remain a sporting enigma for years to come. I can honestly say I’ve never read a sports biography that even approaches the level that Coyle has achieved. Order it now. I have a feeling it’s going to be an interesting July in France…
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
23 Days in July – John Wilcockson
Non-Fiction
$13.16 from Amazon.com
Buy it if: You want to understand what makes le Tour de France such a big deal. And how can a 2,100-mile bike race be won by only 8 seconds?
Don’t buy it if: You: ‘Big deal, they ride around France in Lycra for a few weeks... I want to see Manny Ramirez bang out some homers!’
How do you race a bicycle for 21 days and win by only a few minutes? What’s up with the funny looking bikes and phallic helmets? Where do the riders sleep? What’s the difference between the green, yellow, white and polka dot jerseys?
These are all questions that anyone new to the Tour de France probably has. Despite being the most watched sporting event in the world (It’s true. The only thing that even comes close is World Cup soccer, and that only happens every four years.) the inner workings, details, traditions and rules of the race are still largely mysterious to most Americans. Even with Lance Armstrong’s domination and cycling’s recent surge in popularity, the pro peloton (This means the racing pack. Much of cycling is still described in its ‘native’ French.) remains shrouded in mystery for many sports fans.
23 Days in July is the perfect accompaniment to le Tour. It’s framed around Lance Armstrong’s record-setting (and arguably most dominant) sixth win in 2004, but also includes other notable characters in the 23 day drama. Olympian Tyler Hamilton (and caught doper), former winner (and caught doper) Jan Ullrich and even Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite-turned-pro cyclist (and alleged doper!) Floyd Landis are among the other pieces in this nearly month long athletic chess match, and the author places each into the context of the race perfectly, allowing the readers to understand the dynamics of stage racing and the tactics that go into winning a race like this. For anyone who ever wondered why you would actually want to give away the leadership of the race or what EPO actually does, 23 Days in July has your answer!
Wilcockson – who’s been a cyclo-journalist for over 40 years – is well-suited to providing insight into the personalities and situations that form the context for this book. Cycling is, if nothing else, exceptionally traditional. The author’s ability to deftly demonstrate how past situations have helped shape modern races is impressive and his pedigree gives the writing real depth and helps set the stage for the overt story of the 2004 Tour.
The book itself is also laid out fantastically. Every day of the race is given its own chapter, concluding with the ‘current’ standings of race leaders and favorites. This is a great help to the new reader and places the individual stages into the context of the whole tour and allows those who’ve never seen a single stage to still feel the excitement and drama inherent to cycling’s biggest race. An appendix with frequently asked questions and a glossary of cycling terms is also a nice touch…
$13.16 from Amazon.com
Buy it if: You want to understand what makes le Tour de France such a big deal. And how can a 2,100-mile bike race be won by only 8 seconds?
Don’t buy it if: You: ‘Big deal, they ride around France in Lycra for a few weeks... I want to see Manny Ramirez bang out some homers!’
How do you race a bicycle for 21 days and win by only a few minutes? What’s up with the funny looking bikes and phallic helmets? Where do the riders sleep? What’s the difference between the green, yellow, white and polka dot jerseys?
These are all questions that anyone new to the Tour de France probably has. Despite being the most watched sporting event in the world (It’s true. The only thing that even comes close is World Cup soccer, and that only happens every four years.) the inner workings, details, traditions and rules of the race are still largely mysterious to most Americans. Even with Lance Armstrong’s domination and cycling’s recent surge in popularity, the pro peloton (This means the racing pack. Much of cycling is still described in its ‘native’ French.) remains shrouded in mystery for many sports fans.
23 Days in July is the perfect accompaniment to le Tour. It’s framed around Lance Armstrong’s record-setting (and arguably most dominant) sixth win in 2004, but also includes other notable characters in the 23 day drama. Olympian Tyler Hamilton (and caught doper), former winner (and caught doper) Jan Ullrich and even Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite-turned-pro cyclist (and alleged doper!) Floyd Landis are among the other pieces in this nearly month long athletic chess match, and the author places each into the context of the race perfectly, allowing the readers to understand the dynamics of stage racing and the tactics that go into winning a race like this. For anyone who ever wondered why you would actually want to give away the leadership of the race or what EPO actually does, 23 Days in July has your answer!
Wilcockson – who’s been a cyclo-journalist for over 40 years – is well-suited to providing insight into the personalities and situations that form the context for this book. Cycling is, if nothing else, exceptionally traditional. The author’s ability to deftly demonstrate how past situations have helped shape modern races is impressive and his pedigree gives the writing real depth and helps set the stage for the overt story of the 2004 Tour.
The book itself is also laid out fantastically. Every day of the race is given its own chapter, concluding with the ‘current’ standings of race leaders and favorites. This is a great help to the new reader and places the individual stages into the context of the whole tour and allows those who’ve never seen a single stage to still feel the excitement and drama inherent to cycling’s biggest race. An appendix with frequently asked questions and a glossary of cycling terms is also a nice touch…
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