Recommend me books or DVD's

FJS

Dino Buzatti's 'Giro d'Italia' - a marvellous day to day journalistic prose report of the 1949 Giro d'Italia, and specifically the Bartali vs Coppi battle of that time, but also on domestiques, transfers, the fans, life in towns along the route, and the landscape. Sometimes more context, drama and fantasy than factual reporting, but a great look into 1940s Italian racing, and society

thomasmc

Le Commentateur wrote:

Just in from the printers:
http://rouleur.cc/maglia-rosa

Looks great but £29 from amazon, its not cheap! Think I'll wait for the paper back

ms_tree

I read 'Tomorrow we ride' over Christmas/New Year translated from the French but quite enjoyable but am now struggling with Lapize - now there was a hero. Also have on the waiting pile books on Miguel Indurain and Brian Robinson. Maybe get to catch up as on leave next week to watch Paris-Nice
PS All from the library of course

skut

A second vote for "In pursuit of Stardom".

cajun_cyclist

FJS wrote:

Dino Buzatti's 'Giro d'Italia' - a marvellous day to day journalistic prose report of the 1949 Giro d'Italia, and specifically the Bartali vs Coppi battle of that time, but also on domestiques, transfers, the fans, life in towns along the route, and the landscape. Sometimes more context, drama and fantasy than factual reporting, but a great look into 1940s Italian racing, and society

It's so blasted expensive used even, I read it, it was inspiration. I wasn't in a race but in a big ride and had no idea how it would go and I absolutely was clinging on to the words of the book for inspiration, a real feeling. This book is often mentioned as being one one of the best cycling books. I borrowed it from a friend, people's libraries might have it, it's worth finding.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Giro-dItalia-Co ... 042&sr=1-1

cajun_cyclist

Duplicate.

TheYorkshireMan

skut wrote:

A second vote for "In pursuit of Stardom".

I think you mean third vote.

See the link below for more details.

"for the most part this is a book to be considered among the very finest sports writing ever produced."

http://www.cycling-books.com/In_Pursuit ... Hewson.htm

sampras38

Tusher wrote:

"The death of Marco Pantani" by Matt Rendell. He also write "Blazing Saddles-the cruel and unusual history of the Tour de France" which I keep dipping back into.

"Rough Ride" by Paul Kimmage

"In search of Robert Millar" by Richard Moore is superb.


and, of course, last but by no means least- there's the literary masterpiece

Boy Racer by M.Cavendish


The DVD of Chasing Legends is excellent.

And before Ms Tree and I whip your naked buttocks, please remember to try your local library first.

I'll second the first three, plus David Walsh's LA Confidential, Lance Armstrong's War and Breaking The Chain.

zippypablo

TheYorkshireMan wrote:

Anyhow, the OP did ask about the 70's So perhaps a mention should go to the book about Freddy Maerten's 'Fall from grace', the one where he is 'stabbed in the back' every 10 pages.

I thought that was a very good book actually.
Good luck finding a copy though, last time I looked they were going on ebay for £30-40!!

Neil McC

Just when you thought there would never be any histories of the Giro in English, two come along at once.

I recently got Maglia Rosa (will be reading on holiday next month), now I've received The Story of the Giro D'Italia: A Year-by-Year History of the Tour of Italy, Volume 1: 1909-1970 by Bill & Carol McGann (who have also done a two volume TdF history).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Giro-DIta ... 183&sr=8-2

Looks decent, and a bit cheaper than Maglia Rosa if the price of that puts you off.

Haven't read either yet as I'm currently half way through a rather long book, but hope to read them both next month.

cswebbo

Laurent Fignon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Were-Young-C ... 089&sr=1-1

£7.88

Just read it, a fantastic book. As it says;-

Are you the man that lost the TDF by 8 seconds?
No, i'm the man who won it twice!

sy1975

I have just read the excellent Cannibal by Daniel Friebe - I think its better because Merckx did not give an interview so his writing is very honest.

takethehighroad

Anyone read Gironimo yet?

Reviews?

iainf72

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Anyone read Gironimo yet?

Reviews?

Phenomenal. Buy it and enjoy.

dabber

iainf72 wrote:

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Anyone read Gironimo yet?

Reviews?

Phenomenal. Buy it and enjoy.

Sorry, but I haven't enjoyed it much so far (I'm about three quarters through). From the reviews I was expecting to but I'm finding it all a bit contrived and there's a limit to how much interest I can find in his cotter pins coming loose again.
Not much about the actual 1914 Giro either.

iainf72

Dabber wrote:

Sorry, but I haven't enjoyed it much so far (I'm about three quarters through). From the reviews I was expecting to but I'm finding it all a bit contrived and there's a limit to how much interest I can find in his cotter pins coming loose again.
Not much about the actual 1914 Giro either.

Had you read any Tim Moore before this one? I was sort of expecting a funnyish travel book on a bike, and that's what I got.

dabber

iainf72 wrote:

Dabber wrote:

Sorry, but I haven't enjoyed it much so far (I'm about three quarters through). From the reviews I was expecting to but I'm finding it all a bit contrived and there's a limit to how much interest I can find in his cotter pins coming loose again.
Not much about the actual 1914 Giro either.

Had you read any Tim Moore before this one? I was sort of expecting a funnyish travel book on a bike, and that's what I got.

No. I guess part of the problem is that I'm not finding particularly funny either.

iainf72

Dabber wrote:

No.

I think maybe our expectations were different.

Ok, other things I've read lately.

Etape : Richard Moore. 21 chapters, chapter per a stage of the Tour. Different years, with interviews with the riders involved, so it's not just a rehash of old stories. This is fantastic stuff. Even the Cavendish chapters were great.

Reckless : The Life and Times of Luis Ocana - Very good but it's not as "light" as Etape. Bit more of a serious type affair all round.

Just started reading the Climb (Froome book) - I didn't like Walsh's Sky book much, but this is better. His back story is interesting IMO. Different to what people might have expected.

Got the Lantern Rouge one next, and the new Cycling Anthology

ddraver

Curveball but the Steve Peat Movie "Won't Back Down" is fantastic. An excellent look at the start and growth of Downhill MTB and a great look at one of the most inspiring cycling careers ever and a fantastic guy

It'll be on the internet somewhere....http://www.wontbackdownfilm.com/

Don't dismiss it just because of the knobbly tyres

If you re a sports fan then have a look at "The Last Gladiator" too which is about the Ice Hockey enforcer Bill Nylan and is another really good film