Pendleton's book, would you buy it?
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Victoria Pendleton's autobiography, Between the Lines, would you buy it?
Isn't 32 rather young to be writing an autobiography?
I rather like this quote from a reviewer: "Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words: it is war minus the shooting." © George Orwell (i.e., Eric Blair)
I won't be buying it. I don't particularly want to read (even more than in on-line reviews) about self-mutilation with scissors in the middle of a row with team mates................ (notwithstanding all athletic and other achievements, sorry Vict., too much detail).
Victoria Pendleton's autobiography, Between the Lines, would you buy it?
Isn't 32 rather young to be writing an autobiography?
I rather like this quote from a reviewer: "Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words: it is war minus the shooting." © George Orwell (i.e., Eric Blair)
I won't be buying it. I don't particularly want to read (even more than in on-line reviews) about self-mutilation with scissors in the middle of a row with team mates................ (notwithstanding all athletic and other achievements, sorry Vict., too much detail).
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I ve actually read it.
It is a searingly, Tyler Hamiltonesque, honest account of her life story. There is no doubt how much she has overcome to get where she got. The passages about her self harm are so personal that it feels like that you re cutting yourself with her. In terms of sporting stories, it is nothing special ( as are all of them - [affect stupid footballer person accent] "it was like, so hard but we won and it was...like...brilliant innit" [/accent]) - basically she does nt win much, until she does, until Mears starts instead.
However, as a human story, it is one if the best "autobiographies" I ve read. It gives lie to the public front that Team GB and Sky are some perfectly managed super team, it gives very personal background it to her life and, all in all, it is very well written (by the ghost writer)
It is definitely worth a read!
- @ddraver
Not really. If she left it another ? years (I'm not sure when you think would be a good time to right one), would anyone know who she was? Suppose that depends on what she does next. I would say now is a good time to write a book. People will be interested in her, she's just finished her cycling career, time to cash in (and I see nothing wrong with that). Do you feel the same way about David Millar's book?
And I don't think I'll be getting it, I have so many other books I haven't even started yet, I really don't need another.
No doubting at all her tremendous abilities and what she did as a pathfinder for female track cyclists. But as a person I really wouldnt care to spend much time in her company, cetainly not in a working capacity. She quotes Chris Hoy as saying "I think (Vicky) measures her success by how much attention she gets'. Very needy, it would be exhausting.
She complained when she retired that 'half the GB track staff' would never talk to her again - well, Vicks, after reading how you depict people in your book, its no bleeding wonder - and they're hardly going to be issuing press releases or giving interview to put across their version of events.
Wiggins had a hard start too, didn't he? But I don't see him rushing into print (Good!)
Thanks greased, Good question, I bought that book, but somehow I don't think I'll read it twice
Thanks RR, this is good:
Neil Gaiman
And another autobiography due out in November:
Thanks asp, didn't know about those books, can't keep track of everything, have a job, life, family etc.
And access to a search engine, which would help you avoid looking silly on the Internetz 8)
Tom Daly - of course I'd read his. Such a rich and varied life he's lead......even tho he's only 18. Two sheet of A4 should suffice. Any more than than and he'd be making friends with Roger Irrelevant.
if you don't want to read it then don't, but don't try and pretend its cos its rubbish....
- @ddraver
In repayment for hours of cycling I get wall to wall strictly and strictly takes two.
Might be fed up with her by then.
32 isn't particularly young these days for a book. Footballers seem to knock them out when they are still more or less foetuses. It is also the point at which the focal point of her story as come to an end. Unless she goes on to replace Pat McQuaid no-one particularly wants to read about her sleepless nights raising kids or doing the school run, we do that in our own lives.
I sincerely hope it is better written than "Boy Racer" as there is a book that was written too early in a career and IMO poorly. Also, in terms of bitching and slagging in bio's a lot of it is purely sensationalism, sort of an all's fair in love and print. I'm led to believe Cav made some behind the scenes apologies about some of the things he wrote in his book.
Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
I passed that point some time ago.
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+1
I like watching sport, but let's face it, most sports people are not that interesting. I don't blame them for cashing in when their name recognition is at its peak, but most of these books will be in the 99p bin of your local charity shop by January.
Saw a sign on a restaurant that said Breakfast, any time -- so I ordered French Toast in the Renaissance.
Thanks for that tip. Must get a search engine sometime soon. :roll:
Sorry about that DD. It was a poor example, I posted in haste. I do have a job, a life, a family, and sometimes I post in haste. <bashes self on head for posting in haste>
As to your 2nd paragraph, I transliterate that into "don't pre-judge a book because it may be rubbish".
OK. But on that basis, everyone would have to read every book in the world, in case they're not rubbish. Life's too short, mate! I have no intention of reading any of Salman Rushdie's books - for example. Nor a dozen other (so called big name) authors. That is what reviews are for: deciding if the book is for you or not.
Life is also too short to read every cycling memoire out there. IMHO.
I enjoyed the Tyler Hamilton book, though, and that's mostly because it gave the up to date stuff on the endless LA cheating/lying/denial.
Yep. In our local bookshop, under Sporting, there are many books on Football and Golf.
That's about it.
The only cycling book is something called It's not about the bike. :roll:
Again, a book I didn't particularly want to buy or read. I've never been a big fan of Cav, prefer Sagan these days...........but so what? If Sagan writes a book about his early racing days I don't think I'd rush to buy or read that either.
There is only so much time available, to read books. One hour a day is the absolute maximum for me.
Pretty standard life she had anyway.
Yep - I've met loads of lasses who've won the world/Olympic sprint title.
Out of interest - why not?
On Strava.{/url}