The Cycling Anthology

Oct 21, 2024 8:25 AM

Author:Lionel Birnie,Ellis Bacon

Professional cycling is a rich, dynamic and often controversial sport that lends itself to great writing. Some of the most famous and illustrious races were founded by newspapermen and The Cycling Anthology continues this tradition by bringing together the best in the business.

Volume Three features original and exclusive pieces by leading cycling writers. Ned Boulting goes behind the scenes at the 2013 Tour de France to get to know the second British winner in two years, Chris Froome; Richard Moore tells the story of Marianne Martin, winner of the first women's Tour de France; Lionel Birnie recounts the story of the Tour of Britian through the prism of the 2013 edition; Jeremy Whittle assess how the aftermath of Lance Armstrong's sensational confession affected Team Sky; and many more.

Between them, they’ve covered hundreds of Tours de France and written dozens of excellent books and some have even ridden the Tour. Here, their work is showcased together.

Reviews

Professional pro cycling journalism for grown ups. These are the kind of stories that you may have wondered at, but don’t often get to see in this detail

—— Road.cc

A pleasure to read … packed with a variety of subject and rich prose

—— The Inner Ring

A great, insidiously gripping psychological drama... the sole credible awards-season heavyweight to have emerged from this year's Cannes

—— Variety

For those who loved Footballers' Wives, this book is a must-pack. It's a fascinating insight into the world of being in the spotlight. OK, it's not highbrow, but it's definitely entertaining.

—— Look - holiday reads must-have books

A juicy exposé of what it's like being married to a man on a weekly six-figure salary but also rebutting some of the myths that surround Wags... That honesty makes this a great read, and you won't look at Coleen and co in quite the same light again.

—— Sunday Express

The real-life story of an anonymous footballer's wife struggling to juggle motherhood with life in the spotlight. We've been busy speculating about just who wrote this juicy book.

—— Woman's Own

An encyclopaedic portrait of English football stripped of all the non-stop hype. The beautiful game is, after all, a dirty business

—— Financial Times (Life & Arts)

An intensely readable socioeconomic study of English football in the age of globalisation

—— New Statesman

A book that informs and inspires, a truly great piece of writing

—— Philosophy Football

The best pub talker of a book for years

—— Sunday Sport

Goldblatt has a gift for exploring the way the game holds a mirror up to our lives ... His deconstruction of the modern game could hardly be bettered

—— Observer

[A] bold analysis of Britain's economic and social change refracted through football

—— The Times

A salient overview of the past quarter-century

—— Times Literary Supplement

The deserving winner of this year's William Hill Sports Book of the Year award

—— Chris Maume , Independent

This is a breakthrough book by one of the leading young lights of Australian writing

—— Cath Turner , Nudge

Despite it being an almost impossible subject to write about, Krien has produced a brilliant, disarming, thought-provoking book

—— Malachy Clerkin , Irish Times

A thought-provoking book that every aspiring male footballer should be made to read…as part of their apprenticeship

—— Susan Egelstaff , Herald

A worthy, if unexpected, winner

—— Simon Redfern , Independent On Sunday

A depressing but essential read

—— Sharon Wheeler , Times Higher Education

an intelligent and unsettling exploration of how sport’s macho culture and exclusion of women enable abuse

—— David Evans, Four Stars , Independent on Sunday

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