Books About Sports

Most of my non-fiction reading in recent times has focused on history and philosophy, but it is notable how good and absorbing the best sports-related writing can be. Here are some of the sports-orientated books which have made the greatest impact on me in recent times, or which I just found enjoyable, informative and enlightening.....

Bodyline Autopsy, by David Frith.  An absorbing, erudite and meticulously researched chronicling of England's contentious cricket tour of Australia in 1932-33...

Several works on cycling have left quite an indelible impression.....

Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike, by William Fotheringham...

Eddy Merckx : The Cannibal, by Daniel Friebe.  Another excellent portrait of the great Belgian cyclist....

Put Me Back on My Bike : In Search of Tom Simpson, by William Fotheringham.  A fascinating and candid biography of the tragic English cyclist...

The Lost Generation, by David Tremayne.  An intensely compelling, highly moving and beautifully illustrated telling of the story of three British racing drivers who died young during the 1970s....

Gilles Villeneueve: The Life Of The Legendary Racing Driver, by Gerald Donaldson.

Inverting The Pyramid : The History of Football Tactics, by Jonathan Wilson.

Back Home - England and the 1970 World Cup, by Jeff Dawson.  A highly entertaining and nostalgic look at the national football team's campaign in that fabled tournament in Mexico....

All of these books I would recommend.

Put Me Back On My Bike-In Search Of Tom Simpson - William Fotheringham

A book which has won many plaudits is "Put Me Back On My Bike", William Fotheringham's biography of the British cyclist Tom Simpson, who died during the 1967 Tour de France. I recently read the book myself.

I had enjoyed Fotheringham's biography of Eddy Merckx, and found this one even more compelling. As well as chronicling his life and achievements, it examines the tragic circumstances of his death and his legacy for British and world cycling.

In the past, I had rather shied away from fully exploring the Simpson story, mainly I suppose because of its tragic end and unsettling elements. It is a tale with many old-school elements, but also starkly pertinent for modern eyes and eyes. 

What emerged most of all for me, over and above the well-documented episodes, is Simpson's complex and quirky personality. He appears to have presaged characteristics which we associate with modern sportspeople, but there were endearing traits and contradictions. I found myself warming to the man, even allowing for his flaws.  Aren't we all flawed in some way?  The Tom Simpson who is portayed here is much different from the one who, in my ignorance, I had sometimes imagined. His interest in money, the mild English eccentricity and the mischievous side. The one area which I expected more to be made of was the notion of the "working class boy made good", but it seems that this was only a part the story

It could even be said that he was a visionary in the context of the British scene, having his eyes on the Continental arena from an early stage, and in his renunciation of the insularity and backwardness of the domestic landscape. His approach to training and preparation is also covered in detail here, from his focus on diet to his constant striving for any minute technical or tactical advantage, his hunger for knowledge and information, and how he was prepared to stretch himself and his physical limits.

The testimony and anecdotes, together with the documentary sources, are part of what makes this book work for me, giving it real substance and authority. The recollections of those closely associated with Simpson all go towards composing a vivid picture of the man and his life. The human nitty-gritty is uncovered, not just the dry facts about races won or lost. Some of the stories are funny, others are unsettling or poignant. The author also visits some of the locations central to the tale, augmenting the tapestry.  The book is compact and to-the-point, but the level of detail and insight is impressive.

In relating the Tom Simpson story, Fotheringham also evokes the atmosphere of cycling, and to a lesser degree, European society in the Sixties. Whilst the vibrancy and cosmopolitanism are celebrated,  I sensed his unease about the organisation and financial structures of the professional sport in that era, which often placed the competitors in an invidious position. We also gain a taste of how Simpson was in some respects a man of his time, when sports and the world in general were going through a transitional phase. There are some touching and intriguing passages about the "expatriate" cycling community in Belgium, and how Flanders welcomed and embraced the young Brits who went there to pursue their dreams.

The last third or so of "Put Me Back On My Bike" necessarily assumes a darker tone, as the factors contributing to Tom's death are addressed, as is the issue of drug use in cycling, and how the peloton and the powers-that-be viewed it. Needless to say, these chapters contain much less in the way of levity and lightheartedness than the earlier parts of the work. It seems to me that the standard line that "everybody was doing it" is only accepted by the author up to a point, and he elaborates on the reasons for this.

All in all, I found this book to be an engrossing and informative read. It is well put together, powerful in places, and candid. Highly recommended.

Merckx : Half Man, Half Bike - William Fotheringham

For some time, I have been fascinated by the great Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx.  He was one of the world's pre-eminent athletes during the early years of my childhood, and for years afterwards his name was synonymous with the sport of cycling. Fortunately, the world has been quite well served in recent times with books about the great man. I had already read Daniel Friebe's biography, and more recently came across William Fotheringham's book "Merckx;Half Man, Half Bike".

My interest in Merckx was only deepened when I learned more about his approach to his sport, and how he was perceived by his contemporaries. It is probably true to say that he remains something of an enigma.

The thing which stands above all in this relating of the Merckx story is the sheer workload which he took on year after year, There was little picking or choosing of events, by him or his peers, and no concentration on a few select races, as would become the norm in the 1990s.

Fotheringham gives due prominence to the cyclist's upbringing, and how the influence of both of his parents impacted on his temperament and his outlook on life and racing. It is also interesting to note that Merckx came from a slightly different social and cultural background to many of his rivals. This painted him as an outsider, but also has been cited as enabling him to have more universal, less parochial appeal. Of course, how "The Cannibal" sat within the linguistic and cultural make-up of Belgium, and Belgian cycling, is a theme which recurs throughout this work.

One of the things which interests me most about Merckx is how he shunned and broke down many of the cosy conventions and assumptions which prevailed in cycling when he arrived on the scene. This antagonized some, but drew acclaim from others for the way in which it shook up the status quo. It is noted here that his riding style drew ire from some purists, but he won over some sections of the press and public because of the intensity and courage of his modus operandi.

I think that Fotheringham scores highly because he continuously delves into the mind of Merckx, to see what made him tick, how insecurity and a fear of failure, as well a colossal work ethic, drove him on. He was constantly challenging himself, finding out what he was capable of, rather than just doing the minimum necessary to win. These imperatives, coupled with immense natural physical gifts, make a select few sportspeople very special. The author documents how Merckx's methods evolved and were refined throughout his career, from junior days, to the amateur ranks, through to his peak years as a professional, and to the period of decline. The author also draws on his knowledge of the finer technical, as well as tactical, points of cycling.

This book seeks to address some of the mythology which has built up around elements of Eddy's career, including the assertion that he lacked genuine opposition. These themes are explored in a nuanced and balanced way, and I was left with a much enhanced understanding of the Merckx phenomenon.

Eddy Merckx: The Cannibal - Daniel Friebe

The Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx has held some degree of fascination for me in recent times.  During my childhood, I recall constant references to him in the media, but at that stage cycling and the Tour de France seemed somehow remote and exotic. More recently though the wonders of the internet have enabled me to learn more about his achievements and personality.

Recently I watched, and blogged on, an excellent documentary film about the man:

Eddy Merckx - La Course En Tete

Hungry for more, I read Daniel Friebe's superb biography of Merckx:

The central thrust which I discerned was an examination of the seismic effect which Merckx had on the world of cycling when he first fully emerged in the mid-to-late 1960s, and how this impacted on his competitors. The status quo was destabilised, and much coverage is devoted to how his rivals and colleagues reacted to this new phenomenon, both on and off the bike.

It seems that for much of his career Merckx was regarded with a mixture of respect, awe and fear by all concerned. Suitably mesmerised, it took many too long to fully appreciate and understand what they were dealing with, and what the Belgian represented.  Merckx and his associates eschewed some age-old cycling conventions, and others were compelled to re-evaluate and re-calibrate their own philosophy of racing. 

The psychological effect of Merckx's methods was almost more important than the real physical and material ones. Once seeds of doubt and defeatism were planted in some minds, they proved very problematic to dispel.  Again, the author goes to great lengths to document this aspect of the Merckx story, through contemporary quotes and interviews conducted in the 21st century.  Not all of those interviewed had mellowed too much in their opinions!

Some of the most revealing parts of the book detail the "growing pains" which the sport was undergoing in the Merckx era, many of them precipitated by his success and prominence.  There are many enlightening tales of commercial pressures, back-room politics and expediency.

Inevitably, the subject of doping, a touchy one in cycling even in the 60s and 70s, is afforded much analysis.  Friebe to his credit approaches this subject with some realism and pragmatism, detailing the pressures on the riders, and the misgivings held by the peloton concerning the testing and disciplinary procedures then in place.

The author also delves into the Merckx character and psyche, and we see a multi-faceted personality, which tended to colour his often complex and contradictory relationships with his rivals. Some of these elements are traced back to his upbringing , his formative years and his apprenticeship in the sport.  To what extent was the die cast at a very early stage?

There is some great insight into what maketh the man, from parental influence, childhood environment and his unusual (for a pro-cyclist of the time) background.  These factors may have contributed to making him unique.

It is often tempting to contrast the Merckx on his bike with the private man, and label them as direct opposites.  Of course, life is seldom as straightforward as that, and the book concentrates on these nuances in some depth.  Like all of us, Merckx had his insecurities and foibles, and it seems that a kind of nervous tension was part of what drove him, and that he channelled this into facing new challenges. We also learn of the demands which were placed on others - team colleagues and personnel.

We see how some in the sport, including some spectators, developed an antipathy towards Merckx, because of his hegemony, but also because of how his modus operandi was perceived. Paradoxically, many riders also regarded him as indispensible because of his role as a benchmark and a beacon of reliable excellence.  Many riders were lulled to their demise by trying to play Merckx at his own game. Some eventually arrived at a strategy which helped maintain their own equilibrium and longevity, and to secure the occasional victory.  Those who paid heed invariably prospered.

Some of the most intriguing chapters in the book address Merckx's decline, and the latter years of his career, and how he managed this.  The aforementioned psychological hold which Merckx had on some of  his competitors may have helped him to sustain and prolong his time at the very top table.  Not everyone was quick to detect chinks in the armour, and capitalise.

In order to effectively and comprehensively convey the most momentous and pivotal episodes in the Merckx career, Friebe occasionally glosses over some less eventful races or periods of time.  However, this book handsomely fulfills its remit of exploring the Merckx legend, and its accompanying enigma, in a mature and gripping fashion.  Thoroughly recommended reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eddy Merckx - La Course En Tete

In recent months, I have become increasingly interested in the career and life of the legendary Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx.  I have been delighted to discover that there is an abundance of material and literature available concerning the great man.  One of the most effective and cohesive documents is the film La Course En Tete, which was released circa 1974, when Merckx was at, or around, the height of his considerable powers.

I found the film to be quite riveting, and there were several reasons for its effectiveness.  Narration in the conventional sense is virtually non-existent, save for the occasional caption or subtitle.  The pictures, sounds and music are allowed to drive the story and convey the points which need to be made.

La Course En Tete is quite an intimate piece, and it seemed almost cinema verite or "fly on the wall" at times.  Some of the footage is quite raw and spontaneous, offering an often unflinching portrayal of the life of Merckx, and the workings of professional cycling in the early 1970s.

We are afforded a close-up view, behind the glossy facade,  capturing some of the anguish, suffering and self-doubt prevalent in this sport, then and now. Another thing which jumped out of the screen to me was the contradiction of the claustrophobic atmosphere created by the intensity of competition and public adulation, working hand-in-hand with the sometimes lonely and empty existence of the professional athlete.  Merckx often seemed to be in the eye of the hurricane himself....

 

 

This documentary also epitomised for me the essence of 1970s sport and "popular culture".  Organic, a state of flux, the new commercial and media age co-existing uneasily with older values and practices.  It also offers a great snapshot of Continental Europe in 1973/74, and the passion which cycling, and other sports, evoke in some countries, especially Italy.

The accompanying music, almost Elizabethan in style and tone, is an inspired touch, and serves as a backbone to the entire film.  Much of the footage appears to emphasise the relentless nature of Merckx's riding style and approach, and the music perfectly complements and accentuates this.

Most facets of the life of Merckx are covered in La Course En Tete, including training and preparation, competitions, home life and media and public relations commitments.  Plenty of blood sweat and tears are evident.  The cultural and social impact of Merckx is also touched upon. 

I detected little in the way of airbrushing or sugar-coating.  Some of the less savoury episodes in the cyclist's career are looked at, as are his frailties, insecurities and flaws.

Another theme which emerged was the sacrifice which he was required to make to get to the top, and stay here. Family life was one thing to be affected, and we go behind the glamour to witness the pain, the rigours and the perils of his chosen profession.

In terms of character, Merckx comes across in the film as taciturn and self-contained, ill-at-ease in some settings and company.  This would be consistent with quotes attributed to him, to the effect that he was only truly at home on his bike, as if he was born to it.

I can highly recommend watching this documentary, not just as a portrayal of cycling and one of its greatest exponents, but as an examination of an era.