23 Days In July

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book, but a bit lacking in passion
Review: As the other reviewers have so beautifully described, this is a wonderful book that anyone interesed in The Tour, or sports in general, should read. I must give it only 4 stars, however, because at the end I felt that the author did not quite manage to convey the emotional and physical intensity of The Tour. I guess the writting was a little less emotionally involving than I had hoped. Nonetheless, the book did hold my interest and I could not wait to get to the ending, despite knowing how it all turned out.

Rating:
Summary: The Tour de France Revealed
Review: For all you people who have become fascinated by Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France but had trouble understanding the complexity of times, teamwork, individual winners vs. overall winners, road stages vs. time trials, the meaning of yellow jersies, green jersies, polka dot jersies, and most all want to grasp just how truly tremendous Lance Armstrong's feat of six wins actually is, this is the book for you. John Wilcockson, easily the most experienced English speaking cycling journalist in the world, and with 37 Tours de France under his belt, perhaps the most experienced in the world, has put his lifelong scrutiny of this supreme sporting endeavor to the best of uses, weaving a riveting web of insider's race reportage with all sorts of background material guaranteed to enlighten everyone from the cognoscenti to the neophyte. This book will remain the definitive work on this record breaking 1904 Tour de France.

Rating:
Summary: The Race and So Much More
Review: I was amazed to find myself immediately engrossed in this beautifully written book. I am not into cycling and I mostly prefer to read fiction, stories of people and places and life dramas, but since it was a gift I thought I'd better read at least a chapter or two. I found that it is, in fact, about people and places and life dramas, and so many other things too, all centering around the Tour de France, of course. John Wilcockson patiently explains the ins and outs of this rather complicated race. He tells us stories of past races and personalities and then seamlessly brings us back to the 2004 sidelines so that we are following the action with much greater depth. Along the way we get the flavor of the landscape, the villages, the people, the history, and the architecture. The lyrical and informative descriptions are a pleasure to read and complete the context of the event, so that we feel we are right there. Then, with each chapter representing a day of he race, we get to know the stars of 2004 (especially Lance Armstrong). Their personal stories are compelling without being gossipy, with just enough inside scoop to keep our place in the know. And the more we know, the more exciting each day of the race becomes. It is remarkable how much information is in this book, and how skillfully it fits together into a smooth and highly engaging narrative. It satisfied my literary tastes, told me lots of stuff I didn't know, and got me interested in one of the greatest sports events in the world. Now I can't wait until next July! I highly recommend this book to anybody on the whole spectrum of interest in cycling, from almost none, like myself, to people who have followed this great race through the years. A sure bet for almost anybody's gift list.

Rating:
Summary: A great tale, and then some
Review: I was expecting a blow-by-blow account of the 2004 Tour, and that's certainly in here, but there is much more here, as well. The behind-the-scenes stuff, the elaboration around major recent cycling events, the history seamlessly interweaving into the present, and the profiles of riders both famous and obscure combine to place this book at the HC level of cycling journalism. Wilcockson deserves a lot of credit for getting out something this good so quickly after the event. In book publishing, that's tough. Because he's reaching for a broad audience, there is a sentence here and there explaining things that most cyclists know. No problem. It's a great book. If you're a cycling fan, get it.

Rating:
Summary: A Great book on the Tour de France
Review: If you're looking for a book about the Tour de France that will keep you engaged, this is it. I found myself reading this book till late at night. I enjoy all sorts of outdoor sports and love reading about them as well. This book does a wonderful job of not only covering each days race events but the personal side as well. It is a must read for anyone who enjoys biking. It will go on my bookshelf with all the outdoor classics.

Rating:
Summary: The Time Of Your Life
Review: Lance Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France in "23 Days in July". John Wilcockson, well known cycle sports writer has given us the story of these days. Drawn up in yellow, red and purples, the colors of the Alps and Pyrenees. We are allowed a visit into the most famous cycle race in the world Le Tour De France.

John Wilcockson has written a masterly tale of life on the road, so to speak, of five of the most competitive cyclists in the business. There is Lance Armstrong, the American with the story of testicular cancer who becomes obsessed with cycling and goes on to win six yellow jerseys of the Le Tour. He overcomes all he needs to in his life to make this win. Jan Ulrich, the German, who has the best chance of anyone to overcome Armstrong and win Le Tour. Ivan Basso, who proves that He has what it takes and is the man to watch in the future. Tyler Hamilton, the young American, who is one of the better cyclists from the States- he has a young team, but he has a chance to win. And, Iban Mayo, who reaches out to try and make this Tour his to lose. These are the stories of the men and women and the people who make the race. There are interviews with Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's coach, and the man who builds winners. An interview with the tour director, Jean-Marie Leblanc, who brings understanding to the role of the French. We feel the majesty of the Alps, the sameness of some of the hotels, the day to day crunching and moving on and the excitement of those days of Le Tour. The doping scandal is addressed and it is not glossed over. John Wilcockson takes to task everyone who has a questionable reputation. The pre-cycle preparation and the lives and loves of those who participate. I thought I had a fairly good knowledge of the Le Tour, but I really felt I have come to know the lives of those who participated in the tour by reading this book.

John Wilcockson has been writing about cycle life for over thirty years. He has written several books about cycling. He goes to the head of the class with this book. Highly recommended. prisrob


Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read!
Review: Most sports writers report on the game at hand, but John Wilcockson goes much deeper in "23 Days in July." This book is not just about Lance Armstrong's sixth Tour de France win, as exciting as that is in and of itself. It's not about the sport of bicycle racing in general. It's about the Tour de France's past thirty of its 100 years, its heros, its wild rides and tragic losses, and how a reporter so dedicated to the sport is moved by these intricacies. Armstrong's 23-day buildup to a sixth consecutive Tour win makes for a fantastic story, but the better story is Wilcockson's 30-year history with the Tour and how he puts Armstrong's victory into perspective.

Rating:
Summary: Straight scoop from the best writer in the bike biz
Review: No one knows the inner life of an American pro roadie better than John Wilcockson. He writes in clean athletic prose and has been at the last 30+ Tours de France. Lots of backstory and anecdotes. And even a glossary and tactical Q&A for those who love Lance but may not know the inner workings of the peloton.

Rating:
Summary: kudos to Da Capo Press and the best cycling writer around
Review: This was a very enjoyable, well written account of an historic race. What was so enjoyable was learning so much about the tour along the way. It was brilliantly structured to tell not only the story of Armstrong's record win, but of the tour's history and fascinating aspects too. It must have been a race against the clock to put this book out so soon and yet its production and quality are very high. No ripped from the headlines stuff here, just a master sports writer at his best. Great stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, exciting book
Review: Without knowing much about the Tour de France, but excited by the news about this summer's tour and Lance Armstrong's accomplishments, I started reading this book and it captivated my interest right away. Bike racing is such an interesting sport, and I loved learning all the different nuances of the race, how teams work together, the politics, the different jerseys, etc. The book explains everything each step of the way, but the most interesting were all the stories within the story -- the history of the Tour, the past champions and their personal adventures or personal stories, the look at what it took for each rider to get where he is now. The descriptions of the country and each stage of the tour were also very beautifully written. The pictures are also great. I recommend this book to anyone interested in sports, competition, or stories of personal triumph, or anyone who likes good nonfiction.