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Half Man, Half Bike: The Life of Eddy Merckx, Cycling's Greatest Champion

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Format: Kindle


Description

Eddy Merckx is to cycling what Muhammad Ali is to boxing or Pele to soccer: simply the best there has ever been. Merckx amassed an astonishing 445 victories. Lance Armstrong, by comparison, managed fewer than 100. Merckx didn't just beat his opponents; he crushed them. But his triumphs only tell half a story that includes horrific injury, a doping controversy, and tragedy. He was nicknamed "the Cannibal" for his insatiable appetite for victory, but the moniker did scant justice to a man who was handsome, sensitive, and surprisingly anxious. A number-one bestseller in the United Kingdom, Half Man, Half Bike is the definitive story of a man whose fear of failure drove him to the highest pinnacles before ultimately destroying him. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press


Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2013


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 6.9 MB


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • a fascinating biography
Format: Paperback
"Half Man, Half Bike: The Life of Eddy Merckx" is a fascinating biography of one of the greatest cyclists of all time. The book is written by William Fotheringham, a well-known cycling journalist and author, who provides a detailed account of Merckx's life, career, and achievements. What I appreciate most about this book is the way it portrays Merckx's life as more than just his cycling career. The book delves deep into his personal life, childhood, and upbringing, which helps to paint a complete picture of the man behind the bike. I was particularly interested in learning about the challenges Merckx faced throughout his life and career, including his struggles with injuries and controversies. The book is well-researched and provides a comprehensive overview of Merckx's career, including his numerous victories, records, and the challenges he faced along the way. Fotheringham's writing style is engaging and compelling, and he does an excellent job of bringing Merckx's story to life. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023 by 3D Universe
    • Great Rider, Good Book
Format: Kindle
Very informative, well written and entertaining. Interesting insight into some of his greatest races and competitors. The general cycling public knowledge of this man is full of misinformation. This book cleared a lot up for me and instilled respect for a great athlete and competitor. he is everything I want a professional athlete to be - humble, dedicated, focused, a master of his craft, apolitical. Interesting team dynamics and cycling politics associated with his rise and incredible career. Since he as humble and not a self promoter, he got crushed by lairs and jealous competitors. This guy was so much better than Lance or anyone else that raced. He is still alive and is not part of the cycling elite - very interesting, when many of his rivals, who he crushed, are the face of professional cycling and the grand tours. It is interesting, Eddy experienced similar personal scrutiny and media critics as Lance, despite his incredible career, clean racing, passion and charitable public persona. A jealous and indignant media will tear anyone apart if they decide they don't like you, or you offend them in some silly way. It is interesting to see this shredding by the media of this great man occurred 40 years ago, relegating him to a relatively minor figure in the current sport. he should be at the head of the sport instead of those pompous, fat, idiotic politicians who are. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2014 by Murdue
    • Unquestionably the greatest cyclist
I would strongly recommend this book even for those only faintly interested in cycling. As a current recreational rider and former amateur racer this was both an informative and insightful read. I particularly enjoyed reading about his family and upbringing and the touchy relationship in Belgium between the Walloon's and Flemish. It was also informative to the read the politics in the early years around not him chasing Belgian teams but rather switching to Peugeot and then Faema and Molteni. However the book shines in descriptions of classic races and victories, particularly the clashes with Ocana and Fuente. Cycling is poorer for an era where there was much greater variability in performance and Merckx could lose 8 minutes in a stage when at his prime. In the current climate his two positive tests were a good read, a product of naivety rather than a systematic attempt to deceive it seems. The short description of family and an amazingly supportive wife will stick. Great book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2012 by steveb
    • Reading this book is little too boring.
Format: Paperback
It seems that author wrote this book in French with English words.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2021 by len
    • Great read, what I expected
Format: Paperback
I enjoyed reading this book. I had heard of Merckx like almost anyone that follows cycling even a little but I didn't know much more than him being praised as the greatest cyclist of all time. I wanted to know a bit more about him, his origins and his personality and his exploits during his racing career. This book covered all those elements well. I left with a good overview of his career and of his style as a cyclist. The writing was clear and concise. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in Merckx and his racing career. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2014 by Nicolas Kassis
    • overall good
Format: Kindle
A little tedious toward the end. But many times that’s the price of non-fiction. If you are interested in cycling history, you won’t mind.
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2025 by stephen l smith
    • For the fan of Eddy
I was an early teenager living in Belgium (live overseas now) when the Merckx era started. He certainly had a good influence on our generation. We didn't have time for naughty stuff, all that mattered was jumping on our bikes after school or during Holidays, race friends, pretending to be Merckx (I did). The writer reveals a lot of details of Merckx's career in his book. The drive, the ambition, the struggle of the Man. Details I was never aware of. My admiration for Eddy Merckx remains the same after all those years and it was nice to be able to look back at all the achievements of his. If you are a cycling fan or a Merckx fan, certainly worth reading. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2013 by meumerke
    • Fine book
Format: Paperback
Nothing wrong with the physical book but the story is boring.
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2024 by Amazon Customer

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