French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France

By Tim Moore

Book Overview

Not only is it the world's largest and most watched sporting event, but also the most fearsome physical challenge ever conceived by man, demanding every last ounce of will and strength, every last drop of blood, sweat, and tears. If ever there was an athletic exploit specifically not for the faint of heart and feeble of limb, this is it. So you might ask, what is Tim Moore doing cycling it? An extremely good question. Ignoring the pleading dictates of reason and common sense, Moore determined to tackle the Tour de France, all 2,256 miles of it, in the weeks before the professionals entered the stage. This decision was one he would regret for nearly its entire length. But readers-those who now know Moore's name deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Bryson and Calvin Trillin-will feel otherwise. They are in for a side-splitting treat. French Revolutions gives us a hilariously unforgettable account of Moore's attempt to conquer the Tour de France. "Conquer" may not be quite the right word. He cheats when he can, pops the occasional hayfever pill for an ephedrine rush (a fine old Tour tradition), sips cheap wine from his water bottle, and occasionally weeps on the phone to his wife. But along the way he gives readers an account of the race's colorful history and greatest heroes: Eddy Merckx, Greg Lemond, Lance Armstrong, and even Firmin Lambot, aka the "Lucky Belgian," who won the race at the age of 36. Fans of the Tour de France will learn why the yellow jersey is yellow, and how cyclists learned to save precious seconds (a race that lasts for three weeks is all about split seconds) by relieving themselves en route. And if that isn't enough, his account of a rural France tarting itself up for its moment in the spotlight leaves popular quaint descriptions of small towns in Provence in the proverbial dust. If you either love or hate the French, or both, this is the book for you. French Revolutions is Tim Moore's funniest book to date. It is also one of the funniest sports books ever written.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312290454
• ISBN13: 9780312290450
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

One of the funniest books I have ever read

Two vignettes of my experience reading French Revolutions may help you to understand just how funny this book is: 1. Reading it on the train to Sheffield, England I was sniggering so much that the person sitting opposite me in the carriage moved to a different seat, thinking that I might just be insane. 2. Reading it in bed, I woke up my girlfriend because I was laughing so hard that the bed shook. Moore is so flagrantly unprepared and unfit for his adventure that it's amazing he wasn't run over by a truck or carted off the hill by an ambulance. Fortunately, his mordant wit keeps the book moving at a rapid clip. Great travel reading because it allows the couch potato in all of us to imagine that we're with him, drinking and complaining our way across France, rather than stuck on a plane or train going nowhere fast.

Funniest Tour De France book ever!

This book is a bit dated by now but it is surely a classic. Tim Moore is one of the funniest writers I've read and this epic story of his exploits in France is a real winner. Read it, you won't regret it.

A laugh out loud ride!

If you have a sense of humor and ride a bike I doubt you'll find a better book.This book is the "Walk In The Woods" of cycling.I laughed until I cried and I'm not kidding!

Very Funny, good motivator to get back out on the bike too!

I really liked Moore's writing style, and as commented by other reviewers it is similar to that of Bill Bryson. He conjures up some great, and frequently comical images with his prose. If your a cyclist, and you enjoy travel journals this is an excellent choice. I found it also helped me get back out on the bike.

a good vacation read

I recently bought this book on vacation... a little light reading. I enjoyed it for just that. It had interesting historical facts about the Tour without succombing to a history lesson. His writing style is very...British. Be aware Mr Moore describes his European neighbors and their habits in a particularly british light. Overall it was an enjoyable read.