Dancing on the Pedals: The Found Poetry of Phil Liggett, The Voice of Cycling [Paperback]

Phil Liggett (Author), Doug Donaldson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

He’s dancing on his pedals
In a most immodest way.
—Tour de France, 1989

In the tradition of Phil Rizzuto’s O Holy Cow!, this is a lighthearted, ironic arrangement into verse form of Phil Liggett’s florid, enthusiastic narrations of cycling’s greatest races. Anyone who has ever watched the Tour de France on TV knows Phil, and his flights of rhetorical brilliance are legion. Bicycling Magazine writes, “His voice defines the sport the way Howard Cosell’s did for boxing and football.” Astonishingly poetic and intelligent, Phil Liggett’s narrations lend themselves perfectly to this found poetry approach.

Bill Strickland is executive editor of Bicycling Magazine and the author of The Quotable Cyclist.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Phil Liggett is the premier announcer in the world of professional cycling. Bill Strickland is Executive Editor of Bicycling Magazine, and the editor of The Quotable Cyclist (Breakaway Books).

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Breakaway Books (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891369555
• ISBN-13: 978-1891369551
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a very nice dance indeed, June 27, 2005

By 

steve frank (indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dancing on the Pedals: The Found Poetry of Phil Liggett, The Voice of Cycling (Paperback)

This book, a tribute to the dean of Tour de France broadcasters, Phil Liggett, is a genuine find. Donaldson has taken 30 years' worth of Liggett's Tour de France calls and recast them into more than 200 poems of varying lengths. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Liggett himself has a natural gift for rhythm and metaphor, as well as a wide-angle style of commentary that has always made TDF seem so much larger than a mere athletic event. In Liggett's world, and thus Donaldson's poems, cyclists become kings and jokers, conquerors and the conquered, and/or any number of other stages in between. The book's title, by the way, comes from a classic Liggett moment: Watching a cyclist climb a peak during the 1989 event, the broadcaster observed, "He's dancing on the pedals in a most immodest way."

Some of the poems pack a surprising punch in a very few lines, all the more so for anyone who has ever climbed on a bicycle seat for any event requiring endurance. In this category is one titled "Contender": "He is settling in./He is recovering./And he will kick in." Or there's this one, "Inferno," which reminded me of the John Berryman poetry I read in college: "There's our friend/the devil/who's joined us/the past few days." Among the longer poems, I particularly liked "World of Hurt," one of a number of tributes to Greg LeMond. Donaldson also uses typography and phrasing to amplify the meaning and impact of the individual poems. (Check out "Come to Paris." It'll make you smile.) Finally, embedded between the lines of the poems is a succinct history of TDF, sure to evoke nostalgic feelings in any true fan.

Overall, for anyone who's into cycling, sportscasting genius, or poetry itself, Dancing is a very nice read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phil Liggett Live, January 3, 2007

By 

E. W. Wilkes (NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dancing on the Pedals: The Found Poetry of Phil Liggett, The Voice of Cycling (Paperback)

This is a great bedside version of Phil at the Tour. You can hear his voice as you read his "poetry"! Great gift for the Phil/Tour de France fans of the world.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any fan of Phil will love this, April 8, 2010

By 

napenda chapati - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dancing on the Pedals: The Found Poetry of Phil Liggett, The Voice of Cycling (Paperback)

My girlfriend bought this for me after her first TDF watching experience was punctuated with me yelling my favorite Ligget lines at the TV in a terrible british accent. I always felt like Phil's commentary somehow transcended the word of cycling and hit a higher note, so to speak, and this book exemplifies that. A great book for any cycling fan!