Customer Reviews

Lance Armstrong: Images of a Champion

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Lance Armstrong: Images of a Champion is squarely aimed at the growing market niche made up of die-hard Lance Armstrong fans, and if you count yourself in that crowd it's hard to imagine you won't be thrilled by what this well-made volume has to offer.

But if you are more of a general cycling fan -- as I am -- then chances are you'll decide that this collaboration between Mr. Armstrong and Graham Watson, cycling's photographer of record, is a bit too much of a good thing, a level of hero worship that borders on awkwardness.

That said, Mr. Watson's photography is as always excellent and even if the level of detail in the text doesn't rival that of Mr. Armstrong's two autobiographies (It's Not About the Bike and Every Second Counts) it is really more of a commentary than a narrative, and that saves it from being redundant to the other efforts.

The book has an undercurrent about specialization as a factor of Mr. Armstrong's success -- the same level of specialization that resulted in the book itself.

While Mr. Armstrong's legacy as one of cycling's greatest champions is secure, history may also remember him as the man who proved once and for all the value of focusing on one big race each year rather than simply trying to achieve a good level of fitness and then racing as often as possible, as most previous champions did.

This book is just as specialized: it's not about it's not about a sport, or an event, or a team, or a race. It's not even about a man and all the dimensions that implies. It's about a great cyclist. Now, is that good or bad? The way you answer that question will determine whether or not you should buy this book.

The following is a well written review that appeared in cyclingnews dot com:

Lance Armstrong: Images of a champion
by Graham Watson & Lance Armstrong
Reviewed by John Stevenson

Essential reading for Lanceaholics
Lance Armstrong: Images of a champion combines over 250 of Graham Watson's images of the five-time Tour winner with commentary by the Boss himself on the progress of his long and varied career.

For readers of English-language cycling magazines, Graham Watson is their eyes at the world's biggest bike races. Ever since he took his first major race photos, of Eddy Merckx riding his final Tour in 1977, Watson has brought his clarity of composition and ability to capture the moment to every major race on the calendar.

Not surprisingly, then, he has a rather massive collection of images of Lance Armstrong - and not just of the lean, post-cancer stage race specialist Lance Armstrong, but also of the earlier, brash young rider who won the world championships at just 21 and had, it's fair to say, a rep as being, in his own word, a bit "impetuous".

Lance Armstrong: Images of a champion is laid out in chronological order so it starts with images of that almost-forgotten incarnation of Armstrong. Armstrong's commentary on his early days with Motorola covers his victory at the world's and his burning desire to win the one-day Classics, and interestingly a name keeps cropping up: Viatcheslav Ekimov. Writing about his second place in the Zurich world cup in 1992, Armstrong says, "I'd gone into the Swiss race believing the course wasn't as hard as people said, that the entire opposition was no better than me, and that therefore I had a chance to win. As it turned out, a great Russian cyclist was more clever than me - Viatcheslav Ekimov." After his early-career tussles with Ekimov, it's no surprise that the Russian is now a valued lieutenant on US Postal.

As well as Armstrong's commentary and captions on Watson's fine pictures, there are tributes from Miguel Indurain, Johan Bruyneel, and Eddy Merckx among others. As in Armstrong's own commentary what comes across in these comments is the man's total determination to win, self-belief and utter disappointment when he loses. As losing is what usually happens to bike racers, even ones as talented as Armstrong, Watson has captured plenty of the less-great moments in Armstrong's career as well as the triumphs.

Of course the bulk of the book comes from the period 1999-2003, chronicling Armstrong's five Tour victories, the preparation that went into them, and the incidents along the route from left-field surprise winner in 1999 to marked man battling just about everything a bike race can throw at you in 2003. Armstrong admits the huge difference between his dominant performance in 2002 and struggles in 2003, and Watson's images show a marked contrast between the confident, smiling Armstrong of 2002 and the worried man of the following year.

Of the difference between those races, Armstrong writes, "2002 was a Tour with little or no mishap at all, 2003 was like a battlefield each and every day - and I was the main target. In hindsight it is hard to know whether I was lucky to make Paris at all or unlucky to have so much get in my way." Watson's images perfectly capture everything that got in Armstrong's way, including his astonishing crash and recovery on the Col du Tourmalet.

Watson says he and Armstrong had to choose from over 1000 pictures, initially selecting 400, then whittling it down to 300 and letting the book's designer choose the final 250 or so that comprise the book. Was it worth it? It's hard to imagine a Lance fan who won't want a copy of this book on his or her coffee table, and even if you're not a died-in-the-wool Lanceaholic, this is a rare and fascinating look at the way a top rider develops both mentally and physically.

The image one sees of Lance Armstrong is that him bent over the handlebars, sunglasses, and streamlined helmet. Within the 208 pages of this book there are a hundred or more pictures of him hunched over the handlebars, but another hundred or more covering every aspect of how Lance races. These are spactacular photographs that capture not only the thrill of success, but the pain of struggling up a long hard climb.

With the photographs are tributes from the people who know him best, business partners, family, his manager and fellow cyclists, coaches and other insiders in the cycling world who know him personally and professionally.

This book brings the race and the champion together in a way I've never seen before. It certainly presents a more complete story than the short notes put on by television companies.

Yeah, I guess the mark of a true champion (Greg LeMond??) is dumping on the reigning champion of the sport because he has won twice as many tours as you did. I guess the mark of a true champion is making unsubstantiated allegations about drug use to further your own financial objectives and to try to prop up your own fragile ego. If Greg believes that Lance couldn't have done what he did without drugs, then Greg must be admitting that he couldn't have either. Greg LeMond, a champion? NOT!

Lance is nothing if not a true champion. He is one of the most dedicated, hard working, team oriented people in the sport. Lance takes great care in choosing, mentoring and developing his teammates, and in nearly every interview I've seen, he gives his team a large share of the credit for his success. He knows he can't win without his team, and so he builds the world's best cycling team, year after year. But in the end, the team supports the man, but the man has to do the rest. Look at the struggles that Roberto Heras has had in leading his own teams after leaving Lance's, or the struggles that Jan Ullrich or Tyler Hamilton have had in hanging on to his wheel. Yes, this is a team sport, no doubt, and without a great team, you can't win. But even with a great team, you can't win if you aren't up to the challenge.

Lance has overcome unspeakable obstacles to get where he is, and has worked harder than any man in the sport to reach this level of success. I think this book is a fitting tribute to a true champion, who is not only an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of cyclists around the world, but an even greater number cancer patients and their families. Perhaps it's trendy to take cheap shots at whoever is in the limelight. But perhaps we shouldn't just stand back and accept it. Petty jealousy can't tarnish the record of a true champion, and certainly can't improve the standing of a has-been.

If you are like me and believe that there is still such a thing as just rewards for hard work, teamwork and perseverance, buy this book, and be inspired for years to come. If not, don't.

"Lance is convinced had he never had cancer he may never have won the oldest, longest, and hardest bicycle race on earth." says Linda Armstrong Kelly, Lance Armstrong's mother.

In the book "Lance Armstrong: Images of a Champion" by Lance Armstrong, photographs by Graham Watson and forward by Robin Williams, we are given a first hand glimpse into the past twelve years of Lance Armstrong's life: his will to win and his will to live! This is a book with the most marvelous photographs, intimate photos of Lance, his family, his team and his colleagues in the Tour. Graham Watson first met Lance in 1992 and has been taking his pictures since that time. He truly understands what it takes to become a champion because he has followed Lance through out his races and challenges. This book has chapters broken up into years of the Tour and other races. The important people in Lance's life have a chance to speak on the written page, and we get to know him a little better. The book is dedicated to Jim Ochowicz, (OCH) his first team director. Those people who know Lance the best have written their memories of meeting him and how he has affected their lives.

Lance discusses the year 1996, when he discovered he had testicular cancer- his chemotherapy and resultant weight loss that actually helped in his quest to become a great bicycle racer. In 1998 he decided to start the Lance Armstrong Foundation for Cancer. He has raised millions of dollars to assist in cancer research and to help those recover from cancer.
A highlight is the new yellow LIVE STRONG wrist bands that the LA Foundation sells to raise money.

This is a beautiful book that highlights Lance Armstrong's career in photographs and words. For everyone who considers Lance Armstrong a hero and best athlete in the world, this is the book for you. Highly recommended. prisrob

If your like me and like Lance and want a momento, buy the book.
Its well worth the money; has lots of photo's you've probably never seen, each photo is captioned, and the book is also sprinkled with insights from Lance and his cycling hero's, mentor's and associates.
Its not light and just cobbled together, its well rounded, insightful and visually rich.
Its a book about Lance on a bike, and I love it.

A fascinating book with wonderful photos. The negative reviews are from people who judge Lance's private life and may not have even read this wonderful book. If you are a Lance and/or Tour de France fan and you're visual, you'll love this book. Lance Armstrong is a champion as was Greg LeMond. These are athletes raising the bar and bringing us into a world we mightn't known without them. Viva la Lance. The prose tells one story, the photos speak volumes.

If you want to know more about Lance, you should read this book. It shows what Lance Armstrong is really made of and why we appreciate him.

This is a stunning visual of Lance Armstrong, from his early career to the height of his "reign". It is worth every penny to get this if you are any kind of fan of cycling.

This book is really a must have for any Armstrong fan. In this book he recalls his cycling career from 1992 up to 2003 where he won is 5th Tour De France placing him on cycling's hall of fame with the other 5 time winners. Loaded with lots of his photos in action I give this book a two thumbs up! Viva Le Lance!!!!