Customer Reviews

A Season in Turmoil

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Abt's writing comes from the heart of a true cycling fan. I read this book again recently and it has gotten more interesting with the recent developments in pro cycling. Armstrong hints that there's doping in the peloton (in 1994), there's a chapter on Julich's early career, and other personal stories you don't hear about in the magazines.

Recommended to all cyclists. It would be an interesting intro to the world of pro road racing.

There are not many boooks dedicated to the sport of cycling that give a real picture of the professional cycling world. Samuel Abt has crafted an excellent account of the end of an incredible career, and the beginning of another. This book was written before Lance Armstrong's battle with cancer and his triumphant return to dominate the Tour De France. That makes reading the book all the more satisfying and answers many questions about Lance's potential. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the book is that Abt's love of the sport and admiration for the riders is conveyed through every page. The prologue is a poetic and moving passage that should be read by every competitive cyclist. It is the perfect introduction to the story that now can be seen as a prophecy. For the cyclist, or the new fan of America's greatest cyclist; A Season in Turmoil is an excellent introduction to the world of competitive cycling.

Samuel Abt writes with great insight about the twilight of Greg LeMond's career and the early successes of Lance Armstrong's. His access to first-hand sources and knowledge of the sport is excellent.

Unfortunately, awful editing, including repeated sentences and paragraphs, detract significantly from the reading of a book that is short enough to have been easily cleaned up. These errors make the book difficult to read without wondering if the pages were printed in the proper order.

This is a great book for someone who has followed Greg and Lance over the years. There is a great deal of insight into both riders. A good portion of the book is about Greg and his winding-down career. The author tends to skip around a lot which made reading a bit difficult. If you are a cyclist, this should be in your bookshelf.

It's simple. If you don't like bicycling, don't bother. If you do, there can be no better choice than Samuel Abt. Any of his books will do.