Cafe Bookshelf

Climbers, by Peter Cossins

By Feargal McKay Aug 5, 2022, 10:00am EDT

Cafe Bookshelf

God is Dead, by Andy McGrath

A biography of Frank Vandenbroucke, winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1999

By Feargal McKay May 4, 2022, 8:00am EDT

Cafe Bookshelf

End to End, by Paul Jones

A history of the Lands End to John o’Groats record

By Feargal McKay Apr 29, 2022, 3:00pm EDT

Cafe Bookshelf

Cycling Novels – Beyond HG Wells and Tim Krabbé

By Feargal McKay December 14, 2019

Mythologies: Assassins of the Aubisque!

The 1910 Tour has given rise to no end of nonsense, not least the claim that Octave Lapize called the race organisers assassins as he crossed the Col d’Aubisuqe an hour behind schedule + 15 minutes behind a nobody.

By Feargal McKay July 4

Mythologies: Alphonse Steinès and the Invention of the Pyrénées

By Feargal McKay March 20

Mythologies: Major Taylor, Henri Desgrange and a Wheelbarrow Full of Centimes

By Feargal McKay January 9

When Josephine Baker Sprinkled Her Stardust on the Tour de France

From 1933 to 1938 the American star of the Jazz Age played a role in the Tour’s grand départ and in doing so helped reshape the Tour for a new audience.

By Feargal McKay October 14, 2021

Revolutionary Times – The Birth of the Women’s Hour Record

By Feargal McKay September 11, 2018

The First Hours - The Hour Record Before Henri Desgrange

A brief history of the Hour record before it was reinvented by Henri Desgrange

By Feargal McKay August 22, 2018

The Penny Hour - The Last Hour Record Set On A High-Wheeled Bicycle

By Feargal McKay January 30, 2018

Dirty Feet, by Les Woodland

A brief history of the Tour de France from the veteran cycling historian Les Woodland

By Feargal McKay December 13, 2021

Raincoats are for Tourists, by Isabel Best

By Feargal McKay December 23, 2021