Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson (William Fotheringham)

William Fotheringham
Put Me Back on My Bike: In Search of Tom Simpson

Written by a well respected sports journalist, and one time racing cyclist, this excellent account of Tom Simpson's life, and more particularly death, covers all aspects. Tom Simpson died in 1967 climbing the infamous Ventoux a standalone mountain in Provence, France. He collapsed on his bike with exhaustion and heart failure and made headlines not just because of his death but as he was the greatest British cyclist up until that time, and for many years afterwards. Tom's life is accounted obviously focussing on his rise as a cyclist being one of the first Brits to make the move to the continent and rose to the heights of World Road Race Champion, all the Classics that he won and Tour de France placings. Also the life of a professional cyclist which back then relied heavily on soigneurs who were masseurs, trainers and all round health advisers. Although the idea of what was healthy for elite athletes back in the late 60s is very very different to now. For instance, not to drink too much water when you are very hot. And of course there were the drugs which at the time were perfectly legal to take, at least from a cycling perspective, so to be able to endure the very physical lifestyle, uppers and downers plus brandy were common across the peloton. Simpson is seen as a victim of taking amphetamines and then riding up the extremely hot Ventoux. But Fotheringham goes into a lot more detail than that including Tom's health in the days immediately before the climb. A comprehensive story with a lot of investigation. A sideline is the issue of doping up until the book's publication date of 2002... the Festina affair had broken in the late 90s and Fotheringham name checks Lance Armstrong as an elite rider from outside Europe (back in the 60s there were a handful of Brits and no one else outside of Europe) but before the strong rumours about Armstrong's doping and subsequent disgrace and having his medals stripped. The book has been updated so I assume that that is covered in the newer editions. One of the better sporting biographies.

The Monsters of Templeton (Lauren Groff)

Lauren Groff
The Monsters of Templeton 

A novel that I picked up from The Strand bookseller's kiosk outlet in Central Park whilst in New York. Picked up on a whim as it's set in New York... I should have looked closer as it's NY state not NYC. Nevertheless, a very readable story which keeps you gripped. A bit of a who done it mystery although not a murder mystery but a fatherhood mystery although having said that there is a murder mystery towards the end. So much more than that as the main character is going through a very difficult time and her relationships with friends, mother and ex school colleagues who she meets up with again on returning to the small town in NY state. The "monsters" are certain people in her ancestry which goes back to the founder of the city. A curious addition is that a large benign "monster" is found dead on the town's lake and for which there is no known equivalent. It's had stories about it for centuries but most thought these were simply tales and not true. An interesting tale especially as picked up at random.

A Shepherd's Life (W. H. Hudson)

W. H. Hudson
A Shepherd's Life

A description of life in Wiltshire at the end of the 19th century mainly on Salisbury Plain by someone born and raised in rural Argentina who came to England as an adult and found the solitude and disappearing farming ways he was used to back home. Well, nearly. Interesting anecdotes about the people, wildlife and farming focussing on one old shepherd's life stories. A way of life that has passed into time, at least in the UK. I bought it as mentioned in the book In Pursuit of Spring and mentioned around Shrewton where my brother lives. Interesting.

Fire in Babylon (Simon Lister)

Simon Lister
Fire in Babylon: How the West Indies Cricket Team Brought a People to its Feet



Firstly, this is a book written after the film was made using the material from the film maker and additional by the book author. It's a fascinating account of the West Indies cricket team from the start of the 1900s up until Viv Richards resigned the captaincy in the early 1990s. From that time the team changed from being white men only to being captained by black men. It's a story of perseverance in the context of a white cricketing establishment, both in the WI and elsewhere, making out that the WIndies were happy go lucky chancers without any real strategy and once having to accept that they could only be so dominant from the late 70s onwards by being strategic and extremely hard working they were then accused of playing dangerously due to their fast bowlers and delivery of bouncers. Whilst all this was within the rules of the game they were still lambasted for not playing cricket, so to speak. Of course all this was rubbish as the WIndies batsmen were all used to fast bowling as that's what made the cut in the West Indies islands.

The book relates the rise of the WIndies dominance in the context of colonialism and the move of the West Indian islands from colonies to independent states. The friction between the various island countries is also documented as is the experience of West Indians emigrating to Britain and the racism that they encountered. The book suggests that the success of the WIndies did a lot to gain respect and confidence for those in the UK as well as those back in the Caribbean. 

A very readable book with a good mix of sport, personal commitment and social commentary. And challenges. I saw the West Indies at the Oval in the late 80s and it was the most raucous day I've spent there with a very vocal West Indian crowd celebrating the last test of a winning series with Viv Richards being their adored captain. I'd seen Viv at my local cricket club Lansdown CC where I grew up and where Viv played before he started his magnificent career with Somerset and Ian Botham. He lodged for a while with my mate Jon Bees' family and my brother Duncan bowled against him when Viv came back for a charity match. Duncan didn't tell me how far he hit him but I know that at one point he was asked not to hit the ball so high as it kept clearing the high wire fence between the ground and the Royal United Hospital and they were concerned for their patients. Lansdown CC is now 200 years old and Viv Richards is perhaps it's most famous player... alongside W.G. Grace (and his brother E.M.) who played for them a century before Viv.

And just for Jon... a couple of mentions of his dad...

https://www.lansdowncricketclub.co.uk/news/on-his-birthday-memories-of-sir-iva-richards-at-combe-park-2687626.html

https://www.espn.co.uk/cricket/story/_/id/22518508/rubbing-shoulders-giants