Currently Reading

[Man_called_sun]

[Carlos J]

Too many no brainer cheap thrillers for the last few months. Back to old Lance again. Just up to where Lance took his tumble. Great investigative journalism as per and a man obsessed and right. Based on the film amd most known, but still a great read:

[carcinogen]

Love it. Plus you can read each chapter independently if you want. I'm currently on CH 2, dealing with a brain aneurysm ....

Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery

Why has no one ever written a book like this before? It simply tells the stories, with great tenderness, insight and self-doubt, of a phenomenal neurosurgeon who has been at the height of his specialism for decades and now has chosen, with retirement looming, to write an honest book. _ Euan Ferguson (Guardian).

[tennisman]

Too many no brainer cheap thrillers for the last few months. Back to old Lance again. Just up to where Lance took his tumble. Great investigative journalism as per and a man obsessed and right. Based on the film amd most known, but still a great read:

A terrific read, Carlos.

Tyler Hamilton's book is a good one too.

is Walsh now girding his loins to go after Sky and Wiggins, I wonder after hearing him make some comments a few weeks back?

[Carlos J]

Too many no brainer cheap thrillers for the last few months. Back to old Lance again. Just up to where Lance took his tumble. Great investigative journalism as per and a man obsessed and right. Based on the film amd most known, but still a great read:

A terrific read, Carlos.

Tyler Hamilton's book is a good one too.

is Walsh now girding his loins to go after Sky and Wiggins, I wonder after hearing him make some comments a few weeks back?

Not sure how much I would trust Hamilton, and any other dopers biogs though, but may well read, tennis.

Walsh after Wiggins and Brailsford would be massive. Brailsford's Mr Wiki has no mention of the Parliamentary Committees. Not sure Waksh has the heart. He played a very long game with Armstrong, not always likely to win, sure bask in his limited fame now.

Hopefully, in the fetid and lacklustre meeja, there might be someone else there to fight the good fight.

Hey, Michael Calvin or Matthew Syed?

[tennisman]

Too many no brainer cheap thrillers for the last few months. Back to old Lance again. Just up to where Lance took his tumble. Great investigative journalism as per and a man obsessed and right. Based on the film amd most known, but still a great read:

A terrific read, Carlos.

Tyler Hamilton's book is a good one too.

is Walsh now girding his loins to go after Sky and Wiggins, I wonder after hearing him make some comments a few weeks back?

Not sure how much I would trust Hamilton, and any other dopers biogs though, but may well read, tennis.

Walsh after Wiggins and Brailsford would be massive. Brailsford's Mr Wiki has no mention of the Parliamentary Committees. Not sure Waksh has the heart. He played a very long game with Armstrong, not always likely to win, sure bask in his limited fame now.

Hopefully, in the fetid and lacklustre meeja, there might be someone else there to fight the good fight.

Hey, Michael Calvin or Matthew Syed?

Hushed tones or lots of mid atlantic dawl!!!

Got the sense for Hamilton's book that he was telling the truth about his descent into taking EPO etc. It wasn't a book about denial but one of revealing the truth - well that was my take on it. He talks about the rationael that riders used (use???) to justify to themselves their decision to cheat.

Only mentioned Walsh and Sky as I heard him talking about them in the same way he talked about Armstrong. But yes, it may be too big a mountain to climb.

[Carlos J]

You have tempted me, tennisman. 1p and the usual £2.80 postage, so bought it. Ha and on a whim also bought Landis'. Great reviews:

This book is an interesting read and should be of interest to anyone who is interested in drugs in sport. Some of the background detail is good and shows up some of the politics involved in the sport. However, the basic premise is that he never cheated, and here we are delving into a fantasy land that most drug cheats seem to live. If resent events re other 'innocent' and 'victimised' athletes are to show anything then we should believe the evidence more often than cries of innocent, no matter how well written.

This is a an exceptionally interesting book. History tells us it is a complete pack of lies, so once you know the truth that has come out in recent years, this books makes for an interesting snapshot in time.

It comes across like a badly written script for a hollywood blockbuster. In hindsight that is not surprising, given it was not exactly an honest account of events.

Coming soon from Mr Amazon.

BTW, did you see my post here: http://talkforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... 0#p1040636 Got these two ready to read as well.

[tennisman]

You have tempted me, tennisman. 1p and the usual £2.80 postage, so bought it. Ha and on a whim also bought Landis'. Great reviews:

This book is an interesting read and should be of interest to anyone who is interested in drugs in sport. Some of the background detail is good and shows up some of the politics involved in the sport. However, the basic premise is that he never cheated, and here we are delving into a fantasy land that most drug cheats seem to live. If resent events re other 'innocent' and 'victimised' athletes are to show anything then we should believe the evidence more often than cries of innocent, no matter how well written.

This is a an exceptionally interesting book. History tells us it is a complete pack of lies, so once you know the truth that has come out in recent years, this books makes for an interesting snapshot in time.

It comes across like a badly written script for a hollywood blockbuster. In hindsight that is not surprising, given it was not exactly an honest account of events.

Coming soon from Mr Amazon.

BTW, did you see my post here: http://talkforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... 0#p1040636 Got these two ready to read as well.

Good stuff, Carlos.

Let us know what you think.

[Carlos J]

Good stuff, Carlos.

Let us know what you think.

Tennisman. Postie brought Landis and Hamilton's books today. Currently reading another charity shop detective 50p special, Jo Nesbø 'The Redeemer'. Never heard of him before. A big 500+ pager, a fifth through, still building up, could be tighter, but enough interest to perservere, though always perservere. Will always finish a book, though as per Kundera's 'Immortality' defeated me. But a combination of circumstances and still will finish when time.

Anyway, so after Nesbø, probably next week, will do Hamilton, then Landis. Do you know or have you read the two I linked to? They're next on the list.

[tennisman]

Good stuff, Carlos.

Let us know what you think.

Tennisman. Postie brought Landis and Hamilton's books today. Currently reading another charity shop detective 50p special, Jo Nesbø 'The Redeemer'. Never heard of him before. A big 500+ pager, a fifth through, still building up, could be tighter, but enough interest to perservere, though always perservere. Will always finish a book, though as per Kundera's 'Immortality' defeated me. But a combination of circumstances and still will finish when time.

Anyway, so after Nesbø, probably next week, will do Hamilton, then Landis. Do you know or have you read the two I linked to? They're next on the list.

Carlos, I LOVE Nesbo's books. Think the Redeemer is a Harry Hole one - brilliant.

[Carlos J]

Yeah, it is Harry Hole, tennis. Never heard of Nesbø before. According to Mr Wiki, the 6th of 10, though another one coming this year.

As per, will keep along, subplots aplenty and anouther 400 odd pages to go.

[Reg]

A grim and sobering read.

An absolutely appalling true story of the persistent persecution, beating, torture and probable murder by two senior police officers of a mentally ill homeless man. As well as the usual police beatings, which were particularly brutal in this case, he was also pissed on while sleeping in a shop doorway by one of the officers. Another time they set fire to the newspapers he was sleeping on to try to keep warm.

The title refers to the charge sheets (he was usually arrested after the beatings) in which his nationality was entered as "wog".

As one who once lived in Leeds, it was fascinating to read the account of the way the city was formed and organised into a self-contained and closely knit governing class of councillors, businessmen, magistrates and police that was accountable to no one but themselves, which resulted in conditions where this sort of thing could go on.

(David Peace fictionalised this set-up in his early novels.)

[Carlos J]

Fuck that looks grim, Reg. Will get it to read.

[Man_called_sun]

[Carlos J]

Too many no brainer cheap thrillers for the last few months. Back to old Lance again. Just up to where Lance took his tumble. Great investigative journalism as per and a man obsessed and right. Based on the film amd most known, but still a great read:

A terrific read, Carlos.

Tyler Hamilton's book is a good one too.

is Walsh now girding his loins to go after Sky and Wiggins, I wonder after hearing him make some comments a few weeks back?

Not sure how much I would trust Hamilton, and any other dopers biogs though, but may well read, tennis.

Walsh after Wiggins and Brailsford would be massive. Brailsford's Mr Wiki has no mention of the Parliamentary Committees. Not sure Waksh has the heart. He played a very long game with Armstrong, not always likely to win, sure bask in his limited fame now.

Hopefully, in the fetid and lacklustre meeja, there might be someone else there to fight the good fight.

Hey, Michael Calvin or Matthew Syed?

Hushed tones or lots of mid atlantic dawl!!!

Got the sense for Hamilton's book that he was telling the truth about his descent into taking EPO etc. It wasn't a book about denial but one of revealing the truth - well that was my take on it. He talks about the rationael that riders used (use???) to justify to themselves their decision to cheat.

Only mentioned Walsh and Sky as I heard him talking about them in the same way he talked about Armstrong. But yes, it may be too big a mountain to climb.

Tennisman. Finished 'The Redeemer' and did enjoy it. As per, it pans out a lots but all strands tied up, without the need of other thriller writers to have page after page of gung ho action. Possibly a more cerebral thriller, would certainly read more if see them on my charity shop travels.

And then lo, Did Hamilton's and Landis' books in two days. Both interesting but also difficult to read as knowing so many other facts. Hamilton, I agree with you, he seems to want to clear and cleanse his soul admitting to everything and as you say and as Lance did, if you didn't dope, you'd have no chance so do or get fucked. Also, the loss of innocence from the child eyed wonder of wanting to just ride and ride to realising it was all a great sham seemed to affect him. Armstrong was probably once the same, but far more sociopathic in outlook, with me or agin me and if agin me, I'll destroy you.

My edition had an epilogue after Lance on Oprah and good to see some vindication for Hamilton. Came across as quite a sincere guy and good luck to him. A Carlos 8/10 and worthy William Hill winner.

Landis' was totally different. Written in 2007 after his suspension and leading up to his USADA case, again knowing more didn't help. But reading it, you could get swallowed up in the rags to riches Mennonite boy who just wanted to ride and was damned good at it and with a fucked hip. But a tad too much naïveté and fantasy when saying he saw and heard barely nothing about doping in the peloton.

But reading his vitriol towards UCI and McQuaid, WADA and Dick Pound and USADA in their presentation of their case, coupled with his lawyers and medical experts' findings on his case, you sort sort of want him to succeed. Lots seemed suspect and flaky on the evidence front. UCI came across as a bunch of self-interesting cunts, USADAs interpration of the process of justice seemed flimsy.

But there it finished, and we know USADA ruled 2-1 against him, upheld by CAS and he later admitted doping. Equally fascinating read, can only echo reviews I posted above about how it fits in historical context. A Carlos 7/10.