Great reviews, Carlos.Carlos J wrote: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.tennisman wrote:Hushed tones or lots of mid atlantic dawl!!!Carlos J wrote:Not sure how much I would trust Hamilton, and any other dopers biogs though, but may well read, tennis.tennisman wrote:A terrific read, Carlos.Carlos J wrote: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:
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?
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?
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.
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.
Those of us who were amateurs may always have dreamt of being pros in our chosen sports but what comes across in book after book written by pros that I've read is that it's never what you dreamt it would be for so many reasons.
It's almost the case of enjoying the fantasy of the dream against the reality where often the constant fear of failure, the need to generate more money / another contract to pay the bills makes the dynamic completely different to the party / cake walk / ideal life which we might have imagined it to be as kids.