false 1428136 2 At the turn of the 20th century, hundreds of handsome, lightning-fast racers won the hearts and minds of a bicycling-crazed public. Scientists studied them, newspapers glorified them, and millions of dollars in purse money was awarded to them. Major Taylor aimed to be the fastest of them all. A prominent black man at a time when such a thing was deemed scandalous, his mounting victories, high moral virtue, and bulletlike riding style made him a target for ridicule from the press and sabotage by the white riders who shared the track with him.<br><br>Taylor&#8217;s most formidable and ruthless opponent&#8212;a man nicknamed the &#8220;Human Engine&#8221;&#8212;was Floyd McFarland. One man was white, one black; one from a storied Virginia family, the other descended from Kentucky slaves; one celebrated as a hero, one trying to secure his spot in a sport he dominated. The only thing they had in common was the desire to be named the fastest man alive. Their rivalry riveted first America, and then the world. Finally, in 1904, both men headed to Australia for a much-anticipated title match to decide, beyond dispute, who would claim the coveted title.<br><br><i>Major</i> is the gripping story of a superstar nobody saw coming&#8212;a classic underdog, aided by an unlikely crew: a disgraced fight promoter, a broken ex-racer, and a poor upstate girl from New York who wanted to be a queen. It is also the account of a fierce rivalry that would become an archetypal tale of white versus black in the 20th century. Most of all, it is the tale of our nation&#8217;s first black sports celebrity&#8212;a man who transcended the handicaps of race at the turn of the century to reach the stratosphere of fame. 1418629 26 2 2008 Major: A Black Athlete, a White Era, and the Fight to Be the World's Fastest Human Being total:32|5:8|4:11|3:7|2:6|1:0| 32 117 51 12 3 1 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Apr 02 10:29:55 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 02 11:41:04 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Tue Dec 16 09:17:35 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 16 09:17:41 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 23:06:00 -0700 2009 Sun Nov 01 02:58:17 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 17 21:21:10 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 07 10:02:19 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jul 03 15:37:05 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 15:39:40 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Wed Aug 20 09:18:48 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 20 09:19:49 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Fri Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu May 08 09:37:19 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 24 09:51:33 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Tue May 06 12:15:36 -0700 2008 Tue May 06 12:15:36 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 08 20:36:22 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 08 20:37:09 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Mon Sep 22 10:24:32 -0700 2008 Mon Sep 22 10:25:10 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Sun Aug 10 09:34:46 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 09:35:20 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 23 13:51:43 -0700 2008 Tue Nov 25 16:17:48 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Mon Oct 26 09:11:32 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 09:11:32 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Oct 03 06:42:39 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 03 06:42:39 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Aug 31 06:30:29 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 06:30:29 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Aug 04 22:33:42 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 04 22:33:42 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Tue Sep 01 09:51:04 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 12:17:33 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 09:51:04 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 17 17:04:49 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 17:04:49 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri Jul 10 17:44:37 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 10 17:44:44 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Aug 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 16 22:45:51 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 21:02:17 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1428136