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The Tour de France: A Cultural History
In this highly original history of the world’s most famous bicycle race, Christopher S. Thompson, mining previously neglected sources and writing with infectious enthusiasm for his subject, tells the compelling story of the Tour de France from its creation in 1903 to the present. Weaving the words of racers, politicians, Tour organizers, and a host of other commentators together with a wide-ranging analysis of the culture surrounding the event—including posters, songs, novels, films, and media coverage—Thompson links the history of the Tour to key moments and themes in French history. He argues persuasively that this hugely popular sporting event has been instrumental in French attempts to grapple with the great challenges they have confronted during their tumultuous twentieth century—from World Wars, political divisions, and class conflict to economic modernization, women’s emancipation, and threats to public health. Examining the enduring popularity of Tour racers, Thompson explores how their public images have changed over the past century. He concludes with a discussion of the longstanding practice of doping and considers the complex case of the seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.
398 pages, Hardcover
First published July 17, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 27, 2009
This is more academic than I think many people would expect or enjoy, but I really found it fascinating. The author traces the social and cultural themes of the Tour de France throughout its history, demonstrating a sophisticated analysis of the Tour as a symbol of French identity.
January 12, 2015
Excellent cultural history of my favorite sports event!
August 4, 2020
As a cyclist and one who considers the Tour de France a yearly event that I look forward to with keen anticipation and genuine excitement. Seeing the cover with one of the many historic photos (there are many!) of a dirty, sweaty exhausted cyclist doused with water by fans (probably locals) to encourage his climb gave enthusiasm for what may lie between the covers. The title is "The Tour de France" what is not to like!! Man what a shock when I opened the book at home and saw on the inner-title page .. (remember not on the book cover!!) ....."A Cultural History", and noticed the author is an university academic.Some warning signs? The few photos are great all what you would expect in a history of the Tour! Maybe I was prejudging!
Lets be fair here....this is a well written book BUT not about the subject as advertised. This is as dry as toast and in all fairness the author warns us that is a doctoral dissertation/thesis and man oh man it reads like one . A wonderful exploration in the broadest sense of French society , mainly between the wars, with the common thread of the Tour de France but it is just barely there!! The gritty insights and magical history of the annual event is 100% totally absent and only hinted at periodically.
To make things worse on the cover there is quote that again for the thousand times warns me NEVER consider anything of the promos appended to a cover.....as there are rarely accurate and for the most part could be talking about any book . Tony Judt (whoever he is!!) says : "The best history of the tour..that we have or will have" What the hell is that about?? Another social historian talking through his hat with probably little or no idea what the Tour actually means??
....please any cycling enthusiast please just pass this by in a sprint!!!
Lets be fair here....this is a well written book BUT not about the subject as advertised. This is as dry as toast and in all fairness the author warns us that is a doctoral dissertation/thesis and man oh man it reads like one . A wonderful exploration in the broadest sense of French society , mainly between the wars, with the common thread of the Tour de France but it is just barely there!! The gritty insights and magical history of the annual event is 100% totally absent and only hinted at periodically.
To make things worse on the cover there is quote that again for the thousand times warns me NEVER consider anything of the promos appended to a cover.....as there are rarely accurate and for the most part could be talking about any book . Tony Judt (whoever he is!!) says : "The best history of the tour..that we have or will have" What the hell is that about?? Another social historian talking through his hat with probably little or no idea what the Tour actually means??
....please any cycling enthusiast please just pass this by in a sprint!!!
August 5, 2021
I've read a few books about the Tour de France. Most of them are histories providing a race-by-race look at the Tour over time. Some provide more in-depth analysis of one particular race. They quickly become repetitive and uninteresting.
Not this one.
Thompson provides a terrific cultural history of the Tour. I had never really known the role the Tour plays in French culture and history. Yes, I (kind of) knew how Degranges came to start the Tour to support his newspaper. I didn't know it wasn't he who came up with the idea nor that he was in a legal battle with another sports newspaper at the time. Nor did I know the broader cultural context that arose the in the decades following the French loss of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). Clearly, my grasp of European history is weak.
I also found the role the Tour played in the modernization and industrialization of France, at least as far as workers' rights and labor conflict goes, fascinating. That and the way the Tour was used to unite a fractious nation with many independence movements afoot. And the way the Tour was used to reinforce gender roles at a time of women's emancipation efforts. And how the Tour brought drug use in sports into the spotlight (and KEPT it there).
In sum, I learned a lot from this work, much of it fascinating. He never gets bogged down in personalities, manages to avoid describing individual Tours as standalone races, and shines a light on the many ways the Tour became an integral part of French (and eventually, world) culture.
If you are interested in the Tour de France beyond its annual race statistics, this is a book you will want to read.
Not this one.
Thompson provides a terrific cultural history of the Tour. I had never really known the role the Tour plays in French culture and history. Yes, I (kind of) knew how Degranges came to start the Tour to support his newspaper. I didn't know it wasn't he who came up with the idea nor that he was in a legal battle with another sports newspaper at the time. Nor did I know the broader cultural context that arose the in the decades following the French loss of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). Clearly, my grasp of European history is weak.
I also found the role the Tour played in the modernization and industrialization of France, at least as far as workers' rights and labor conflict goes, fascinating. That and the way the Tour was used to unite a fractious nation with many independence movements afoot. And the way the Tour was used to reinforce gender roles at a time of women's emancipation efforts. And how the Tour brought drug use in sports into the spotlight (and KEPT it there).
In sum, I learned a lot from this work, much of it fascinating. He never gets bogged down in personalities, manages to avoid describing individual Tours as standalone races, and shines a light on the many ways the Tour became an integral part of French (and eventually, world) culture.
If you are interested in the Tour de France beyond its annual race statistics, this is a book you will want to read.
December 27, 2020
Full of the interesting history of the TdF, France and the bicycle. Lots on the politics (social, gender, class, doping and financial), but a bit too much detail at times. I got bored and skipped ahead more than once. Maybe because I am not a historian but I am glad I read it.
December 10, 2014
Informative, but not very enjoyable to read. You really need to be a fan of cycling to get through this.
March 26, 2011
I would've appreciated an analysis of how domestiques fit into the labor/class arguments of this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews