Armstrong Encore is the best cycling book I have ever read. It does not insult the cyclist intelligence like most other cycling books I have read. It gives in-depth information of day-by-day following the 2000 Tour. It give explainations and insight that can only come from the pro's themselves. This kind of coverage is not found on TV or videos.

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I've read many books about cycling races over the years and this has to be about the best. excellent in-depth coverage of Lance Armstrong and the US Postal squad as they attempt to repeat their previous year's victory. I could hardly put it down. in fact I'm already reading it for the second time.

I do recommend the book. The first part was kind of boring but when it gets into the tour itself that's when the emotional part starts. Wilcockson and Pelkey do an excellent job bringing the excitement of the tour to the reader. They are the anchormen, narrating the action. But the fact that we also have Andreu's diary pages there too, that gives us the action from a participant point of view. Tons of useful information, a lot of interesting details. If you like biking, this is the book for you. On the other hand, if you cannot tell the difference between a 55 and an 11 you better get something else to read.

Honestly, this is one of the finest non-fiction cycling books on the Tour de France that one could own. While the photographic clarity is outstanding, the foldout "in-scale" maps are supurb. Authorship is genuine, descriptive, and insightful. A must for any library!

This book provides the reader with a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes operation of one of the World`s major sporting events,the TOUR DE FRANCE,and also the miraculous comeback from cancer by Lance Armstrong. It is presented in a straightforward,easy to read style,a characteristic of author,John Wilcockson`s writing manner,and I personally found it very hard to put down.(I read it in 2 days!) The daily stage entries by Frankie Andreu are always humorous,as in the previous year`s CONQUESTS & CRISES(The 1998 T de F) and provide a light-hearted alternative to the darker side of a currently,much-maligned sport. Another of John Wilcockson`s books I would thoroughly recommend to any cycling enthusiast is, WORLD OF CYCLING. A 30 year retrospective of Velonews stories. All three of the above-mentioned books get a 5 star rating from me.

Velo Press during the Tour de France runs an on-line ticker for each stage, which is quite good for those who do not have access to live television coverage. This book consists mostly of snippets of that on-line ticker and gives a very fragmented feel to the reader. After a while it grows tiresome to read of Mr. Noname making a break or covering a break. There is just a whole lot more to the Tour than an endless recitation of obscure names as they jockey for position throughout a six hour stage. A far more interesting angle would be to explain how so-called domestiques do so well in so many of the stages. What are differences between them and the favorites?

I would have expected an insiders book on the Tour de France to supply the reader with far more technical information as well as explanations of the rigors, demands and behaviors affecting the participants. What are typical meals? How can so many calories be consumed without causing complications? How is hydration maintained? How can a rider survive over 2,000 miles on a bike in three weeks? What special measures are taken. How does a rider not feel good on a ride yet continue at a level that would amaze even a good amateur cyclist? What does it mean to "have good legs"? What are the riding styles - in saddle or out? What gearing is used? What manufacturers equipment is used? There was a brief section on time-trial bikes in the book. How can a cyclist scream down mountain stages at 60-70 mph? Most good cyclists would not survive even one such descent.

Few books are written on professional bicycling racing, but the Tour de France does pique general interest. Here is a chance to explain the real world of cycling: its difficulties, complications, and requirements. Put the race coverage in the context of a broader view. Did the winners somehow cope with all of that better or is there another explanation? This book seems to have been written exclusively for the small world of elite cyclists who know all about professional cycling if not the actual participants. If that is the objective, label the next book "For elite cyclists only."

This edition by Penguin contains the full-length Sherlock Holmes novel THE VALLEY OF FEAR along with selected short stories from THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES and HIS LAST BOW. THE VALLEY OF FEAR was written after Conan Doyle killed off Holmes in 1892, but is set before Holmes' disappearance at the Reichenbach Falls. THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES opens with a story that shows that Holmes didn't die in his struggle with Professor Moriarty after all.

These stories show a decline in Conan Doyle's writing. As Iain Pears wrote in the introduction to another Penguin edition of Holmes stories, in the latter half of his life Conan Doyle turned to mysticism and spiritualism and was increasingly unable to portray the cold rationalism of Sherlock Holmes. Many of the stories lack motivation. The story HIS LAST BOW, which is final story in the canon according to Holmesian time, is a poorly-plotted bit of propaganda for England in World War I.

There are footnotes to each story, compiled by Ed Glinert. An expert on literature set in London, Glinert explains the geographical settings of the Holmes stories, and defines anachronistic terms that are no longer use. He also points out the mistakes Arthur Conan Doyle frequently made in his stories, which are often quite amusing (contradicting timelines, Conan Doyles' incomplete understanding of obscure sciencs, etc).

Because of the illuminating introduction and the helpful footnotes, I'd recommend over any others this edition of THE VALLEY OF FEAR AND SELECTED CASES