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Home > Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion
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Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion
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By John Wilcockson
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 (29 Reviews)
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Publisher:
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Da Capo Press
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Hardcover
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Pages:
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416
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No champion has astonished the world quite like Lance Armstrong. A cancer survivor who went on to win the Tour de France an unprecedented seven times, he is an inspiration to millions. Yet few know the complete story of this brash, smart, and fiercely competitive Texan who battled to the top of his sport, overcame the most rampant case of testicular cancer doctors had seen, and then conquered cycling?s Holy Grail time after time. In Lance: The Making of the World?s Greatest Champion, John Wilcockson draws on dozens of interviews with those who know him best to trace Armstrong?s remarkable, yet controversial journey in vivid detail. Family members?including his adoptive father speaking publicly for the first time?recall Lance?s humble origins in the backstreets of Dallas, the father he barely knew, his single mom?s struggle for survival, and her second marriage that brought a move to the suburbs and new opportunities. His childhood friends and early mentors remember how he moved on from Little League baseball and football to excel at swimming, running, and triathlon, while living the life of a teenager who loved fast cars and pretty girls. They also describe the circumstances that eventually led to his taking up cycling. As Lance?s fierce ambition drove him from the dusty plains of Texas to the snowy peaks of Europe, he was both admired and derided. He intimidated his rivals, earned the respect of his teammates, and astounded everyone with his extraordinary deeds. But his achievements have consistently been dogged by allegations of doping and secrecy, and questions of how triumph on such a grand scale could even be possible. So how did Lance become the supreme champion of his sport? He didn?t do it alone. His compelling story is intertwined with the stories of those who helped shape his life and career, including his mother Linda, ex-wife Kristin, and one-time fiancée Sheryl Crow, along with those of his mentors, coaches, and friends. Their voices, along with those who helped him expand his cancer foundation into a worldwide movement, are integral to his unique story. Lance also reveals details, many for the first time, of how Armstrong?s legendary training, near-fatal bout with cancer, repeated doping allegations, and hostile European media all pushed him to reach the pinnacle of his sport and rightly claim the title of the world?s greatest champion.
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Customer Reviews:
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 So-so book about Lance the man (or Lance the cyclist), July 26, 2009
By Paul Allaer (Cincinnati)
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John Wilcockson has written quite a few books about the sport of professional cycling, and in particular the Tour De France, as well as about Lance Armstrong, whom the author has known for many years. In particular good is his 2005 book "23 Days in July' (about Lance's record-breaking 6th Tour de France win in 2004). Now comes this book, which purports to give a look at Lance the person.
"Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion" (411 pages, including 16 pages of full-color pictures) brings a straight-forward chronological portrait of Lance Armstrong, from his early days in Dallas, to his eventually move to Austin, where Lance laid the foundation of his professional cycling career. But the book really takes off (and at the same time fails to deliver) when Lance gets testicular cancer, which almost killed him. Retells one of the doctors: "We found mostly embryonal cells, and those at that time were not curable. So I spoke with [a colleague doctor] and we were saying, this is what we got and what should I tell him? And he said 'Well, tell him 20 percent.' I said 'Okay' but in my view the chances were zero, or almost zero." The entire cancer episode is dealt with in a mere 16 pages in the book, and it just seems too quick and too rushed. The next 24 months in Lance's life are an incredible up-and-down, again dealt with hurriedly, although noting that "It was Lance's good fortune to skip the '98 Tour since that was the one devastated by doping scandals". There is very little revealing about Lance's personal life, including his stll-mysterious divorce from wife Kristin, and the equally baffling and sudden end to his relationship with Sheryl Crow. As the author is a good friend of Lance, it's clear he simply decided to stay clear from that, but as this purports to be a book about Lance the man, it leaves you wondering.
As someone who has been a fan of professional cycling for all of my life, I felt somewhat disappointed in the book. Lance is an incredibly fascinating person, yet somehow it didn't come through all that much in this book. As a fan, I much more enjoyd this author's "23 Days In July" as well as Johan Bruyneel's "Might As Well Win It". The 2009 Tour de France ended today, with Lance finishing in 3rd place, very respectful given his 4 year absence from the Tour. Lance has already announced that he will come back to the Tour in 2010, in a new team (persuambly with team manager and long-time confidant Johan Bruyneel again at his side). Can't wait for that.
11 of 13 people found the above review helpful.
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 An Inspirational Portrait of a True Champion, June 30, 2009
By Paul Visvader (Boulder, Colorado)
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This is an outstanding book! Author John Wilcockson has written an absolutely fascinating, wonderfully informative, and totally engaging biography of one of the premier sports figures of our (or any) time, Lance Armstrong. The story of Armstrong's humble childhood (he was the product of a broken family) through his initial successes as a triathlete and eventually, a bicycle racer, is especially engrossing--as is the story of his absolutely incredible comeback after having one of the most severe cases of cancer his doctors had ever seen. One really gets a sense of the incredible grit and tenacity that would lead Armstrong to an unprecedented seven (and at this time, a possible--or probable--eight) victories in the Tour de France. Wilcockson fills out the biography with extensive quotes derived from interviews with all of the major protagonists in Armstrong's life: his family, friends, coaches, romantic interests, professional colleagues--this gives a wonderfully rich texture to the book and lets us really know the man rather than just the sports icon. In addition, Wilcockson doesn't shy away from addressing Armstrong's personal "foibles" (e.g., a certain recklessness and hauteur) and especially, the "doping" controversies that have surrounded Armstrong and many other successful athletes in the sport--he gives a fair and balanced picture of this thorny issue and convinces the reader that a combination of careful and relentless training, unyielding support from family, friends, and teammates, and the almost fanatical will to overcome obstacles has alone propelled Armstrong to the pinnacle of his success. In the final analysis, this book is a real inspiration (whether the reader happens to be athlete or not) and is very highly recommended indeed!
10 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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 A worthwhile read about an incredible champion, July 20, 2009
By Julia Flyte
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This is a very interesting book about Lance Armstrong's incredible cycling career and life. As Elizabeth Edwards points out, the level of success that he has achieved in an immensely physically demanding sport is phenomenal and to have achieved that success as a cancer survivor is even more remarkable. The writer clearly knows Armstrong well and appears to have had unrestricted access to his family and friends.
The first hundred pages deal with Lance's childhood and early triathalon/ cycling days. It gets more interesting once Lance turns professional, although I did feel that there was a bit too much focus on the details about the races he participated in and not enough on how he was developing as a cyclist and an individual. It's only in the final quarter of the book that we read about the seven victorious Tour de France campaigns. It also discusses his racing techniques (although We Might As Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind Eight Tour de FranceVictories is a better choice if this is what you are interested in).
Wilcockson spends a lot of time talking about the allegations of performance enhancing drugs that persistently dogged Armstrong's career. He makes a strong case for Lance never having taken them. He points out that from the earliest days Lance had brute strength and natural ability, which he later honed as he developed a better bike sense and riding skills. The loss of upper body muscle mass after his battle with cancer enabled him to rise to the next level. Wilcockson also points out that Lance's secrecy about his training techniques worked against him in terms of reducing others' suspicion.
The majority of the book is very much about Lance the cyclist. I wish the author had been as interested in getting to the heart of Lance the man as he was in all those drug allegations. The most interesting parts for me were the most personal: Lance's battle with cancer, his devastation when his teammate Casartelli was killed, his relationships with his wife and with Sheryl Crow.
The picture of Lance that emerges is a highly charismatic, very private, intensely driven and somewhat humorless man who was very much the hands-on CEO of his team. For many years his life revolved around the Tour de France: he rarely read a book or even lay down on a couch. His teammates respected him but were also somewhat afraid of him. While immensely talented, he also trained obsessively and made extremely smart decisions about the team of people that he surrounded himself with.
The book doesn't spend a lot of time on Lance's relationships. He is clearly still very close to his ex-wife Kristin. The reasons for their break-up are not really explained here although Wilcockson suggests some theories. Nor is it very clear why he and Sheryl Crow split up - there is reference to their relationship being volatile but it's not really explored. His relationship with Anna Hanson who is the mother of his baby son Max is only briefly mentioned at the very end of the book. It would have been interesting to know more about her.
The book opens with Armstrong's decision to return for the 2009 Tour de France. I thought it was odd that Alberto Contadour is never mentioned in the book and nor is Bruyneel's reaction to Lance's return. The ending does feel a little rushed. Nevertheless, a worthwhile read about an incredible champion.
7 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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Delivers on Its Promise, June 30, 2009
By Rebecca Dashevsky
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What I like most about this book is how with focus, simplicity, and clarity it does exactly what it promises to do: show everything that made Lance the world's greatest champion. Wilcockson highlights the events, the people, the quirks of fate, Armstrong's physical and emotional makeup, his intense training, and even his tragedies and losses, since they, too, helped him reach the pinnacle of his sport. The book begins even before Armstrong does -- with vignettes revealing Linda, his teenage pregnant mom, who is woven throughout the book as a leading motivator and manager of Lance; and with a unique look at Lance's biological and adoptive dads --neither of whom he has contact with now. As the story continues, we hear the voices of a myriad of friends, rivals, teammates, coaches and lovers, and their stories are often filled with pathos, humor, insight, or surprise. What amazes me is how Armstrong's life IS a story, a story still unfolding; and the author not only captures Lance's spirit, but also gives destiny its due.
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion, September 4, 2009
By Sharon Mccall (Sacramento CA)
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I bought it for my husband who is a staunch Lance fan. He has only gotten into the book by about 50 pages two weeks ago and put it down. He claims it to be uninteresting and repetitive of the books already read about Lance. I would not recommend it.
3 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Lance - the best yet!, November 13, 2009
By Connie Carpenter (Boulder, CO USA)
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I have known Lance Armstrong since he was a junior and have followed his surprising career both as fan and friend from the start. John Wilcockson's book is illuminating, extremely well-written and thoroughly enjoyable. It chronicles Lance's journey in detail but it's so well-written and absorbing that at times you might think you are reading a novel. As a lifelong student of cycling (and Olympic champion in 1984), I found many of the training details to be fascinating. I learned some lessons throughout and came away with even more respect for Lance the man. No other athlete has done as much for so many as Lance both on and off the bike.
Read it. Share with friends. The perfect gift for any cycling fan or enthusiast.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Lance - A Tour de Force, November 3, 2009
By CB (Evergreen CO)
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Lance Armstrong - Making of THE Champion
Author, writer and bike rider John Wilcockson delivers a story that weaves his intimate knowledge of a sport with authority and mastery, delving beneath the surface to deliver the punch of what really makes a champion. I found the writing style and contents to be engaging and insightful -not an easy achievement given the plethora of other writing on this man who has captured the imagination of almost anyone who has watched or read about the incomparable sport of cycling.
It has been many years that I have picked up a book and literally read it cover to cover over (more than 400 pages!) in just a few days-the subject matter was compelling as was the writer's seemingly never ending source of reference materials from a spectrum of individuals who whether as family members or close friends, to direct competitors displayed unreserved respect for L.A.'s tenacity in pursuing his goal to prevail no matter what the obstacles that presented themselves. I found Wilcockson's interviews with L.A.s relatives particularly interesting in revealing the underlying reasons for unreserved drive and determination to excel. Whilst it might have been more "entertaining" to read about family problems that were not directly addressed in greater detail in this book, I think that the writer stayed true to his intent to provide an informative narrative of what made Armstrong the champion that he is.
In a world of increasing competition to uncover, dissect and disseminate "the dirt" on icons such as L.A., I found this book a refreshing analysis of what made/makes a champion. The Press today seems to be more consumed in becoming part of the story than reporting it-nothing is truer than what has become almost an obsession of some in the media in Europe trying to tear down this man and his accomplishments with unsubstantiated allegations. An epiphany for me in reading this book was the author's revelation that what drove Armstrong to greater accomplishments was his direct reaction to disproving the invectives and accusations that were leveled at him by subsequent crushing successes!
That alone made the book.
Beyond such considerations, what really gives me a new (and greater) appreciation for the remarkable accomplishments of what I readily agree is the world's greatest athlete, are the compelling illustrations of the man's dedication and hard work to become and remain the best. The book shows years of sacrifice and preparation as the underpinnings of later, smarter, gruelling training rides in miserable conditions with a team of coaches and managers who understood what drove a champion and his metamorphosis to becoming THE champion.
Non est ad astra mollis e terris via : there is no easy way from the earth to the stars. This is what Wilcockson drills down to in his book. A compelling and thoroughly captivating read!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book: I read it twice!, October 26, 2009
By Check out http://www.yoavshapir.. (Boston, MA United States)
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Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion is an awesome book. I enjoyed reading it so much that I even read it twice, the second time being 3 weeks later.
To get the biggest complaint out of the way: I'm not sure the book is completely objective. I think the author makes an effort to represent the doping suspicions fairly, but I also think the same author is a big Lance fan. Just like I am. So if you expect a fully objective investigative report, this is not it.
Everything else about the book is absolutely awesome. The writing is clear, crisp, and well-organized, well-researched. There are many, many original interviews and first-hand / primary source telling of stories. The book's author, John Wilcockson, is a familiar figure. If you follow the Tour, even just on TV (as I do), you will know his voice and presence. His knowledge of the industry is very high, and his connections enabled a lot of the first-hand interviews that make up this book.
The book covers Lance's youth, including his formative teenage years. His initial racing success, his battle with cancer, his return. His training regimen with a lot of details, and his big race success, especially in the Tour. It's all there. In glorious detail, if you're a tech geek like me.
Note: I'm not actually a bicycle rider. I can ride, obviously, but I don't enjoy it much. I get bored. I have a lot of respect for people who are real riders, like my friends and colleague Jeremy. But I am not a rider myself and I know next to nothing about what it takes to be one.
Lance's return from cancer is obviously inspiring to a lot of people. But reading how close he was to death, and how hard he's been working to get back in shape and stay there, makes it all the more inspiring.
(Also posted on my blog.)
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Lance revealed as never before!, October 2, 2009
By Owen Mulholland (Marin Co. California)
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John Wilcockson, America's (and possibly the world's) most experienced cycling journalist, has put all his decades of insight and experience and polished writing style together to produce this most penetrating appraisal yet of this most enigmatic of sports heroes. That Lance has amazing physical attributes goes without saying. Less obvious are all the subtle influences acquired while growing up that have made Lance who he is. It's assumed the reader is already familiar with Armstrong's cycling accomplishments, so they are only referred to to help illustrate the more personal story. Here, however, are revealed the key personalities in Lance's youth, his early competitions in triathalons, his stupendous battle with cancer, his duel with those determined to prove him a doper, and his episodic romantic relationships. Not all questions the reader might ask are answered, but Wilcockson's book is probably about the best a mere mortal will be able to produce. In the end, Lance Armstrong is still a fascinating mystery, but after reading this ultimate tome on the subject that mystery will be of a whole different order. For all the distractions, this is one man who can collect his whole life and bring it to a level of focus the rest of us can hardly imagine. In short, the man deserves respect!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Disappointing, August 31, 2009
By EM (san jose, ca)
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First off I have to say that I am a huge Lance fan. I have the utmost respect, awe and admiration for the guy. I found this biography to be severely lacking though. A great biographer doesn't just tell you WHAT happens to the subject of his biograhpy but also tells you the WHY behind the facts. A good biography should give us deep insights into the personality, fears, desires, goals, dreams, relationships of the subject. While Wilcockson goes into great detail about almost every step of Lance's career, we rarely learn about Lance's motivations and what makes him tick. For example, I am still baffled as to what caused the huge rift between Lance and Terry Armstrong, basically the only father Lance had ever known. All Wilcockson tells us is that Lance found some love notes to another woman that Terry had written to someone other than Lance's mother-to whom he is fiercely loyal. WE get no sense of Lance's feelings or how that experience affected him emotionally. All we know is that Lance didn't speak to him for 20 years. This book is filled with quotes and interviews from many people, but it all just feels like hearsay after a while.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Amazing story of a true champion, June 21, 2009
By T. Berkman (New York, NY USA)
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An incredible book! With an endless array of wonderful sources close to Lance Armstrong, John Wilcockson tells an incredible tale of one of the most intense, interesting, and impressive athletes alive. Honest and provocative and not at all soft, the book is a wonderful and eay read; a human interest story that will appeal to anyone.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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A Brilliant Biography!!, November 26, 2009
By Alexander L. Theroux
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John Wilcockson's Lance is, hands down, the supreme champion of books about the supreme champion of his sport, giving an unrivaled portrait - up, down, and sideways - of bicyclist Lance Armstrong in all his complexity, incontestably the world's greatest champion athlete. I recommend this book without stint!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Everything there's to know about Lance from his Entourage's point of view, July 14, 2009
By Kivanc Cubukcu (NY, USA)
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When I read "It's not about to bike" years ago, Lance's story really fascinated me. So when this book came out, I wanted to check out a different point of view because I knew it was going to be based on 60+ interviews made with people that are or used to be very close to him during his rise to the top. Just as expected, the book didn't disappoint me. The direct quotations, comments from all these people who took him up there are very informative, interesting. It clearly shows you the people who he surrounded himself with played a huge role in him cementing his name among the greatest champions of all time. Also it makes you appreciate the hard work the author put forth in writing the book...
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great read!, July 2, 2009
By Elise B.
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I thought this book was a very compelling read. Part of what made it great were all the quotes and personal stories from people who really knew Lance at many different stages of his life. I loved learning about him from his mother, his family, his friends from school. And it was exciting to read about all the challenges he faced and how he overcame them. It was also nice to read this from the perspective of a cycling journalist and one who was around during all these different stages. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Lance, cycling, or sports writing.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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a strictly inside job, July 2, 2009
By judith (L.A.)
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For anyone interested in the world of competitive cycling, this book is a must. Told with a cinematic touch, it brought to mind more than once Bob Redford's "Downhill Racer". And like what that work did for competitive skiing, Wilcockson's "Lance" does for cycling, as it sublty informs this world with a human angle. Letting us in on just who this champion Armstrong is, and the effect life has had on him. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who breaks a sweat at the mention of the Alpe d'Huez, but also to any parent gifted with a child whose dream it is to excel, so that they better understand what it takes to fulfill that dream. And to anyone facing a challenge, of whatever kind, Armstrong is an inspiration. And with the Tour just around the bend, and Armstrong's decision to go for it one last time, to anyone who will find himself rooting for this extraordinary survivor and champion. What a great way to make that experience even more.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Another winner by John Wilcockson, July 1, 2009
By James N. Wilson (Long Beach, California)
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After reading John Wilcockson's World of Cycling and 23 Days in July I was anxious to read his newest book, Lance. I wasn't disappointed. for anyone interested in Lance or in cycling this is an absolute must, but even more important for anyone interested in what it takes to become a champion this is the inside story of what it takes. John seems to have interviewed everyone who was an influence on Lance - either good or bad - and has reported back their 'sides of the story' in their own words. Everyone from an estranged father, a doting mother, competitors, childhood and adult friends even the person who sold him his first bike has a chance to express their impressions of Lance and the cumulative effect is to present a well rounded picture of a wildly talented and utterly obsessed person and how he got to be that way. But this isn't just a story about obsession and success; it's also the story of perseverance in the face of almost unbelievable odds. If it was fiction you might shake your head and say 'not likely,' but the whole story of his struggle against cancer and his victory over it is real. Wow! What a story, well told and impossible to put down!
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Lance and professional cycling, March 3, 2011
By Sharon Jones
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I'm not actually a Lance Armstrong fan, but I bought the book to learn more about professional cycling. I really enjoyed this book! Great insight!
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Very informative and interesting read, June 23, 2010
By Robert Kirk (Reno, Nv)
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I loved the details about what makes Lance tick. The details about the racing were not so interesting but that is because I'm not into the sport. I have a lot of admiration for athletes that are at the top of their games and the mental strength that it takes to get there. Besides the natural talent these people have, the mental strength is absolutely amazing. This book does a decent job of describing Lance and his mental toughness. I learned a lot about him and I think it's worth reading.
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A Different, and More Informative, Point of View, May 22, 2010
By Dan Murphy (Redmond, OR USA)
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I've been a fan of bicycling since the 40 lb. Schwinn Varsity was considered to be the apex of cycling technology (ten speeds, instead of three!). Consequently, I've followed the Tour de France for many years. Greg Lemond's triumphs, followed by the story of Lance Armstrong's victory were pure pleasure to a bicyclist like me, a human with far more enthusiasm than talent.
Lance: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion, is significantly better than it's somewhat overreaching title would suggest. Providing enough detail (from Lance's early childhood on) to allow a fully developed picture of a remarkable world class and very human athlete to emerge, the author's fast moving prose avoids getting bogged down in numbing detail. Though the level of detail will please the cyclist, the vocabulary is completely accessible to the non-cyclist.
The tone of the book is significantly different than Lance's own It's Not About the Bike. While both books are must reads for those trying to fathom Lance's seven consecutive wins in the world's most prestigious bicycle race, The Making of the World's Greatest Champion gives greater depth of autobiographical detail, more insight into the sport of competitive cycling (yes, including detailed discussions of performance enhancing drugs), and a somewhat mind-bending description of what it takes to win in this sport.
Revelations? Nothing to set the gossip columns afire. But I will remain forever struck by how many times Armstrong LOST key races on his way to his singular accomplishment. I was fascinated by his phenomenal mid-teenage successes as a nationally ranked triathlete, before he began to specialize in cycling. The politics of the cycling world, and the financial rapids that Lance had to constantly negotiate in his early career were intriguing. I'd hesitate to say that the finest, highest performing lower extremities on the planet have feet of clay, but Armstrong has at least as much clay in his makeup as the rest of the human race. And yet, if you don't find yourself rooting for the complex man named Lance Armstrong, you are a hard-hearted person indeed.
Drugs? Make your own case, after reading the book. What the book clearly illustrates is that Lance was born with a one in six billion body: he often broke all performance records when being objectively tested for ability to metabolize oxygen, and to produce sustained power. He had an incomprehensible ability to endure terrible weather conditions, with rain/sleet during a race almost guaranteeing a Lance victory. He trained year round, a novelty in the bicycling world. Over time, he became a fantastic strategist. And, famously, he brought an unprecedented level of technical expertise and analysis to his sport, with every single part of his bicycles, and every part of his body, being subjected to rigorous evaluation. Can that combination, hitherto unseen in cycling, trump riders that use performance enhancing drugs (PHD's)? Let's say this: If ANY combination can beat PHD's, Lance had that formula.
Bottom line: This is not "just another Lance book". It is a thorough and engaging account of a human accomplishment that won't be matched for many years. Whether or not you're a cycling aficionado, you will not be disappointed.
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loved the book!, March 1, 2010
By Donald Toomim (Beaverton, OR, US)
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I found that the author filled in aspects of Lance's life I had not known before, such as his relationship with both of his fathers and the nature of his care with his own children. It was very well written and illuminating. A very exciting read.
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Very Interesting, February 5, 2010
By J. Cope (TX)
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I had read It's Not About the Bike and this is another very interesting angle at looking at Lance Armstrong. Lots of interviews with influential characters in his life. Definitely would recommend.
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The book is very well written., December 20, 2009
By Dennis M. Mahon
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I write to make this point. For a moment - forget about the topic, I just want to make the poimnt that the author has a very fluid style of writing. Several times tyhroughout the book I literally found myself completely immersed in the book. I forgot about the time and space around me. That does not happen often. Mr. Wilcockson really dererves this compliment. I know this for sure - you WILL enjoy this book. He has done a great job here.
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A Great Read About a Remarkable Athlete!, November 27, 2009
By Cycle Crazed in Colorado (Boulder, CO USA)
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The book gives us new insight into what makes Lance tick. It is inspiring and insightful, revealing the steps from cocky teenager, to struggling cancer patient, to world champion. There are many great stories along the way. I've read other Lance books and I found this one to be the best.
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Sir Lance-lot, September 30, 2009
By bananaboater (USA)
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Incredibly informative and ever engaging. As much for the avid cyclist as for the self-avowed couch potato. The level of respect and unfettered access the author has to his subject and those who surround him comes through in every paragraph. Wilcockson delves into the Cult of Lance like no other could. A high recommend.
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kiwi bean cycling rider review, September 10, 2009
By Andrew J. Ward (Palmerston North, New Zealand)
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Quite an interesting read. The book covered alot of the information that has been covered on Lance in previous publications. It did give a good insite of what motivates Lance, by delving into some of personal parts of his early life. I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in Lance Armstrong and what has made him one of cyclings all time champions.
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What Makes Lance Race, August 14, 2009
By Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
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Although the author is obviously a friend of Lance Armstrong, this is a good read and an informative look at Armstrong's amazing career up to and including his seventh Tour de France victory. (It came out before Armstrong raced this year.) To be fair, he gives a pretty complete look at this man and his entourage, so much so that I'm still not sure whether the man is a "doper" or not. One thing is not in doubt: few athletes, if any, work as hard as Lance and winning seven straight Tour de France events is one of the greatest sports achievements ever.
We here in North America don't follow cycling as they do in Europe, but imagine someone winning The Masters golf tournament or the Triple Crown in baseball seven years in a row! Reading this book will give you a good idea how difficult it was to win all those Tours.
I was surprised there was so little about Armstrong's battle with cancer in this biography, but the author concentrated much more on the racing than on personal problems, although they are in there.
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American Hero!!, September 16, 2009
By William J. Brock (Afton,WY)
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Great supplement to the Lance story that everyone knows. Excellently researched and written. Thank you John Wilcoxson for a great book!!
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Fascinating portrait of a true champion, August 15, 2009
By Susan F (Los Angeles)
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What an inspirational book! I have always been intrigued by Lance Armstrong; a man driven to succeed - surviving his bout with cancer and going on to win the Tour de France for the 7th time! His is truly a remarkable journey. In reading John Wilcockson's compelling and well written book, filled with numerous interviews with his mother, estranged father (truly fascinating),boyhood friends and mentors you see a portrait of an ambitious young man coming from humble beginnings who was determined from the start to be the best at whatever he tried. You might not always like him, but no one can deny that Armstrong is truly the world's greatest champion...and this book proves it. The book was thrilling, informative and inspiring...it was a great read!
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An Excellent and Exciting Book, July 15, 2009
By Jeanne Goodstein (Opihikao, Hawaii)
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Although before I read this book I had little knowledge about Lance Armstrong and bike racing, I couldn't put the book down. I found it a very easy read and became quite drawn to and interested in following his life and career. John Wilcockson's pen, like the artist's swish of the brush, made vivid some very exciting bike races and brought to life those grueling and momentous events in this world-famous racer's career. This is a must-read for anyone who is looking for inspiration and an exciting life story.
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