Road to Valour: A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation is a non-fiction book about the humanitarian and two-time Tour de France-winning cyclist, Gino Bartali, which was written by Aili and Andres McConnon and first published in 2012.
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Aili and Andres McConnon |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Cycling, World War II, Italy |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Published | 12 June 2012 |
| Publisher | Weidenfeld & Nicolson (UK) Doubleday Canada Crown Publishing Group (US)) |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 978-0307590657 |
The book chronicles Bartali's journey from poverty as a child in Tuscany to a career as a professional cyclist that saw him win the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948. It also highlights his efforts to assist groups politically targeted in World War II-era Italy, including smuggling false identity documents and sheltering a Jewish family.
Reception edit
On September 8, 2012, the book was number eight after a five-week period on the Maclean's Non-Fiction Bestseller List.[1]
Critical reception edit
Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated praised the book's “exhaustive research,” and compared it to Laura Hillenbrand's “Seabiscuit: An American Legend.”[2] Bill Littlefield reviewed the book for NPR[3] and in The Boston Globe, praised the authors for telling the story of Bartali's "great and greater victories powerfully and well.”[4] The Globe and Mail called it “(i)mpeccably researched and thrillingly told."[5] Publishers Weekly found it to be “both inspiring and immensely enjoyable.”[6] Booklist described it as a "dramatic and moving story that is virtually unknown to most readers."[5] Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel described Bartali's story as "a moving example of moral courage."[5]
Honors edit
Road to Valour won the Mazzei Prize from the National Italian-American Foundation in 2012,[7] a Christopher Award,[8] and the Canadian Jewish Book Award for biography in 2013.[9] It was also shortlisted as a finalist for the 2013 PEN/ESPN Prize for Literary Sports Writing.[10]
References edit
- ^ "The real Downton Abbey". Maclean's. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ^ Reiter, Ben. "SPROCKET-POWERED". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ^ "Following Gino Bartali's "Road To Valor"". WBUR. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ^ Littlefield, Bill (August 2, 2018). "'Road to Valor' by Aili and Andres McConnon". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Road to Valor". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Road to Valor: A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation". Publishers Weekly. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Coauthors of "Road to Valor: A True Story of WWII Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation" Receive Award at San Francisco Gala". The National Italian American Foundation. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ^ "Past Winners". The Christopher Awards. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "2013 Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards". Koffler Centre of the Arts. Retrieved 2020-05-12.
- ^ "PEN announces shortlists for its 2013 awards". Los Angeles Times. 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2020-05-12.