David Herlihy's book, BICYCLE, is a must-have. It is intended to be the most complete treatise on the early history of the bicycle yet written. It also does an accurate, although brief, job of taking the history into the 20th century and beyond.
What seperates Dave's work is that he is extremely detail oriented and driven to get the information right. It is truly a scholarly work in an area where picture books with weak accuracy are the norm.
I am very biased, though, as David is a friend and I want to support him and his efforts as best as possible.
As a bonus, the book is a bargain, and makes a fantastic gift for anyone with interest in cycling.
I've been trying to get David Herlihy to attend the Cirque, and he has quite a bit of interest - maybe this could be the year.
David is one of the only people I know who has personally interviewed Cino Cinelli - very cool indeed!
So everyone, please buy a copy for yourselves and a few for gifts.
Mike Kone in Boulder CO
> Oops,
\r?\n>
\r?\n> My original post was rejected for unknown reasons. I forgot to include
\r?\n> the title in my resend. The title of the book is the heading of this
\r?\n> review.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Sorry for the confusion. Here's the review again:
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I just picked up a new book by David Herlihy. I haven't seen David
\r?\n> participating in the list recently but I have to believe that he's a
\r?\n> member. I know that he has been a member of the Veteran Cycle Club,
\r?\n> and has contributed to many articles in that groups News and Views and
\r?\n> Boneshaker publications.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I've read a couple of chapters, so far, that cover the the CR list
\r?\n> dates. I found the chapters read to be accurate and thoroughly
\r?\n> researched. The book is magnificent with regard to illustrations. The
\r?\n> paper and binding (hard cover) are first rate. Its 470 pages long and
\r?\n> includes a great table of contents, references and an index. It's
\r?\n> published by Yale University Press. I picked up my copy at Barnes and
\r?\n> Noble. List price is $35 but there was a 20% markdown as a new
\r?\n> release.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Regrettably, the book is a broad survey. I wanted more in-depth
\r?\n> discussion with regard to people, clubs and events. He does
\r?\n> acknowledge these aspects but it is the equivalent of putting your toe
\r?\n> in the water to evaluate whether or not to jump in. The book can be
\r?\n> viewed as a foundation for further exploration. Maybe it can be seen
\r?\n> as a challenge for list members who possess a vast knowledge-base in
\r?\n> narrower aspects.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I recommend that all list members get a copy while they are available.
\r?\n> I believe it is the most thorough history I've seen to date. Having
\r?\n> said that I still do need to complete Ritchie's King of the Road.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Todd Teachout
\r?\n> Hercules, CA