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Pedalare! Pedalare!
Paperback
Main Details
| Title |
Pedalare! Pedalare!
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| Authors and Contributors |
By (author) John Foot
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| Physical Properties |
| Format:Paperback | | Pages:384 | | Dimensions(mm): Height 234,Width 153 |
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| Category/Genre | History of specific subjects
Cycling |
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| ISBN/Barcode |
9780747595212
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| Classifications | Dewey:796.60945 |
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| Audience | |
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| Illustrations |
Illustrations maps.
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Publishing Details |
| Publisher |
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
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| Imprint |
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
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| Publication Date |
3 May 2011 |
| Publication Country |
United Kingdom
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Description
Cycling was a sport so important in Italy that it marked a generation, sparked fears of civil war, changed the way Italian was spoken, led to legal reform and even prompted the Pope himself to praise a cyclist, by name, from his balcony in St Peter's in Rome. It was a sport so popular that it created the geography of Italy in the minds of her citizens, and some have said that it was cycling, not political change, that united Italy. Pedalare! Pedalare! is the first complete history of Italian cycling to be published in English. The book moves chronologically from the first Giro d'Italia (Italy's equivalent of the Tour de France) in 1909 to the present day. The tragedies and triumphs of great riders such as Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali appear alongside stories of the support riders, snow-bound mountains and the first and only woman to ride the whole Giro. Cycling's relationship with Italian history, politics and culture is always up front, with reference to fascism, the cold war and the effect of two world wars. The sport is explored alongside changes in Italian society as a whole, from the poor peasants who took up cycling in the early, pioneering period, to the slick, professional sport of today. Scandals and controversy appear throughout the book as constant features of the connection between fans, journalists and cycling. Concluding with an examination of doping, which has helped to destroy what was at one time the most popular sport of all, Pedalare, Pedalare is an engrossing history of a national passion.
Author Biography
John Foot is Professor of Modern Italian History in the Department of Italian, University College London. He has published many books both in Italy and in the UK and lives in London.
ReviewsPraise for 'Calcio' 'The pace never slackens ... a meticulous and knowledgeable guide ... leaves the reader wanting to investigate further' Daily Telegraph 'Foot mixes serious analysis and comic storytelling to bring to life tales of paranoia and intrigue' Scotland in Sunday 'Full of fascinating vignettes' Sunday Times
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