French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining but with caution
Review: Tim Moore writes an good commentary of touring France on his trusty bicyclette. His descriptions are witty and humourous, he makes light of what could have been a pretty tiresome experience. Moore's insights in to Tour de France history are well researched. A good book for anyone interested in knowing the "true" no-glamour France. One word of caution - it is disappointing for a writer who is focusing on somewhat of a fun event in his life, riding a bike around france - that Moore uses so many out of context explatives and blasphemies. After all this is not a story about pedalling drugs in the criminal underworld. For a writer who musters up good descriptive imagery, to at times drop in the "F-bomb" and Blasphemies shows how hard Moore must have been flipping through a Theasurus to look impressive as a writer. Swear words do not sell more books, they do not add value to the reading experience, they infact cheapen it.

Rating:
Summary: Whinging Pom
Review: What a miserable read - all the author did was whinge and moan about the french, the countryside, cycling and the food. I know Bill Bryson can offer his share of complaints in his travel books but at least his are tinged with humor.
Tim Moore is just miserable throughout.
He gets disgusted when a french town is not pretty and then disgusted when it is. He hates cycling the mountains but gets bored on the flat stretches. He gets drunk at lunchtime and drunk again in the evenings. What a bore.
The only redeeming feature was the bits of history about the Tour that are interspersed throughout.
I don't think I'll even finish it.

Rating:
Summary: Whinging Pom
Review: What a miserable read - all the author did was whinge and moan about the french, the countryside, cycling and the food. I know Bill Bryson can offer his share of complaints in his travel books but at least his are tinged with humor.
Tim Moore is just miserable throughout.
He gets disgusted when a french town is not pretty and then disgusted when it is. He hates cycling the mountains but gets bored on the flat stretches. He gets drunk at lunchtime and drunk again in the evenings. What a bore.
The only redeeming feature was the bits of history about the Tour that are interspersed throughout.
I don't think I'll even finish it.