The Tour de France: A Cultural HistoryIn this highly original history of the world’s most famous bicycle race, Christopher S. Thompson, mining previously neglected sources and writing with infectious enthusiasm for his subject, tells the compelling story of the Tour de France from its creation in 1903 to the present. Weaving the words of racers, politicians, Tour organizers, and a host of other commentators together with a wide-ranging analysis of the culture surrounding the event—including posters, songs, novels, films, and media coverage—Thompson links the history of the Tour to key moments and themes in French history. He argues persuasively that this hugely popular sporting event has been instrumental in French attempts to grapple with the great challenges they have confronted during their tumultuous twentieth century—from World Wars, political divisions, and class conflict to economic modernization, women’s emancipation, and threats to public health. Examining the enduring popularity of Tour racers, Thompson explores how their public images have changed over the past century. He concludes with a discussion of the longstanding practice of doping and considers the complex case of the seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. |
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User Review - BillMcGann - LibraryThingIn writing "The Tour de France: A Cultural History", Christopher Thompson has done that very rare thing: he has increased our net knowledge of the Tour de France. This is extraordinary given that the ... Read full review
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Cycling Progressand Modernity | 7 |
2 Itineraries Narratives and Identities | 51 |
Gender and Heroism | 95 |
Work Classand the Tour de France 19031939 | 141 |
Exploits Exploitation and the Politics of Athletic Excess 19031939 | 180 |
6 What Price Heroism? Work Sport and Drugsin Postwar France | 215 |
Common terms and phrases
13 July 25 July 30 June argued athletes automobile Bastide belle époque bicycle racers bicyclette bourgeois Breton Brittany celebrated century champion Chany commercial communist competition contestants courage critics Croix cultural cyclists decades Desgrange Desgrange’s dopage doping Éditions event evoked example exploits fabuleuse histoire fans female Figaro forçats France’s French Henri Desgrange Henri Pélissier heroic histoire du Tour Hubscher Ibid industrial itinerary Jacques Anquetil Jacques Goddet kilometers L’Auto L’Équipe L’Est L’histoire en mouvements L’Humanité labor Laure Le Figaro Le Parisien Libéré Le Petit Parisien Le Populaire Libération modern Monde Mondenard moral officials organizers paper Paris Parisien Libéré pedal Pélissier percent Petit physical popular postwar prize money race race’s regional road social sponsors sport Sportive stage suffering television tion top racers Tour coverage Tour de France Tour racers Tour’s vélo vélocipédie Vichy victory winner women women’s Tour workers working-class World
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Tour de France: A Cultural History |
| Author | Christopher S. Thompson |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | University of California Press, 2006 |
| ISBN | 0520247604, 9780520247604 |
| Length | 385 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Europe / France History / Europe / General Sports & Recreation / Cycling Sports & Recreation / History |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |