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The Inner Game Of Tennis: The Classic Guide To The Mental Side Of Peak Performance
by W. Timothy Gallwey Pete Carroll Zach KleinmanAn accessible, invaluable guide to mastering your “inner game” to ensure success on and off the court—part of the bestselling Inner Game series, with more than one million copies sold! “Groundbreaking . . . [The Inner Game of Tennis is] the best book on tennis that I have ever read, and its profound advice applies to many other parts of life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes (“Five of my All-Time Favorite Books”) Master your game from the inside out! This phenomenally successful guide has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Not just for tennis players, or even just for athletes in general, this handbook works for anybody who wants to improve their performance in any activity, from playing music to getting ahead at work. W. Timothy Gallwey, a leading innovator in sports psychology, reveals how to • focus your mind to overcome nervousness, self-doubt, and distractions • find the state of “relaxed concentration” that allows you to play at your best • build skills by smart practice, then put it all together in match play Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Gallwey’s engaging voice, clear examples, and illuminating anecdotes will give you the tools you need to succeed.
The Inner Game of Fencing: Excellence in Form, Technique, Strategy, and Spirit
by Nick EvangelistaTo defeat an opponent, a fencer must use mind and body together--anticipating attacks, observing the opponent, making contact with the blade, combining strategy with technique. This is the inner game of the sport, which takes years of patience and hard work to reach, but for many it is the most enticing aspect of fencing. Nick Evangelista explains how a fencer can take his or her skills to the next level through self-discipline, continuous learning, and practice.
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
by W. Timothy GallweyThe timeless guide to achieving the state of &“relaxed concentration&” that&’s not only the key to peak performance in tennis but the secret to success in life itself—part of the bestselling Inner Game series, with more than one million copies sold!&“Groundbreaking . . . the best guide to getting out of your own way . . . Its profound advice applies to many other parts of life.&”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes (&“Five of My All-Time Favorite Books&”) This phenomenally successful guide to mastering the game from the inside out has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Billie Jean King has called the book her tennis bible; Al Gore has used it to focus his campaign staff; and Itzhak Perlman has recommended it to young violinists. Based on W. Timothy Gallwey&’s profound realization that the key to success doesn&’t lie in holding the racket just right, or positioning the feet perfectly, but rather in keeping the mind uncluttered, this transformative book gives you the tools to unlock the potential that you&’ve possessed all along. &“The Inner Game&” is the one played within the mind of the player, against the hurdles of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration. Gallwey shows us how to overcome these obstacles by trusting the intuitive wisdom of our bodies and achieving a state of &“relaxed concentration.&” With chapters devoted to trusting the self and changing habits, it is no surprise then, that Gallwey&’s method has had an impact far beyond the confines of the tennis court. Whether you want to play music, write a novel, get ahead at work, or simply unwind after a stressful day, Gallwey shows you how to tap into your utmost potential. No matter your goals, The Inner Game of Tennis gives you the definitive framework for long-term success.
The Inner Runner: Running to a More Successful, Creative, and Confident You
by Jason R. KarpWhy are so many people drawn to running? Why is running the most common physical activity? What is it about running that empowers so many people? And how can runners harness that power to create a more meaningful life? The Inner Runner addresses these questions and a whole lot more. This book is not about how to get faster or run a marathon; rather, it explores how the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other helps you harness your creative powers. Learn about the psychological, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual benefits of running and introduce lifestyle changes based on the latest scientific research on running and its effects on hormones and the brain.As a nationally recognized running and fitness coach with a PhD in Exercise Physiology, Jason Karp brings his expertise in science-based coaching to runners of all levels. He believes that running gives you a chance to discover, challenge, and bring out the best in yourself by impacting your creativity, focus, imagination, confidence, and health. Let The Inner Runner help you become not only a better runner, but a more creative, productive, and imaginative person.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports-books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The Inner Smile: Increasing Chi through the Cultivation of Joy
by Mantak ChiaA guide to the foundational practice of “smiling to the organs” to promote deep relaxation and internal health • Presents exercises that dissolve the physical and mental tensions that can cause energy blockages and unhealthy chi flow • Shows how to recognize illness at its inception on the organ level and how to balance the emotions to heal it The Inner Smile is a practice that focuses gratitude and joy on the internal organs to resolve the physical and mental tensions that can lead to illness. In Taoism negative emotions--anger, sadness, depression, fear, and worry--are seen as low-grade energy that causes chronic disease and steals our major life force by creating energy blockages. Master Mantak Chia shows that the internal awareness produced by the simple yet powerful Inner Smile meditation practice flushes the organs of poisonous negative energy that may be blocking chi energy flow in order to nourish the entire body. Just as a genuine outer smile transmits positive energy and has the power to warm and heal, an inner smile produces a high grade of energy that promotes powerful internal healing, deep relaxation, happiness, and longevity. Smiling to the organs and thanking them for the work they do helps to reawaken the intelligence of the body, which, once activated, can dissipate emotional imbalances and inner disharmony before serious illness manifests.
The Inner Structure of Tai Chi: Mastering the Classic Forms of Tai Chi Chi Kung
by Mantak Chia Juan LiExplores the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi• Reveals the Taoist principles that gave birth to the Yang-style tai chi forms• Shows how tai chi can circulate powerful healing energies through the bodyTaoist adepts developed tai chi as both a martial art and a way to cultivate their physical body, energy body, and spirit body. Like all Taoist exercises, its main purpose is to form a connection to the basic energy that is the foundation of all life: chi. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, tai chi was considered a secret practice that was passed down only within a closely knit structure of family and loyal disciples. Despite its widespread growth in popularity as a martial art and health exercise, many of its underlying internal practices remain unknown.The Inner Structure of Tai Chi explores the deep, internal work necessary for the effective practice of tai chi. Designed for practitioners at every level, the book contains step-by-step illustrated instructions for mastering the 13 forms of early Yang-style tai chi, also known as Tai Chi Chi Kung. The authors demonstrate the relationship of the inner structure of tai chi to the absorption, transformation, and circulation of the three forces that animate all life--the Universal force, the Cosmic force, and the Earth force--revealing the principles and practices necessary to receive the full spectrum of physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits that tai chi can bring.
The Inside Edge
by Ashlyn KaneWhat does a work-life balance look like to recently retired professional athletes? Ex-hockey player Nate Overton is trying to find out, but dipping his toes in the gay dating scene post-divorce is a daunting prospect even without the news that his show is on thin ice. Before he can tackle either issue, he skates headfirst into another problem—his new cohost. Former figure skater Aubrey Chase is the embodiment of a spoiled rich playboy. He’s also flamboyant, sharp, and hot as sin. Aubrey knows how important it is to get off on the right foot. He’s just not very good at it outside the rink. Having spent his life desperate for attention, he’ll do anything to get it—even the wrong kind. For Nate and Aubrey, opposites don’t so much attract as collide at center ice. But while Nate’s everything Aubrey has scrupulously avoided—until now—Aubrey falls suddenly head over heels, and Nate’s only looking for a rebound fling. Can Aubrey convince Nate to risk his heart again, or will their unexpected connection be checked at the first sign of trouble?
The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves
by Keith LawIn this groundbreaking book, Keith Law, baseball writer for The Athletic and author of the acclaimed Smart Baseball, offers an era-spanning dissection of some of the best and worst decisions in modern baseball, explaining what motivated them, what can be learned from them, and how their legacy has shaped the game.For years, Daniel Kahneman’s iconic work of behavioral science Thinking Fast and Slow has been required reading in front offices across Major League Baseball. In this smart, incisive, and eye-opening book, Keith Law applies Kahneman’s ideas about decision making to the game itself.Baseball is a sport of decisions. Some are so small and routine they become the building blocks of the game itself—what pitch to throw or when to swing away. Others are so huge they dictate the future of franchises—when to make a strategic trade for a chance to win now, or when to offer a millions and a multi-year contract for a twenty-eight-year-old star. These decisions have long shaped the behavior of players, managers, and entire franchises. But as those choices have become more complex and data-driven, knowing what’s behind them has become key to understanding the sport. This fascinating, revelatory work explores as never before the essential question: What were they thinking?Combining behavioral science and interviews with executives, managers, and players, Keith Law analyzes baseball’s biggest decision making successes and failures, looking at how gambles and calculated risks of all sizes and scales have shaped the sport, and how the game’s ongoing data revolution is rewriting decades of accepted decision making. In the process, he explores questions that have long been debated, from whether throwing harder really increases a player’s risk of serious injury to whether teams actually “overvalue” trade prospects.Bringing his analytical and combative style to some of baseball’s longest running debates, Law deepens our knowledge of the sport in this entertaining work that is both fun and deeply informative.
The Inside Track: Paddocks, Pit Stops and Tales of My Life in the Fast Lane
by Jake HumphreyJake Humphrey has one of the best jobs in the world. Flying around the world presenting Formula 1 to 6 million people is not a bad occupation. And there is plenty that the viewer doesnt get to see, quite a lot of it rather surprising too. Travelling around the globe in the F1 bubble, Jake brings you close to the action. With his unique access to the key characters in the sport he reveals a side of figures such as Jenson and Hamilton, Schumacher and Ecclestone not seen before. From techie heaven driving the Red Bull simulator to witnessing moments of great sporting triumph, Jake brings you behind the scenes in the paddock to behold the changing face of F1 and his life as a TV presenter permanently walking the tightrope of public humiliation.
The Inside Track: Paddocks, Pit Stops and Tales of My Life in the Fast Lane
by Jake HumphreyJake Humphrey had one of the best jobs in the world: flying around the world presenting Formula 1 to 6 million people is not a bad occupation. And there is plenty that the viewer doesn't get to see, quite a lot of it rather surprising too. Travelling around the globe in the F1 bubble, Jake brings the reader close to the action. With his unique access to the key characters in the sport, he reveals a side of figures such as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Bernie Ecclestone not seen before. From techie heaven driving the Red Bull simulator to witnessing moments of great sporting triumph, Jake brings you behind the scenes in the paddock to behold the changing face of F1 and his life as a TV presenter permanently walking the tightrope of public humiliation.
The Insider's Guide to Golf Equipment: The Fully Illustrated, Comprehensive Directory of Brand-Name Clubs and Accessories
by Nick MastroniCharts and photographs compare and contrast the quality, characteristics, and suggested retail cost for all equipment so golfers can discover the best combination of performance for their needs and price for their budget. Includes information for women golfers and left-handed golfers.
The Insiders' Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess 2nd Edition: Confessions from My Years Afloat with the Rich and Famous
by Julie PerrySince 2006, The Insiders’ Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess has been a must-read guide for hopeful, young travelers and those intrigued by a career path in the super-yacht industry. Hundreds of yacht crew in the industry today used Julie’s book to get started---and succeed---working aboard yachts. Entertaining and educational, this book not only covers who owns luxury yachts, where they travel, and what taking care of their eccentric owners is like, but it describes the awe-inspiring benefits of the job, the skills required, and a clear-cut roadmap for how others can do it, too. If the terrific pay and benefits that come from accompanying celebrities and dignitaries on their private journeys around the world appeals to you, consider Julie Perry your new career coach. Let her guide you to the sea of opportunity that awaits young travelers in one of the world’s most adventurous and mind-boggling industries: LUXURY YACHTING.
The Insomniacs
by Marit WeisenbergMarit Weisenberg's The Insomniacs is “a deeply beautiful story of yearning, heartache, trauma, and love” (Jennifer Niven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places) about two teens who discover the secrets of their neighborhood after everyone else turns out the lights. Ingrid can’t sleep.She can’t remember, either.A competitive diver, seventeen-year-old Ingrid is haunted by what she saw at the pool at a routine meet, before falling off the high dive and waking up concussed. The only thing she remembers about the moment before her dive is locking eyes with Van—her neighbor, former best friend, and forever crush—kissing his girlfriend on the sidelines. But that can’t be all.Then one sleepless night, she sees Van out her window…looking right back at her. They begin not sleeping together by night, still ignoring each other at school by day.Ingrid tells herself this is just temporary, but soon, she and Van are up every night piecing her memory back together. As Van works through his own reasons for not being able to sleep, they’re both pulled into a mystery that threatens to turn their quiet neighborhood into a darker place than they realized.
The Integration of the Pacific Coast League: Race and Baseball on the West Coast
by Amy EssingtonWhile Jackie Robinson’s 1947 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers made him the first African American to play in the Major Leagues in the modern era, the rest of Major League Baseball was slow to integrate while its Minor League affiliates moved faster. The Pacific Coast League (PCL), a Minor League with its own social customs, practices, and racial history, and the only legitimate sports league on the West Coast, became one of the first leagues in any sport to completely desegregate all its teams. Although far from a model of racial equality, the Pacific Coast states created a racial reality that was more diverse and adaptable than in other parts of the country.The Integration of the Pacific Coast League describes the evolution of the PCL beginning with the league’s differing treatment of African Americans and other nonwhite players. Between the 1900s and the 1930s, team owners knowingly signed Hawaiian players, Asian players, and African American players who claimed that they were Native Americans, who were not officially banned. In the post–World War II era, with the pressures and challenges facing desegregation, the league gradually accepted African American players. In the 1940s individual players and the local press challenged the segregation of the league. Because these Minor League teams integrated so much earlier than the Major Leagues or the eastern Minor Leagues, West Coast baseball fans were the first to experience a more diverse baseball game.
The Intelligent Golfer: How to Play a Civilized Game
by Scott Martin Bryan CurtisTeaching golf#x19;s subtle nuances, enabling the golfer of any level to enjoy the game to its fullest. While there are shelves of books on swing mechanics, this is the one guide that teaches what you really need to know to play golf-especially handling the social nuances and getting the most enjoyment from the game both on and off the course. Whether a duffer or a scratch player,The Intelligent Golferwill teach you something about the game and where and how it can best be played. Golf expert Scott Martin explains the finer points of dressing for the game, choosing the right equipment, on- and off-course etiquette, planning the ultimate golf adventure, and dealing with golf disasters. The Intelligent Golferwill put you at ease and answer all of your golf questions in a straightforward and humorous way-making the game of golf a lot more fun. If your boss invites you to play at his club, where should you change your shoes? If a client asks you to attend a golf tournament, what should you wear and how should your spouse or partner dress? What should you do if you are at a club and the person you are playing with asks you to concede a four-foot putt on the 18th green? Perhaps you are thinking about a golf trip to Scotland and don't know where to start (or finish).
The Internal Structure of Cloud Hands: A Gateway to Advanced T'ai Chi Practice
by Michael J. Gelb Robert TangoraThe Internal Structure of Cloud Hands offers readers an in-depth look into the art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan via the practice of Cloud Hands, a foundational exercise common to all schools of this popular martial art. Part theoretical treatise, part training manual, this book facilitates a deeper understanding of "internal" movement and training for students of T'ai Chi and other internal martial arts. Step-by-step exercises help to bring the theoretical into concrete practice and application. Author Robert E. Tangora, an accomplished practitioner and teacher of several different styles of T'ai Chi, places a heavy emphasis on the development of internal structure and building a solid foundation in the art's most basic movements. Intermediate and advanced practitioners will discover a deeply interconnected world of practice; beginning students will learn basic training methods that can help them bypass years of incomplete training and erase incorrect habits already formed. Tangora also stresses the importance of meditation and its crucial relationship to the art's health and martial aspects, as well as how to use the spine to integrate movements--especially important for practitioners with back problems who wish to learn how to move without inducing pain. Readers will learn to: * Cultivate internal power * Discover the inner workings of Tai Chi Ch'uan * Understand the meaning of the T'ai Chi classics * Move without injury * Relieve back pain
The International Boxing Hall of Fame's Basic Boxing Skills: A Step-by-step Illustrated Introduction To The Sweet Science
by Bert Randolph Sugar Floyd PattersonFor all boxers and fans, this step-by-step guide to successful boxing by a two-time World Heavyweight Champion will be educational and entertaining. Floyd Patterson set out to "pass along to you what I've learned, to unlock some of the secrets of the greatest sport in the world." He succeeded, creating a classic that's one of the most comprehensive boxing manuals ever written. Topics include rules, equipment, how to bandage your own hands, stance, bobbing and weaving, punching technique, offensive and defensive moves, strategy, and conditioning-all offered with stories from Patterson's career. Plus, there is a full workout program. With a new introduction by International Boxing Hall of Fame member Bert Randolph Sugar, this tour de force is an excellent resource for trainers and boxers as well as a tribute to a great champion's career.
The International Olympic Committee, Law, and Accountability (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)
by Ryan GauthierThe Olympic Games is unquestionably the largest and most important sporting event in the world. Yet who exactly is accountable for its successes and failures? This book examines the legitimacy and accountability of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This non-governmental organisation wields extraordinary power, but there is no democratic basis for its authority. This study questions the supremacy of the IOC, arguing that there is a significant accountability deficit. Investigating the conduct of the IOC from an international legal perspective, the book moves beyond a critique of the IOC to explore potential avenues for reform, means of improving democratic procedures and increasing accountability. If the Olympics are to continue to be our most celebrated sporting event, those who organise them must be answerable to the citizens that they can potentially harm as well as benefit. Full of original insights into the inner workings of the IOC, this book is essential reading for all those interested in the Olympics, sport policy, sport management, sport mega-events, and the law.
The International Politics of Sport in the Twentieth Century
by Jim Riordan Professor Jim RiordanThere is no better time to take a look back at the political events of the past 100 years as seen through the eyes of sport and sports people. Ten key international authorities in their respective fields lead you through the most important political elements of contemporary sport. This book is the first of its kind. It provides a wide ranging perspective through time and place and will be an invaluable tool for students studying sport from an historical and political perspective, and also for those who have a general interest in sport at its interface with politics.
The International Working Group on Women and Sport 1994-2024: The Challenge of Change (ISSN)
by Elizabeth C.J. PikeThis book comprehensively evaluates the role of the International Working Group on Women and Sport (IWG) – the world’s largest network dedicated to advancing gender equity and equality in sport, physical education, and physical activity – in influencing global and domestic policy and practice.The issues addressed by the IWG in its first three decades of activism reflect global socio-political progress, as well as emergent new problems, for women, sport, and human rights. The IWG’s commitment to collaboration with, among others, the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations has provided the foundations for globally accepted frameworks to address gender-based issues in and through sport. The advocacy work of the IWG is told via first-hand interviews with key personnel from each of the IWG Secretariats, from its establishment in 1994 to 2024, providing insight into the most significant issues, achievements, and outcomes for the international social movement for women and sport.The book is a useful resource for students in the sociology of sport, sport policy, leadership, management, coaching, and gender studies. It is also relevant to sport administrators, practitioners, policymakers, and those working in gender governance.
The Intersectional Athlete Body on Reality TV: MTV’s The Challenge (Routledge Focus on Television Studies)
by Laura LangladeThe Intersectional Athlete Body on Reality TV examines the treatment of women, non-White and queer participants on MTV’s The Challenge, a physical competition lauded as ‘America’s fifth sport’, interrogating the treatment of the intersectional body within the reality TV landscape and the influence of professional sports culture.Positing that participants’ success hinges more on identity than on skill and talent, the author unpacks and cross-examines the misogyny, racism and homophobia ingrained in The Challenge culture, and positions the analysis within the context of the hyperconservative politics of the Trump era. Drawing on freak discourse and sports media, the book positions The Challenge as a rich contextual site to explore the contention intersectional bodies that are subjected to spaces where differences increasingly matter, critically evaluating how MTV navigated differing political views to maintain audience numbers while at the same time claiming to support Black Lives Matter (BLM), #MeToo and LGBTQIA+ rights.This in-depth and intricate study will interest students and researchers working in Reality TV studies, Gender studies and Race and Sexuality studies.
The Intuitive Body: Aikido as a Clairsentient Practice
by Wendy PalmerIntuitive Body draws on the principles of the Japanese martial art aikido and meditation to present a unique method of cultivating awareness, attention, and self-acceptance.
The Intuitive Body: Discovering the Wisdom of Conscious Embodiment and Aikido
by Wendy PalmerThe Intuitive Bodydraws on the principles of the non-aggressive Japanese martial art aikido and meditation to present a fresh approach to cultivating awareness, attention, and self-acceptance. Author Wendy Palmer shows readers through basic practice and partner exercises how to become more aware of the body and trust its innate wisdom. She introduces exercises from the Conscious Embodiment and Intuition Training program she pioneered, connection movement, meditation, and breathing. These exercises form a daily practice that can help the process of integration, of deepening and unifying the self, and learning to deal with fear and anger. Written in a direct yet nurturing style and based on the author’s many years of practice and teaching, this revised edition ofThe Intuitive Bodycontains new material on Conscious Embodiment movement and meditation practices. Also here are new chapters on advocating without aggressing and the wisdom of not knowing — embodying the qualities of dignity and integrity in everyday life. The book is ideal for readers who are already engaged in the process of becoming, as well as for those who are looking for ways to find the courage to begin.
The Invention of the Beautiful Game: Football and the Making of Modern Brazil
by Gregg Bocketti“Beautifully researched and engagingly told, this book captures the bitter conflicts and surprising continuities that marked the emergence of a national style in Brazil as it tells the story of the men and women who, despite their many differences, together created ‘the beautiful game.’”—Roger Kittleson, author of The Country of Football: Soccer and the Making of Modern Brazil “Compellingly shows how each segment of Brazilian society—players, club owners, and spectators, especially the usually neglected female fans—was touched by the sport that it eventually came to proudly embrace as its own.”—Amy Chazkel, coeditor of The Rio de Janeiro Reader: History, Culture, Politics “Highlights the narrative power of soccer, showing how Brazilians—from elite sportsmen and nationalist intellectuals to common men and women—infused the sport with both personal and national importance.”—Joshua Nadel, author of Fútbol!: Why Soccer Matters in Latin America Although the popular history of Brazilian football narrates a story of progress toward democracy and inclusion, it does not match the actual historical record. Instead, football can be understood as an invention of early twentieth century middle-class and wealthy Brazilians who called themselves “sportsmen” and nationalists, and used the sport as part of their larger campaigns to shape and reshape the nation. In this cross-cutting cultural history, Gregg Bocketti traces the origins of football in Brazil from its elitist, Eurocentric identity as “foot-ball” at the end of the nineteenth century to its subsequent mythologization as the specifically Brazilian “futebol,” o jogo bonito (the beautiful game). Bocketti examines the popular depictions of the sport as having evolved from a white elite pastime to an integral part of Brazil’s national identity known for its passion and creativity, and concludes that these mythologized narratives have obscured many of the complexities and the continuities of the history of football and of Brazil. Mining a rich trove of sources, including contemporary sports journalism, archives of Brazilian soccer clubs, and British ministry records, and looking in detail at soccer’s effect on all parts of Brazilian society, Bocketti shows how important the sport is to an understanding of Brazilian nationalism and nation building in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The Invisible Mile: A Novel
by David CoventryThis acclaimed novel based on true events in the 1928 Tour de France &“is a powerful story of grim determination and one man&’s forlorn hope to conquer fear&” (Publishers Weekly). In 1928, the Ravat-Wonder cycling team became the first English-speaking peloton to compete in the Tour de France. The riders, hailing from New Zealand and Australia, were treated as exotics and isolated by language and cultural barriers. Underfinanced and undertrained, the team faced one of the toughest routes in the race&’s history: 5,476 kilometers over unsealed roads through a landscape heavy with the legacy of the Great War. 162 cyclists began the race that year; only 42 finished. A deeply introspective book, The Invisible Mile is narrated by a fictional, unnamed rider on the Ravat-Wonder team. Speaking no French and knowing few of his fellow riders, his race becomes a confrontation with memories of the Great War and a quest to understand his own place in its history. He rides on the alternating highs of cocaine and opium, pain and pleasure, victory and defeat. As he nears his final mile along the northern battlefields, trauma, exertion, and his personal demons take over. &“Bruising, beautiful and ultimately transcendent, there&’s a perfect thought on sport, humanity or endurance on just about every page.&” —Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief