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I have a fascination with words, even though the roots of this site were originally about cycling, it was more of a continuation of my literature studies. As a lit major, I didn’t excel, but I found the dedication and focus required for the study of literature intriguing. Despite the distractions (OMG A SQUIRREL!!!), I was drawn to the world of literature.
The Podium Cafe emerged at the right time, after the era of Lance Armstrong, to meet the growing interest in cycling with an English language platform for discussion. The lack of cycling-related books in bookstores led to the birth of the Cafe Bookshelf in 2008, where reviews of works by writers like Joe Parkin, Matt Rendell, and Richard Moore found a place. The Cafe Bookshelf is now the most comprehensive collection of in-depth cycling book reviews in English.
The Cafe Bookshelf was established through a shared love of cycling books and writing about them with “fmk” from Dublin, now known as Feargal McKay. Together, we created a space for thorough reviews of cycling books, filling a gap in English-language coverage.
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Despite my background in literature, I’ve always had a deep love for reading about sports. From a young age, I would spend hours at the public library devouring sports books, finding joy in tales of injured heroes and ball sports legends. This love of sports literature persisted, leading me to pursue a senior-level seminar in American Sports Fiction.
Top Five Books from my American Sports Fiction Class:
Shoeless Joe
The Dixie Association
The Natural
The Celebrant
The Universal Baseball Association Inc., Henry J. Waugh Prop.
Post-graduation, I delved into book reviews as a way to continue my literary exploration. This exposure to the art of book reviewing laid the groundwork for the Cafe Bookshelf’s approach of providing contextual discussions alongside book reviews. Collaborating with Feargal McKay, the Cafe Bookshelf evolved into a comprehensive collection of cycling book reviews.
Feargal’s reviews have inspired my reading choices, prompting me to purchase several books based on his recommendations. His commitment to crafting thoughtful reviews has elevated the Cafe Bookshelf to its current state.
I am grateful to Feargal for his dedication to the craft of book reviews, and his reviews have truly shaped the Cafe Bookshelf into something remarkable.
Seven Books I am Going To Buy Because of Feargal’s Reviews:
Dear Hugo, Herbie Sykes’ fictional tribute to Hugo Koblet.
Sprinting Through No Man’s Land, about the 1919 Tour.
End to End, riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Riding in the Zone Rouge, another post-WW1 book.
The Ascent, about the rise of Irish Cycling.
Anquetil, Alone whose title says it all.
Cycling’s World Championships, The Inside Story! How can you go wrong?
Some fun facts!
Our very own Majope is a significant published author, with a particular interest in Heinrich Haussler.
Feargal is a published author, and I had the opportunity to review his first work, The Complete Book of the Tour de France.
I wrote a book (self-published), called For the Love of the Cobbles, and Feargal wrote a review of it.
My critical review of Feargal’s book was not intended to undermine his work but to provide a thorough analysis, acknowledging the complexity of literary criticism.
The Cafe Bookshelf will remain a testament to our dedication to cycling literature, even after the site closes. I encourage readers to continue enjoying Feargal’s work and the contributions of our occasional reviewers.
Chris’ Five Favorite Books about Cycling:
Dino Buzzati, Giro d’Italia.
Richard Moore, In Search of Robert Millar.
Herbie Sykes, Eagle of the Canavese.
William Fotheringham, Fallen Angel.
Matt Rendell, The Death of Marco Pantani.
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