Aili and Andres McConnon
In Road to Valor,
siblings Aili and Andres McConnon offer the first in-depth, English-language
telling of the life and career of Italian cycling legend Gino Bartali. Bartali’s career spanned World War Two, as
well as the immediate pre- and post-war years, and his long-term success in
Europe’s most prestigious and grueling races, including the Tour de France,
made him among the most famous athletes and public figures of mid-century
Italy.
What emerges to make this story truly remarkable, though, is
the sense of Bartali’s character and his tenacity, endurance, and commitment,
both on and off the bicycle. Though the
Fascists tried to co-opt his success for propaganda purposes, Bartali not only
resisted them but used his heroic public stature in Italy to actively aid the
resistance and relief efforts for Italian Jews persecuted during the war years,
becoming a hero in every sense of the word.
Though the book has a few pacing issues (a history of the
bicycle early in the story feels out of place, for instance), this really is a
remarkable tale which should have been told sooner. It gives us an essential and heretofore
largely missing picture not just of Gino Bartali but indeed a whole nation
during a very difficult period, seen through his unique yet humble eyes.
- Bill Cameron
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