June 29, 2009
By winning the Tour de France seven straight times (after surviving testicular cancer, no less), Lance Armstrong reached the hallowed status of athletes like Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. With Armstrong's cooperation, Wilcockson (23 Days in July) profiles the cyclist's rise from a hell-raising Texas kid to a determined, disciplined champion who celebrates the highs of sports immortality while enduring lows like repeated doping allegations and shattered relationships. Wilcockson has tracked down an array of impressive sources-numerous cycling associates, family members, even Armstrong's ex-wife, Kristin. However, the resulting interviews provide little more than inspirational platitudes or fuzzy reminiscences, which are accompanied by ponderous accounts of training regimens and cycling events. With Wilcockson's fawning prose the book consistently reads like a press release (e.g., "Once Lance makes a promise...he always keeps it") a heavy contributor. Armstrong has led an extraordinary life so far, becoming synonymous with a sport and a disease while befriending movie stars and dating celebrities like Sheryl Crow.
June 15, 2009
Nearly everyone has heard of Lance Armstrong, the imposing bicyclist who overcame testicular cancer and won seven straight (1999-2005) Tour de France races. Wilcockson ("23 Days in July: Inside Lance Armstrong's Record-Breaking Tour de France Victory") provides an extensive look at his early life. Armstrong's mother became pregnant with him when she was 16, leading to her marriage to Lance's father, from whom Lance is estranged; he was named after Lance Rentzel of the Dallas Cowboys; Lance's parents came from low-income families and were ill equipped, financially and emotionally, to raise a child. Wilcockson writes of the petty crimes that Lance committed as a juvenile and of how the often unstable domestic environment of his youth would impact his own later short-lived marriage. Through it all, however, Lance became an outstanding athlete, moving from triathlon competitions to concentrating on bike racing. VERDICT Although there are nearly no details of Lance's life provided after 2005, this book offers stories and insights that will make it a popular choice for those who follow Armstrong and/or his sport.Tim Delaney, SUNY at Oswego
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 1, 2009
Detailed, hagiographic biography of one of the world's most inspiring athletes.
Sports and fitness journalist Wilcockson—who previously wrote about Lance Armstrong in 23 Days in July (2004)—begins with Armstrong's childhood in Texas, during which he matured under the watchful eyes of a doting mother and a disciplinarian yet generous stepfather. By his mid teens he had become a nationally ranked triathlete and was soon reaping the rewards of his notoriety. Yet, as Wilcockson learned from interviews with Armstrong's friends and family, there was anger in him, possibly stemming from the discovery of his stepfather's infidelity. There was also arrogance—success had come too easily. In 1996, the 25-year-old Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his lungs, abdomen and brain. Given a 50 percent chance of survival, his future looked bleak. But in 1999, after brain surgery and debilitating chemotherapy, Armstrong won the Tour de France—and would win it another six consecutive years, all the while fighting baseless accusations of doping. Wilcockson is at his best describing this tortuous 2,200-mile event, which tests athletes to the breaking point, and he ably captures the world of European cycling—the techniques, personalities and overwhelming passion. The author also outlines Armstrong's personal life, including his failed marriage, relationship with singer Sheryl Crow and the growth of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and its"Live Strong" campaign. Ultimately, though, Armstrong remains a mystery. For all the detail he provides, Wilcockson—perhaps being too close to the subject—never quite penetrates the protective shield of Armstrong's public persona.
Serviceable but not definitive.
(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
May 15, 2009
The new Tempe Brennan thriller opens with the forensic anthropologist being held by an unknown captor, hidden away in some cold, dark place. As she struggles to remember what has happened to her, the story shifts to Brennans recent autopsy of the remains of a missing womanand to an accusation that she deliberately tried to cover up a murder. As Brennan and her investigative partner, Lieutenant Andrew Ryan, of the Montreal police, try to find out who would want to ruin Tempes reputation, they stumble on a possible serial killer. Can Brennan solve the case and rescue her reputation? Well, of course she can, but theres still the matter of who abducted Tempe, and why . . . and whether she can extricate herself from what appears to be certain death. Some readers, especially those familiar with the TV series Bones, based on the Brennan novels, might find the novel a bit episodic, as Brennan moves from case to case (there are even short captive scenes positioned where commercial breaks would naturally fall if this were a television show).On the other hand, Reichs is telling a story that requires an episodic structure: Brennan puts together clues gleaned from a series of cases, spread out in time, to unmask a villain. And, its worth noting, the author pulls off a JefferyDeaverworthy unmasking, too: few readers will see this plot twist coming. A very good installment in a popular series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)