In Tim Moore's third book he continues to stake his claim to a place on the short list of smart, irreverent and very funny travel writers. Moore is in excellent company; the closest comparisons I can think of are Mark Twain, especially in INNOCENTS ABROAD, and Bill Bryson, with THE LOST CONTINENT: Travels in Small Town America and A WALK IN THE WOODS: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.

In FRENCH REVOLUTIONS, Moore recounts his experiences bicycling the route of the 2000 Tour de France. At age 36, he allowed himself six weeks to cover the 2,256 mile course (minus a couple of shortcuts), which the Tour racers would pedal over three weeks later that summer. As might be expected of a good travel book, even a comical one, FRENCH REVOLUTIONS provides historical and factual information about the Tour and about champions such as Eddie Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Lance Armstrong. Moore obviously respects the athletic accomplishments of those heroes but he is also fascinated by the exploits of less well-known characters. These include cyclists Tom Simpson, who died during the 1967 Tour of heart failure caused by ephedrine found in both his pocket and his liver (Simpson's last words were, "Put me back on the bloody bike"); Maurice Garin, who was disqualified after finishing first in 1904 because "he had employed the unimaginative but devastatingly effective measure of forgoing his bicycle in favour of a railway carriage during some of the longer stages;" and Pierre Brambilla, who dropped out of the scorching-hot 1948 Tour in agony, buried his bike in his garden, and never raced again.

In addition to sharing oddball Tour trivia (which, as a casual reader I found pretty interesting), Moore takes advantage of every opportunity to make fun of himself and the French. Beginning on Page One with a description of his own very modest biking background --- "I find that my cycling memories are imbued less with a nostalgic sepia glow than a stark fluorescent glare of fear and failure" --- Moore hilariously recounts his trials and misadventures pedaling through heat and snow, battling mountains and traffic, within the limits of his painfully unathletic physiology. A typical bit of slapstick involves Moore's attempts to emulate Tour cyclists who, rather than stop to pee in the bushes, have mastered the art of "widdling on the wing." Moore also comically spears Tour organizers, promoters, sponsors, and travel offices; for example, in the town of Limoges, "the over-staffed and under-customered tourist office seemed profoundly sceptical of the concept of buildings with bedrooms and restaurants that tourists could stay in."

My only reservation in recommending FRENCH REVOLUTIONS to an American audience is that Moore, a writer for British Esquire and Vanity Fair, seems to be very British. I found many of his references to television shows, films, products, and the like to be a bit mystifying. Aside from that, though, this is a funny and enjoyable light read.

   --- Reviewed by Michael J. Dooris (mjd1@psu.edu)

Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.

© Copyright 1996-2010, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.