Review: Road to Valor

It's hard to say to what extent my enjoyment of Road to Valor was influenced by my love of cycling.

The book is essentially a biography of World War II era cyclist, Gino Bartali. Bartali was a two-time winner of the Tour de France, but he was also a war hero who helped to save many Italian Jews from the Nazis. His story is an interesting and complex one, but for all that, he isn't a very likeable character.

Gino Bartali won the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948.

For me, the most fascinating parts of the book were those that described the early days of the Tour de France. The final chapters were particularly gripping, and the reader will really feel the tension as Gino struggles through the mountain passes of the Tour and Italy struggles to recover from the war.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in World War II Italy or the history of bicycle racing.