Around The World On Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride

ISBN-13: 9780806530666 / Angielski / Miękka / 2008 / 272 str.

Peter Zheutlin

Opis

Peter Zheutlin's thoroughly researched account will make you wish you'd been around to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary woman as she went wheeling by. --Bill Littlefield, National Public Radio's "Only A Game"
Until 1894 there were no female sport stars, no product endorsement deals, and no young mothers with the chutzpah to circle the globe on a bicycle. Annie Londonderry changed all of that.
When Annie left Boston in June of that year, she was a brash young lady with a 42-pound bicycle, a revolver, a change of underwear, and a dream of freedom. She was also a feisty mother of three who had become the center of what one newspaper called "one of the most novel wagers ever made": a high-stakes bet between two wealthy merchants that a woman could not ride around the world on a bicycle. The epic journey that followed took the connection between athletics and commercialism to dizzying new heights, and turned Annie Londonderry into a symbol of women's equality.
A vastly entertaining blend of social history, high adventure, and maverick marketing, "Around the World on Two Wheels" is an unforgettable portrait of courage, imagination, and tenacity.
"Annie was a remarkable woman and well worth getting to know." --"Booklist"
"A wonderful telling of one of the most intriguing, offbeat, and until now, lost chapters in the history of cycling." --David Herlihy, author of "Bicycle: The History"
"A pleasant, affectionate portrait of a free spirit who pedaled her way out of Victorian constraints." --"Kirkus Reviews"
" A] charming and informative book." --"Cape Cod Times"
" An] incredible story. . . a] fascinating book." --"NextReads"
" A] stirring tale. . .not only a must read, but a must have." --"Western Writers of America Roundup Magazine"
" A] remarkable saga." --"The Winston-Salem (NC) Journal"
" R]ead s]. . .like a novel." --"The Columbia (SC) State"
" M]eticulously researched. . .illuminat es] the feeling of a bygone era." --"The Portsmouth (NH) Wire"
Peter Zheutlin has been chasing the story of his great-grandaunt Annie Londonderry for more than four years. He is an avid cyclist and a freelance journalist whose work appears regularly in the "Boston Globe " and the "Christian Science Monitor. " He has also written for the "New York Times, " the "Los Angeles Times, " the "Washington Post, AARP Magazine, Bicycling, " the "New England Quarterly, " and other publications. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts.