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Society of the Spectacle
Historical Atlas of NYC

is the top one Guy Debord?

I'm reading a book with catalogue about Francis Bacon.

I'm reading a book about the Spanish painter Goya.

Slaying the Badger by Richard Moore is an exceptional tale of the 1986 Tour de France - and of 1980s professional cycling in general. The character portraits of Bernard Hinault, the eponymous Badger, and of Greg LeMond are fascinating. The skulduggery, betrayals, and psychological warfare in the context of camaraderie are deeply insightful and hugely engaging.

Better still is the autobiography of another legendary protagonist of that era: Laurent Fignon. We Were Young and Carefree is probably the best sports autobiography I have read since Anpfiff by Harald Toni Schumacher in 1987. Fignon, who always struck me as the Milky Bar Kid's flamboyant uncle in his dismissively aloof pomp, manages to reveal every ounce of his soul and yet keep his privacy and dignity intact in the telling (he doesn't even mention his wife or the names of his children over the course of 200-odd pages).

Though he will be remembered as one of the greats, his struggle with injury after he won consecutive Tours de France in 1983 and 1984 meant that much of his career was one long agonising slog back to the top rather than the era of dominance it promised to be. By 1989, he returned to the summit only to have the ultimate prize snatched from his grasp on the last stage by a piffling eight seconds. One of the truly iconic sporting moments of all time. There was something heroic about it, something noble. To lose a 50-second lead riding the fastest time trial of your life in your home city as you staggered over the line because your bike wasn't a legally-suspect aerodynamic missile - oh, and because you insisted on sporting a vaguely ridiculous pony-tail (that somehow worked) rather than covering up in a wind-resistant helmet - seemed unfairly cruel, a fatal strike against style and raw human personality.

In hindsight, I think that was the best thing that could ever happen a sportsman: to be part of the most iconic moment of your sport means that you'll live forever. To BE the story - and Fignon's desperate defeat was the story rather than LeMond's unlikely victory - means that you've transcended your sport and appealed to people's empathy and emotions in a way that mere victory never could.

That he has since died of cancer aged 50 only adds to the sadness. In a world of automatons and media exhibitionists, Fignon was his own man. Arrogant, willful, and driven, he was a legendary cyclist: not a celebrity. A fantastic read.

Drico.

I also like reading biographies, mostly of artists I admit. I once read a book about the
Tour de France where interesting stories around it have been told. Funny (cyclists
taken the wrong direction, got drunk etc.), sad (accidents for instance), just informa-
tive (history, bikes) ...

I'm currently reading a book by Elly Beinhorn, a famous female aviator.
It's a very interesting read in historical kind of way, Germany pre WW II
and the visited countries that period, their political systems and leaders.

Another interesting read was the article about me and my art in the local
main newspaper.

Never really read books but just read Jimmy White - Behind The White Ball. It was awesome. It only goes up until 1998 but well worth a read.

Undertaker wrote:Never really read books but just read Jimmy White - Behind The White Ball. It was awesome. It only goes up until 1998 but well worth a read.

We should set up Undertaker's Book Club on here where we all have to read a book of your choice every month. I love sports books and want to write one of my own once I find a subject that nobody's written on yet. That one Drico suggested sounds good. I've got a huge pile of books to get round to. I read the latest Botham biography over Christmas - perfunctory but a page turner nevertheless. I want to read that Robert Enke one too.

Next month in Undertaker's Book Club we're reading

Really should read more. The Jimmy White book was ace. I'd like to read Gazza's book and Glenn Hoddle's. Also Alan Partridge as well. Going to order Jimmy Whites other book that came out a few years ago.

That Andy Bell book is going to be the text version of Non Stop Erotic Cabaret, isn't it

Reading a book about the philosopher John Dewey.

I just started a book by Till Lindemann who's the frontman of Rammstein.
It's called 'Messer'* and includes his poems apart from Rammstein, his
father was a well known lyricist in the former East Germany, to whom the
book is dedicated.
The book is very interesting, touching, although very hard words like in the
Rammstein lyrics. When reading the poems you seem to hear his 'singing'
voice.

The book includes some rare and rather unusual photos of Till Lindemann.

______________
* Messer = Knife

A new book about Frida Kahlos photographies. They've been in
the closet for 50 years! The book was released in 2010.

Muy interesante!

Finished a book/catalogue about portraits by Lucian Freud and started
a book of interviews with Francis Bacon.

Reading a biography about Dora Maar.