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1923
- The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession
- Narrated by: Ned Boulting
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
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1923
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Summary
WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: SPORT
NOMINATED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
'An absorbing mix of historical sleuthing and travel writing'
The Telegraph
'[a] fascinating and often touching book… Wonderful'
The Times
The story of an obsession. When cycling commentator Ned Boulting bought a length of Pathé news film featuring a stage of the Tour de France from 1923 he set about learning everything he could about it – taking him on an intriguing journey that encompasses travelogue, history and detective story.
In the autumn of 2020 Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge.
Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence – studying each frame, face and building – until he had squeezed the meaning from it. It sets him off in fascinating directions, encompassing travelogue, history, mystery story – to explain, to go deeper into this moment in time, captured on his little film.
Join him as he explores the history of cycling and France just five years after WWI.
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What listeners say about 1923
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- stuart brazier
- 13-02-24
A lovely trip down a cycling rabbit hole
if u like bikes the TDF, France,history, or just the sound of Neds voice buy it!!! listen to this book on my long winter rides.....
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Graham Holmes
- 01-08-23
history time and cycling woven together
Thank you for weaving history time and cycling all together in this fantastic book.
A delight to read as well as to listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Peter Tomkinson
- 27-06-23
Wonderful snapshot of place, culture and society of the interwar tdf
Just brilliant, tangentialy investigating and seeking out the wonderful richness of Europe in 1923.
Great.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- k pius
- 30-06-23
Amazing book!
Mon Dieu, what a book... Mensieur Boulting has done something extraordinary! This is how writing of a cycling book should look like, full of passion. Absolute gem of a listen, filled with heroes, superheroes.
I love this book. It is a masterpiece!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 01-07-23
From a short clip of film so many interesting stories
By looking into the granular detail of the short piece of film bought at auction so many lives and stories are discovered. A fascinating insight into a period of cycling and history I knew little about.
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- Joe
- 18-07-23
Wow - that was unexpected
Thought I was buying a story of a historic Tour de France race but was given so so much more. Wonderful, Bravo Ned. Fabulous from star to finish-kudos all the way :)
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- katie weston
- 13-07-23
Captivating
I’m a cycling fan but I’d have no hesitation in recommending this to people who aren’t really interested in professional racing. Cycling so often takes us on journeys and this journey is masterfully told, filled with details that make me want to go away and learn more.
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- Burt Contador
- 01-07-23
Simply beautiful
An extraordinary tale that weaves through the history of cycling and the 20th Century. Beautifully written and read, it is a truly moving story.
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- C. P. Hennessy
- 06-04-24
Fascinating ramble based on 1923 cyclists
I enjoy listening to Ned, he's not a historian, but he's intelligent, he's researched his subject (obsession) and he's a good story teller. This book taught me about the politics and real life of the between war years in France, Germany and Belgium, and why WW2 was almost inevitable given the attitudes after WW1.
thanks Ned.
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- CSteven88
- 10-06-24
One of the best
From the very beginning of this story you are gripped by it. Following Ned as he goes further and further into researching a simple short news reel from over a century ago is truly captivating. And he writes (or reads in this case) about the whole thing beautifully.
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