Mapping Le Tour

This is a reasonable, high-level overview of all Tour de France races between 1903 and 2013: Each gets half-a-page of text with highlights (4-6 short paragraphs), at least one photo, a set of key statistics, and a full-page map. Some famous locations get their own description, a few photographs get the full spread. The book is a good introduction to the history – you learn all the big names, the famous anecdotes, you see the race format evolve over the ages – but, obviously, a superficial one. A decent coffee-table book for a cycling enthusiast. The consistent layout encourages comparisons, between routes and average speeds and such, which is the other main strength of the book, after its breadth.