Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France

Review An Amazon Best Book of the Month: History“This is an epic tale.” ― Wall Street Journal “Journalist Dobkin debuts with a novelistic blow-by-blow account of the first Tour de France run after WWI, shining light on the wartime experiences of its racers, organizers, and observers…The result is an immersive look at the mythical power of sports to unite and inspire.” ― Publishers Weekly “This is an evocatively written homage to the 1919 Tour…This inspirational sports story demonstrates the power of a race to unite a country suffering from the wounds of war and is immersed in wartime historical detail. Cycling fans will get more than an account of the race in this volume, which will also appeal to readers interested in WWI.” ― Booklist “ Sprinting Through No Man’s Land is a timely and moving reminder that reclaiming a tradition can reunify a country, even after a period of great loss.” ― Christian Science Monitor “Dobkin does a masterful job of telling the story of the 13th Tour de France, vividly capturing the personalities and challenges of a race.” ― Air Mail “Astonishing. With beautiful prose, compelling narrative, and meticulous research, Adin Dobkin does far more than just record the history of a race―he conjures an entire world reeling in the aftermath of World War I.” ―Phil Klay, National Book Award winner and author of Missionaries “Beautifully written, compellingly told. Adin Dobkin weaves together a masterful narrative of war, returning, and the resilience of the human spirit.” ―Elliot Ackerman, National Book Award finalist and coauthor of 2034: A Novel of the Next World War “A moving and deeply researched book documenting the Tour de France’s rebirth after the Great War. Dobkin’s prose is lyric and at turns intricate and sweeping. He brilliantly captures Europe’s collective longing to rebuild through a competition whose epic terms and improbable cast of characters speak to the hope and uncertainty that defined a generation devastated by violence. More than a chronicle of sport, this is an incredible story of how the mind and body reckon with the scars of war.” ―Jen Percy, author of Demon Camp: The Strange and Terrible Saga of a Soldier’s Return from War “Vivid and inspiring. A century ago, in a brutal race like no other, cyclists faced war-torn roads and their own demons, and Dobkin spins through their tale in a sweet gear, showing the power of sport and the resilience of the heart.” ―Jason Fagone, author of the bestselling The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies About the Author Adin Dobkin is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine , The Atlantic , the Paris Review , and the Los Angeles Review of Books , among others. Born in Santa Barbara, California, Adin received his MFA from Columbia University. For more information about the author and his works, please visit www.adindobkin.com.