Eddy Merckx: The Cannibal

Eddy Merckx was just before my time. I knew the name, of course, but didn't really know much about the man who used to just be called 'The Cannibal.' There are a couple of nice documentaries available on YouTube that center on Merckx, 'Stars and Watercarriers', 'The Greatest Show on Earth', and 'A Sunday in Hell' (although this last one is as much about another Belgian wunderkind, Roger de Vlaeminck...). After watching these a few times, I bought this for my Kindle. The various names of European people and places can get to be a bit much for the uninitiated, it is true... but that seems a small price to pay for the better understanding you come away with after reading the author's account. If I compare and contrast this book with 'Slaying the Badger', I think this is a much more thorough and fair read owing to the fact that Merckx was not consulted and declined to be interviewed. This left the author free to interview the people who knew him best, and the book winds up being less about Merckx the man and more about the Merckx mystique... the phenomenon that was Eddy Merckx and the impact he had on the sport. Merckx was so good initially, he could afford to be utterly ruthless. He didn't need to depend on anyone. Later, after his crash on the track in 1969, the emphasis seemed to be to build the strongest group of riders around Merckx and to increasingly rely upon their talents to bring him to the point where he could attack and win. Still, he was never one to give anything away, insisting that 'You give gifts at Christmas and birthdays, not at bike races.' One of the things I always admired about French champion Bernard Hinault was his willingness to help his team mates win important races in return for their loyalty... The book works hard at giving you a portrait of Merckx that is actually a series of small biographies of the riders, managers, coaches, etc. that knew and worked with or competed against him. This ends up being a very satisfying way of getting at 'Merckx the Phenomenon' if it is less successful at unlocking the essence of 'Merckx the Man.' It's all in this book... the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are reasons why many in the peloton didn't love Merckx, and there are many fine reasons for admiring him. The saddest aspect of the whole account are those final couple of years where he was desperately trying to keep on competing at the highest levels... his use of a banned drug (Stimul), for example. Yet I can only imagine what that must have been like... to have to let go of something that you had been so great at... that everyone - friends and foes alike - admired or hated you for. It reminded me of those stories of Roman conquerors riding in their chariots through the streets of Rome to celebrate their victories, a 'Triumph'... there was always a slave in the chariot holding a laurel wreath above the conquerors' head and whispering in his ear, "All glory is fleeting." Sometimes I've read where supposedly the slave whispers, "Remember, thou art only a mortal." The former to my mind applies to Merckx the Phenomenon and the latter to Merckx the Man.

I basically agree with what others have already said; the story itself is entertaining, and I have learned a lot of interesting facts, but the reading experience was quite a lot affected by the peculiar writing style and (lack of?) editing and proofreading. Some of the sentences are just incomprehensible, and even after 3-4 times re-reading it doesn't become clear what the message is. The strange thing is that in some parts of the book the text is actually quite easy to read (in the middle and near the end of the book) - is it maybe so that only parts of the book have been reviewed by an editor? There are plenty of 'unusual', archaic and exotic words used in the book. I didn't mind too much about that, since I could quickly look them up in my Kindle's dictionary, and I even learned some new words along the way! However, with a paper version of the book it might have gotten slightly annoying. The 'eruditeness' in the text, obtained by frequently using 'difficult' sentences and words, is however completely nullified by spelling mistakes and other errors that just should have been avoided (or at least corrected by someone). For example, Herleen should be Heerlen, Valkenberg should be Valkenburg, Martens should be Maertens, and so on and so on. As other example; the author goes through great lengths to knowledgeably explain the subtle differences between Belgium, Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia, but, then on another page apparently he doesn't know there is a difference between Holland and The Netherlands. Stating that Herleen (sic) is in the south of Holland is about as smart as stating that Glasgow is in the north of England - the inhabitants might disagree! Nevertheless, the amount of work behind this book has been enormous, and I really do admire the outcome content-wise. There are plenty things of to learn, and the story itself is gripping at certain moments. I certainly do not regret buying this book, and I can recommend it to anyone interested in cycling history - just be prepared to have bumpy ride now and then. I would give it 3.5 stars (so it gets rounded up to 4 now).

If you wanted to know about the enigmatic and engaging, Eddy Merckx, this engrossing well written volume objectively recounts his life, talent, and races that made him a legend. Moreover, it shows the breath of his talent compared to some so called stars of recent years. It is a truly remarkable retelling of an amazing talent, physically, psychologically, emotionally. The races are nail biting, and his opponents disappointment, heart rending. Turn these engrossing pages and enter the golden period of international bicycle racing!

Great story of Eddie Merckx. If you have an interest in cycling history during the 60s and 70s or Eddie Merckx, how can you do one without the other, get this book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Being a keen cyclist I know who Eddy Merckx is, but as he was way before my time, I did not know an awful lot about his career. This book filled in the gaps, and presented what I felt was a balanced viewed of a rider who is universally acknowledged as the greatest ever, but who was not universally loved by all at the height of his success. Unfortunately I felt the book was let down by poor sentence structure and poor grammar. I had to re-read a number of sentences several times to actually work out what they were saying,...a sure sign that it could have been said simpler, and there was the occasional typo. This made the book more difficult to read than what it should have been.

Nice bio of Eddy, the greatest bike racer of all time. Put the 'new' doping issues into a broader perspective.

If you're remotely a cycling enthusiast, you know the name of Eddy Merckx. A half step beyond that, and you know that Eddy is universally regarded as the greatest cyclist of all time. Beyond that, he might only exist in your mind as bits of legend and grainy photographs. This wonderfully detailed and readable book does a tremendous job of fleshing out the man, and as importantly, the times, the races, and Merckx' contemporaries. Even if you've read other books about "The Cannibal," I can't imagine that this wouldn't be enjoyable and enhance your appreciation of the legend.

Fantastic read good for cyclists and non cyclists alike. Hearkens back to a different era of professional athletes without getting too hyperbolic or judgemental. Clear voice and not a lot of unnecessary flowery language to describe what is fundamentally a rough sport. Im glad I finally read this!

It takes a different direction to true biographies. It is a well researched bunch of stories collected from people. Stick it out and you will get a good impression of Merckx; who may not be all you thought he was.

A great book if you're into cycling. I'd already read 'MERCKX half Man, Half Bike' by William Fortheringham and this book by Daniel Friebe is a good companion to it. You don't really realise just how good Merckx was until you look at his record - he won 5 Tours, 5 Giro's, 1 Vuelta all five of the Monuments (won at least twice) plus thee World Road Race Championships (The Triple Crown in 1974) these are just some of the hundreds of races detailed. The book shows his rise through the ranks and ends with his demise as his physical power wanes - a sad end to a truly great career. Some of the descriptions of Merckx battles with the likes of Ocana, De Vlaeminck, Zoetemelk, Thevenet,, Van Impe, (themselves great cyclists who would have won lots more races if Merckx had taken up football instead of cycling) are so vivid they make you want to get your bike out and put in some miles. A great book about a truly great sportsman.

Normally biographies are readable only because of the intrigue and exploits of their subjects... in this case the book is a pleasant read regardless of the grandeur of it's subject. It would hold the attention of a discerning reader uninitiated to the world of cycling.

Es un buen libro para acercarse a la figura de Eddy Merckx por primera vez. El relato describe a un corredor con hambre de triunfos, que corre 125 kilómetros diarios en promedio a lo largo del año, que se divierte en las carreras, y que tiene pasión por el ciclismo. Posiblemente, esa mezcla de talento, trabajo y motivación está detrás de un palmarés tan espectacular que ensombreció a otros corredores de su generación. Pero el libro parece a ratos más un ensayo que una biografía deportiva. Lógicamente describe las victorias épicas (como la cabalgada en solitario con final en Mourenx en 1969) y las derrotas épicas (como la etapa del Tour en la que Luis Ocaña fue el vencedor, en Orcières-Merlette en 1970). Pero el libro destaca sobre todo por su capacidad explicativa, por la interpretación y por los análisis. Me ha interesado especialmente la última parte, en la que describe el declive y la jubilación de un corredor que lo había sido todo en el ciclismo.

As a good summary of the life of the man voted in a number of polls as one of the best sportspeople ever, this is quite good. All the highs and lows are there, and there is an analysis of what drove The Cannibal, and what made him different to those who have gone before and come after him. While Armstrong may be held high in the eyes of many, it must be remember Merckx was succesful in Classics as well as the Grand Tours, whereas Lance just concentrated on the Tour. Friebe allows for competing analysis from a range of sources, those who competed against Merckx, those who rode with him and those who reported on his career. Of course it helps to know the background to each of Merckx's interactions with those who have been interviewed- obviously some come with more an an agenda and desire to protect their legacies than others, and the author does well to reflect these, without negatively impacting on the validity of their input. One voice that is missing is Merckx himself who did not want to collaborate with the book (apart from a brief conversation detailed in the epilogue).Friebe insists this is actually more beneficial, but there is still a void there that is not filled. While a certain amount of revisionism is to be expected, I do feel that Merckx's absence is most clearly felt as Friebe attempts to deal with the controversies that surround Eddy. This is no hiagoraphy but it would be good to see what how these events are now viewed by the man himself with hindsight-to get this however the reader would need to seek out the other works Merckx did collaborate on. This is generally well put together, although on a small number of occasions I had to re-read sentences a couple of times to get their meaning-some were open to ambiguity which should have been addressed at the editing stage. Overall though I recommend this as a good summary of Merckx's life though I am looking forward to checking out William Fotherington's Half Man, Half Bike, to see how he deals with Merckx.