Amazon Best Book of the Month, American Library in Paris Coup de Cœur
“A riveting story of cyclists navigating the ruin and hope of post-WWI France,” American Library in Paris Citation
“A masterful job telling the story of the 13th Tour de France, vividly capturing the personalities and the challenges of a race whose course wended past trenches and where ‘bird nests of barbed wire sat in irregular bundles, like rusted tumbleweeds.”’ – Air Mail
“A timely and moving reminder that reclaiming a tradition can reunify a country, even after a period of great loss.” – Christian Science Monitor
“An epic tale.” –Wall Street Journal
“Sprinting Through No Man’s Land is that rare cycling book that will resonate with non-cyclists, and Adin Dobkin’s eloquent reportage will engage aficionados of the Great War.” –Washington Independent Review of Books
“A triumph of nonfiction storytelling…” –Wrath-Bearing Tree
“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… [He] vividly describes arduous ascents, rubble-strewn streets, and the crowds that lined the route, waving flags and shouting encouragement. The result is an immersive look at the mythical power of sports to unite and inspire.” –Publishers Weekly
“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
“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, the bestselling author of The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies
“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
“Beautifully written, compellingly told, Adin Dobkin weaves together a masterful narrative of war, returning to the resiliency of the human spirit.” –Elliot Ackerman, National Book Award finalist and coauthor of 2034
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Sprinting Through No Man’s Land follows the participants of the 1919 Tour de France, the second longest Tour in history and arguably its most grueling iteration, taking place just months after the end of World War I. The book, published by Little A, traces the race of a lifetime and looks at how regular, but extraordinary people rebuild after catastrophic wars. You can order Sprinting at IndieBound, Bookshop, Amazon, Books-A-Million, or your local bookstore and add it on Goodreads here.