Beryl - In Search of Britain's Greatest Athlete, Beryl Burton Synopsis
Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022
Cyclist Beryl Burton - also known as BB - dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, but with a longevity that surpasses even sporting legends like Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams and Sir Steve Redgrave.
She was practically invincible in time trials, finishing as Best All-Rounder for 25 consecutive years and setting a world record in 1967 for the distance covered in 12 hours that beat the men. She won multiple world titles, even when the distances didn't play to her strengths. But her achievements were limited by discrimination from the cycling authorities, and by her strictly amateur status against state-sponsored rivals from Eastern Bloc nations.
Yet she carried on winning, beating men and - infamously - competing against her own daughter, while working on a farm and running a household. Her motivation, sparked by appalling childhood illness, is as fascinating as her achievements are stunning. With access to previously unseen correspondence and photographs, and through extensive interviews with family, friends, rivals and fellow giants from across sport, acclaimed journalist Jeremy Wilson peels back the layers to reveal one of the most complex, enigmatic and compelling characters in cycling history. For the first time, he also provides the jaw-dropping answer to how fast she would still be on modern cycling technology.
Long ignored by sporting history, Burton's life story - recently told by Maxine Peake in a stage and radio play - is finally getting the recognition she deserves.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781788162920 |
| Publication date: |
7th July 2022 |
| Author: |
Jeremy Wilson |
| Publisher: |
Pursuit an imprint of Profile Books Ltd |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
336 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Sports
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| Other Genres: |
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Jeremy Wilson Press Reviews
'The most comprehensive chronicle of its kind' - Yorkshire Post
'What a story Wilson has uncovered. No one in the history of sport can have worked with quite the self-sacrificing single-mindedness ... a woman of thermonuclear levels of competitiveness '-- Jim White - The Oldie
'Jeremy Wilson finds the human heart of a story that gets more extraordinary as a unique athlete recedes into history. Very highly recommended.' -- Richard Williams
'The scale of unsung achievement is awe-inspiring' -- Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, 11 times Paralympic champion
'Remarkable' -- Ilkley Gazette
'A marvellous book. Gives a real insight into Beryl and the times. For the first time I feel like I really know her and questions have been answered. So wonderfully researched, so many things I didn't know! It really puts her on the roster of legends.' -- Maxine Peake
'One of the greatest figures in the history of British sport. -- Matthew Syed
'I had never realised the longevity and scale of achievement. I'm in awe.' -- Dame Katherine Grainger
'The least publicised, least rewarded great woman athlete ever to be disregarded by her own country.' - The Times
'This is not a hagiography, and all the better for it. Wilson brings her personality to life, faults and all. Meticulously researched. Compelling' -- Isabel Best, author of Queens of Pain
'A superb book about someone who was great before her time' - Pez Cycling News
About Jeremy Wilson
Jeremy Wilson is the Chief Sports Reporter for the Daily Telegraph. He was voted investigative sports reporter and national journalist of the year for his work on football and dementia. His sports writing was again highly commended in 2021 at both the British Press Awards and the British Journalism Awards. A lifelong club cyclist, he worked previously as a sports journalist for the Guardian.
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