''Road to Valour: A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation'' is a non-fiction book about the humanitarian and two-time

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

-winning cyclist,

Gino Bartali Gino Bartali, (; 18 July 1914 – 5 May 2000), nicknamed Gino the Pious and (in Italy) Ginettaccio, was a champion road cyclist. He was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia twice, in ...

, which was written by Aili and Andres McConnon and first published in 2012. The book chronicles Bartali's journey from poverty as a child in Tuscany to a career as a professional cyclist that saw him win the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948. It also highlights his efforts to assist groups politically targeted in World War II-era Italy, including smuggling false identity documents and sheltering a Jewish family.

Reception

On September 8, 2012, the book was number eight after a five-week period on the ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

'' Non-Fiction Bestseller List.

Critical reception

Ben Reiter of ''Sports Illustrated'' praised the book's “exhaustive research,” and compared it to Laura Hillenbrand's “'' Seabiscuit: An American Legend''.” Bill Littlefield reviewed the book for

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

and in ''The Boston Globe'', praised the authors for telling the story of Bartali's "great and greater victories powerfully and well.” ''The Globe and Mail'' called it “(i)mpeccably researched and thrillingly told." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' found it to be “both inspiring and immensely enjoyable.” ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'' described it as a "dramatic and moving story that is virtually unknown to most readers." Nobel Laureate

Elie Wiesel Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates#1980, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored Elie Wiesel bibliogra ...

described Bartali's story as "a moving example of moral courage."

Honors

''Road to Valour'' won the Mazzei Prize from the National Italian-American Foundation in 2012, a Christopher Award, and the Canadian Jewish Book Award for biography in 2013. It was also shortlisted as a finalist for the 2013 PEN/ESPN Prize for Literary Sports Writing.

References

{{reflist Sports biographies 2012 non-fiction books Weidenfeld & Nicolson books Doubleday Canada books Crown Publishing Group books Cycling books