Major : a Black athlete, a White era, and the fight to be the world's fastest human being /
At the turn of the 20th century, hundreds of handsome, lightning-fast racers won the hearts and minds of a bicycling-crazed public. Scientists studied them, newspapers glorified them, and millions of dollars in purse money was awarded to them. Major Taylor aimed to be the fastest of them all. A prom...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Crown Publishers,
[2008]
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| Edition: | 1st ed. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Table of contents only |
| Summary: | At the turn of the 20th century, hundreds of handsome, lightning-fast racers won the hearts and minds of a bicycling-crazed public. Scientists studied them, newspapers glorified them, and millions of dollars in purse money was awarded to them. Major Taylor aimed to be the fastest of them all. A prominent black man at a time when such a thing was deemed scandalous, his mounting victories, high moral virtue, and bulletlike riding style made him a target for ridicule from the press and sabotage by the white riders who shared the track with him. This is the account of a fierce rivalry that would become an archetypal tale of white versus black in the 20th century. But it is also the tale of our nation's first black sports celebrity--a man who transcended the handicaps of race at the turn of the century to reach the stratosphere of fame.--From publisher description. |
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| Physical Description: | 306 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-290) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780307236586 0307236587 |