Book Review: A Dog In A Hat

I have to admit I am much more into urban cycling than bike racing. However after I read A Dog In A Hat, the new book by Joe Parkin, I found myself much more interested in the crazy world of European Cycling.

Written almost as a series of diary entries, Parkin takes us through the wild, hard working, and often crazy world of European cycling in the 90’s. Told from the perspective of a transplanted American in Belgium, Parkin reveals that cycling is not what it might seem to you and me on the TV. Drugs, shady deals, grueling training, and brutal conditions all make for an entertaining story.

The book is written in such a way that you feel a part of the drama, and while Parkin is not Lance Armstrong, and doesn’t win every race (or really hardly any races at all), he is a strong competitor and you find yourself rooting for him. I especially enjoyed the tales of crazy drugged out competitors, wild inside deals so that the home town boy could win a certain race, and the eloquent descriptions of just how much suffering it takes to be a good racer.

If you are looking for a book that can really get you into European cycling, or if you just want to read an entertaining tale of racing, drugs, and an American in a strange land, pick up this book.

Don’t be surprised however when you get to the end and feel a little let down. Parkin never really breaks through and doesn’t ever really get the “Big Win.” It is a tale of love for the sport, and of a talented man who does his best. It is however written in a a fast and entertaining style. You feel the excitement, and you will enjoy the well realized descriptions of the land scape, the race, the crashes, and the pure joy in knowing that you did good enough to continue to compete in the toughest racing circuit in the world. Parkin does a great job of bringing the reading into his world, you won’t be sorry.

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