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The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman

A Bone-shaking Tour through Cycling’s Flemish Heartlands

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The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman

By: Harry Pearson
Narrated by: Harry Pearson
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Bloomsbury presents The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman written and read by Harry Pearson.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 – CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR

LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019

'A joy.' – Ned Boulting

Every nation shapes sport to test the character traits it most admires.

In The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman, committed Belgophile and road cycling obsessive Harry Pearson takes you on a journey across Flanders, through the lumpy horizontal rain, up the elbow juddering cobbled inclines, past the fans dressed as chickens and the shop window displays of constipation medicines, as he follows races big, small and even smaller through one glorious, muddy spring.

Ranging over 500 years of Flemish and European history, across windswept polders, along back roads and through an awful lot of beer cafes, Pearson examines the characters, the myths and rivalries that make Flanders a place where cycling is a religion and the riders its lycra-clad priests.©2019 Harry Pearson (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Cycling Europe Sports History Travel Writing & Commentary Western Europe Sports
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Critic reviews

An enormously entertaining cycling journal
Absolutely splendid ... full of wonderful things. (Rhod Sharp)
Harry Pearson’s class and wit were the reason I wanted to start writing in the first place. To read his words on cycling and Flanders, two of the best things in the world, is a joy. (Ned Boulting)
Entertaining (Richard Williams)
The ever amiable Harry Pearson invites us to accompany him on a tour of Flanders ... [the cyclists' stories] illuminate the landscape and history of this little understood pocket of Europe.
A witty, engaging guide to the spring bike races in Flanders ... [Pearson] covers a lot of quirky historical ground in his "bone-shaking tour".
All stars
Most relevant
This is definitely one of those books I will listen to again and again, just to justify the cracking open of another Belgian beer! The narration was excellent and draws you in with its relaxing tone. It was a cultural listen as well as a sporting one and I came away with a much better knowledge of the Belgian people as well as their cycling heroes (and villains!) The only downside is it made me really miss this years cancelled classic season. Here's to 2021. Stay safe everyone..

A must listen for a fan of the classics.

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Okay I will admit that Flemish cycling might be a bit of a niche topic but I loved it. The style of storytelling was great and it really brought me along for the journey, teaching me a lot about the cycling culture of flanders whilst listening and riding my bike. I thought it was read very well and it was pretty fun in places - reminded me a bit of Ned Boulting (slightly better actually). Definitely recommend giving it a go!

Excellent book on a niche topic

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As a big fan of cycling, Belgium, and their races I loved this book.
So much interesting & entertaining information and stories. All told in a very dead pan manner (by the author), which suited it perfectly.
My only regret was that it didn’t go on longer.
I will definitely listen to this again.

A very entertaining listen.

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if you are into the old footage of unknown bike races, with understated commentary, then this is perfect.
The writer narrates his own wonderfully dull experiences of traveling round Belgium to spectate the classics, but also spectating on life and people. His musings are delivered in a perfect northern monotone, that just sets the ambience for me. It's like watching the 1974 world cup with that crackly commentary sent via a telephone line or something worse.
If you are into cycling, and its history, this is a lovely way to pass an afternoon. Harry Pearson is just great; i will look out his other work

love it

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Excellent story. You can almost smell the beer and the frites. Perfectly written and a real love story to cycling and flanders.

Spring classics essential

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