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Review
'Superficially [Pantani] appears to be a familiar type of sporting self-destructor. Like George Best, Diego Maradona, Alex "Hurricane" Higgins, and so on, he was prodigiously gifted; like them, he couldn't handle success and its aftermath. But, if Rendell is right (and the evidence does seem conclusive) unlike them, he was a pharmaceutical creation almost from the beginning. He was "cycling's greatest cheat"...It is the pursuit of this revelation that makes the...book so readable.' (Bryan Appleyard NEW STATESMAN (3.7.06) )
'an excellent book about the life and death of il Pirata, The Pirate, as Pantani was known. Rendell has interviewed dozens of those closest to Pantani to paint an intimate and sympathetic - if unsentimental - picture...this is also a work of meticulous investigative journalism that shatters whatever doubts anyone could still have about systematic doping in cycling.' (Xan Rice OBSERVER SPORTS MONTHLY (2.7.06) )
'[a] sad, exhaustively detailed and beautiful book...This book, unflinching though it is, serves as a fitting, ambivalent tribute - to the man, and to the dark heart of the sport he loved.' (Chris Maume INDEPENDENT (4.7.06) )
'Matt Rendell must have been a forensic detective in a previous life, because while his research for the chapters up to mdc is particularly impressive, his account of the years of desperation leading to Marco's eventual death is breathtaking...Matt Rendell is to be congratulated on the tenacity of his investigations and for producing such a readable and absorbing account.' (www.washingmachinepost.net )
'There are three passages in this brilliant but nightmarishly bleak book where, caught up in the excitement of Pantani in his pomp, Matt Rendell switches to the present tense to describe his greatest victories. The writing here is breathless, awe-struck, more evocative and incisive than TV pictures or newspaper reports could ever be. But Rendell, although a fan, is meticulous and painstaking and he investigates the Shakespearean tragedy of Pantani's life as if it were a crime scene.' (Angus Batey THE TIMES (22.7.06) )
'an excellent book about the life and death of il Pirata, The Pirate, as Pantani was known. Rendell has interviewed dozens of those closest to Pantani to paint an intimate and sympathetic - if unsentimental - picture...this is also a work of meticulous investigative journalism that shatters whatever doubts anyone could still have about systematic doping in cycling.' (Xan Rice OBSERVER SPORTS MONTHLY (2.7.06) )
'[a] sad, exhaustively detailed and beautiful book...This book, unflinching though it is, serves as a fitting, ambivalent tribute - to the man, and to the dark heart of the sport he loved.' (Chris Maume INDEPENDENT (4.7.06) )
'Matt Rendell must have been a forensic detective in a previous life, because while his research for the chapters up to mdc is particularly impressive, his account of the years of desperation leading to Marco's eventual death is breathtaking...Matt Rendell is to be congratulated on the tenacity of his investigations and for producing such a readable and absorbing account.' (www.washingmachinepost.net )
'There are three passages in this brilliant but nightmarishly bleak book where, caught up in the excitement of Pantani in his pomp, Matt Rendell switches to the present tense to describe his greatest victories. The writing here is breathless, awe-struck, more evocative and incisive than TV pictures or newspaper reports could ever be. But Rendell, although a fan, is meticulous and painstaking and he investigates the Shakespearean tragedy of Pantani's life as if it were a crime scene.' (Angus Batey THE TIMES (22.7.06) )
Xan Rice, OBSERVER SPORTS MONTHLY (2.7.06)
'an excellent book about the life and death of il Pirata, The Pirate, as Pantani was known. Rendell has interviewed dozens of those closest to Pantani to paint an intimate and sympathetic - if unsentimental - picture...this is also a work of meticulous investigative journalism that shatters whatever doubts anyone could still have about systematic doping in cycling.'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After a slow start this book becomes "can't put it down" material. Rendell's research is exceptionally detailed and you really get to understand how doping benefits cyclists. Delving into Pantani's personal life is where the book excels, rivets, and upsets though. Reading about his decline and cocaine problems was extremely moving, and even after putting the book down for an evening my mind would still be going over the content. Well worth reading, whether you're a cycling fan or not. The fine line between genius and madness is well revealed here, showing how the gifted Pantani slipped onto the wrong side of the line.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fantastic exploration of the this amazing cyclist, the allegations of doping, the court battles and his last few days in the hotel room where he was eventually found dead. Rendell has a unique insight to the case, from his interviews and knowledge of this sport and his writing is thrilling, especially as he describes Pantani's various victories. He draws some interesting conclusions concerning whether or not Pantani had a mental illness (I believe as someone suggested that he was bipolar), and asks questions about his ultimate downfall. Highly recommended if you are into cycling or even just want an excellent sports biography.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It has been said that Pantani was the one pure climber of the 1990's peloton. He was certainly electrifying to watch when he was on form. Matt Rendell is clearly an admirer of Pantani and you can almost sense the sadness as he concludes that his entire career was likely blighted by doping. The book can be a heavy read at times and a second reading will undoubtedly help to clarify issues which the reader missed first time around. Fans of Pantani will not feel cheated or let down by the revelations, rather they will be left with that same sense of sadness that the herioc efforts that we witnessed were, like so many others of the time, assisted by doping which it would appear was sanctioned at the highest levels of the sport. This is a fascinating & ultimately depressing story, told with skill, impeccable research and a love for the subject.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mixed review
A good insight into the great man although if you consider a drug using cheat "great" is a matter for personal opinion. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Kitersteve
Earnest but not engaging
Matt Rendell was an academic and it shows.
Yes, the research is painstaking, and he cannot be faulted for effort, but the narrative reads more like a phD thesis - too... Read more
Yes, the research is painstaking, and he cannot be faulted for effort, but the narrative reads more like a phD thesis - too... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Patrick Heaney
Forensic
The effort which must have gone into researching this book must have been back-breaking, and it leaves you feeling intimately involved with (and strangely empathetic towards)... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Richard J. B. Broadbent
Clasic book about a clasic rider.
Pantani may have not been a person without his faults but he was icon. The book help you understand all the pressures that he found himself under. Read more
Published 9 months ago by TheWicken
The Death of Marco Pantani
An excellent read that I couldn't put down, and still dip back into - real triumph to tragedy stuff and well researched by Matt Rendell. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Doors
Tragic tale expertly told.
A genuine tragedy of modern times. Rendell superbly accounts for the rapid rise and fall of one of the most exciting cyclists of the recent era.
Published 19 months ago by Paul Harris
Great read, but for the wrong reasons...
This is one well-written book, very factual and scientific. The writer doesn't just go pointing fingers, there is reasoning and truth in every statement. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Easy Rider
Heavy on detail, short on story
Tremendous insight (what can be determined) into the character of the man and the athlete.
I found the writing style confusing, having to constantly flick back to check names,... Read more
I found the writing style confusing, having to constantly flick back to check names,... Read more
Published 22 months ago by GreenStreet
author gets lost
I have to go with another reviewer who found this more of a medical text than a cycling book. For the last half - after the strange happenings at Madonna di Campiglio - it felt... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Sd Player
Bittersweet
Heroes are sometimes like dreams, best kept in the windows of your mind. A talented, tortured man, seemingly never satisfied in spite of all his success and wealth. Read more
Published 24 months ago by D. J. Hewlett
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