Summary: This week's Book Club book of the week is Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike by William Fotheringham. Eddy Merckx is to cycling what Muhammad Ali is to boxing or Pele to football: quite simply, the best there has ever been. Although specialists have surpassed his victory tally in some races, Merckx’s overall record in cycling is unlikely ever to be equaled. His dominance and victory rate – over 50 races a year for four years – make him unique not merely on two wheels but in any sport. Often viewed as a robotic winning machine, in actual fact Merckx was a curiously fragile figure in spite of his overwhelming drive to win: he was fuelled by insecurity, frequently complained of injury, had a unique sense of duty to his sport and profession, and eventually cut his career short simply due to pushing himself too hard. This is the first time the life story of the Cannibal has been told full-length in English, and it aims to paint a definitive picture of the greatest cyclist of all time. The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes. Discussing Merckx are Sarah, Jasmin, Justin, Jon, Meg and Dan. Dan Lewis, for Waterstones.com/blog You can buy Merckx at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/s6sdlu) or online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/11t9cyf) To find out more about our Book Club selection, click here.
