Author: Jim FitzpatrickPublisher: Potomac Books
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 268
Book Description
Examines the military use of bicycles.
The Military History of the Bicycle
Author: John NorrisPublisher: Pen and Sword Military
ISBN: 1526763540
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 200
Book Description
Almost as soon as a viable metal-framed bike was invented, it was put to military use, offering a much cheaper, less fragile and less logistically demanding alternative to horse transport. Widely used in many armies from the late 19th century, through both world wars and beyond, the bicycle really is the forgotten war machine. John Norris traces traces the development of military cycling from first experiments, including early (often flawed) designs for armed and multi-passenger versions. He explains how any why bikes were used for rapid movement of infantry units as well as carrying messages and other tasks. First used in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, then by both sides in the Boer War, they were widely adopted throughout Europe before the First World War. In the Second World War, the Japanese used over fifty thousand bicycles in the conquest of Malaya and the German army used over three million, relying on them increasingly as petrol shortages immobilized motor transport. The Allies famously made use of folding and air-dropped bikes in Operation Market Garden and in Normandy. After WW2 bikes were used extensively in Vietnam, particularly along the Ho Chi Minh trail and some European armies maintained specialist bicycle units throughout the Cold War and into the 21st century. Specialized military bikes, collapsible for use by parachutists, are still being made for Special Forces units. John Norris examines the whole history of pedal-powered warfare and illustrates it with an array of high-quality photographs.
Bicycles in War
Author: Martin CaidinPublisher:
ISBN: 9780801506147
Category : Military cycling
Languages : en
Pages : 158
Book Description
Om "cykler i krig", militær anvendelse af cykler som transportmiddel under krige. Amerikansk bog fra 1974 som beskriver dels cyklens historie og udvikling og dels dens anvendelse som regulært og effektivt transportmiddel i visse krigssituationer i krige, helt fra den første dokumentere militære anvendelse i den Fransk-Tyske krig i 1870. Med stort succes blev cykler siden da benyttet bl.a. i Boerkrigen, i 1. Verdenskrig og i 2. Verdenskrig, og igen i Vietnamkrigen.
Bicycle Troops
Author: R.S. KohnPublisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1105106004
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
This report presents a history of the use of bicycles for transportation by combat troops prior to World War I, during World Wars I and II, and more recently the use of bicycles in guerrilla warfare. It was developed in the Vietnam War as a special study for the Pentagon and in this edition it has been enlarged and supplemented with new materials. The armament, mobility, speed, distance, design, and load-carrying capacity of bicycles for transportation in remote areas and guerrilla warfare are discussed, The effect of terrain on the utilization of bicycles, the organization, strength, and tactics of bicycle units, and the training of combat troops using the bicycles are also considered. This volume also contains a rich trove of anecdotes of cyclists in combat and detailed training exercises for bicycle units.
Hero on a Bicycle
Author: Shirley HughesPublisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 076366359X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
In her first novel, beloved author Shirley Hughes presents a World War II adventure proving that in extraordinary circumstances, people are capable of extraordinary things. Italy, 1944: Florence is occupied by Nazi forces. The Italian resistance movement has not given up hope, though — and neither have thirteen-year- old Paolo and his sister, Costanza. As their mother is pressured into harboring escaping POWs, Paolo and Costanza each find a part to play in opposing the German forces. Both are desperate to fight the occupation, but what can two siblings — with only a bicycle to help them — do against a whole army? Middle-grade fans of history and adventure will be riveted by the action and the vividly evoked tension of World War II.
The Bicycle Spy
Author: Yona Zeldis McDonoughPublisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545851823
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 178
Book Description
Can Marcel make the ride of his life? Marcel loves riding his bicycle, whether he's racing through the streets of his small town in France or making bread deliveries for his parents' bakery. He dreams of someday competing in the Tour de France, the greatest bicycle race. But ever since Germany's occupation of France began two years ago, in 1940, the race has been canceled. Now there are soldiers everywhere, interrupting Marcel's rides with checkpoints and questioning.Then Marcel learns two big secrets, and he realizes there are worse things about the war than a canceled race. When he later discovers that his friend's entire family is in imminent danger, Marcel knows he can help -- but it will involve taking a risky bicycle ride to pass along covert information. And when nothing ends up going according to plan, it's up to him to keep pedaling and think quickly... because his friend, her family, and his own future hang in the balance.
Around the World on a Bicycle
Author: Fred A. BirchmorePublisher: University of Georgia Press
ISBN: 0820357294
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
This classic, once hard-to-find travelogue recalls one of the very first around-the-world bicycle treks. Filled with rarely matched feats of endurance and determination, Around the World on a Bicycle tells of a young cyclist’s ever-changing and maturing worldview as he ventures through forty countries on the eve of World War II. It is an exuberant, youthful account, harking back to a time when the exploits of Richard Byrd, Amelia Earhart, and other adventurers stirred the popular imagination. In 1935 Fred A. Birchmore left the small American town of Athens, Georgia, to continue his college studies in Europe. In his spare time, Birchmore toured the continent on a one-speed bike he called Bucephalus (after the name of Alexander the Great’s horse). A born wanderer, Birchmore broadened his travels to include the British Isles and even the Mediterranean. After a lengthy, unplanned detour in Egypt, Birchmore put his studies on hold, pointed Bucephalus eastward, and just kept going. From desert valleys to frozen peaks, from palace promenades to muddy jungle trails, Birchmore saw it all on his eighteen-month, twenty-five-thousand-mile odyssey. Some of the people he encountered had never seen a bike—or, for that matter, an Anglo-European. As a good travel experience should, Birchmore’s trip changed his outlook on strangers. Always daring, outgoing, and energetic, he now saw an innate goodness in people. In between bone-breaking spills, wild animal attacks, and privation of all kinds, Birchmore learned that he had little to fear from human encounters. That he traveled through a world on the brink of global war makes this lesson even more remarkable—and timeless.
Bad Teeth No Bar
Author: Colin KirschPublisher: Uniform
ISBN: 9781910500927
Category : Military cycling
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Everybody in the 21st century has a pet subject. Withthe rise of the internet it's easier to share our passion- Vintage collectors have benfited greatly from this.Vintage car and motorcycle enthusiasts experience theessence of 'time travel' when riding in or on a vehiclefrom 30, 50, 70 years ago. However, vintage bicycle enthusiasts can travel backeven further, to a time before cars and motorcycle wereinvented, or to 1914 when the Great War called uponcyclists to flight. Bad Teeth No Bartakes you and your bicycle to themost challenging cycling environment of all - War.100,000 British soldiers used bicycles in the Great war.Even more French and Belgians rode bikes, and theGermans used even more than anyone else. See thebikes, read the stories, and imagine how you wouldhave coped if you were one of the many patriots whoenlisted to fight for King and Country.
The War on Wheels
Author: Justin McCurryPublisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1643132814
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 257
Book Description
Experience the thrilling world of Japanese cycling and the keirin, which has evolved from post-war oddity to one of Japan's most popular and lucrative sporting events—and a must-see for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo. The Keirin, which means "war on wheels," is now a high profile Olympic sport and attracts millions of spectators. But it's origins are humble, even strange. Like the Tour de France was originally conceived to sell newspapers, the keirin was invented in post-war Japan as a way to raise taxes on gambling. Now, over $12 billion a year is wagered on it, and its stars are primed to millions. Unlike a traditional race, a pacemaker leads eight riders up to speeds of 70kph on huge concrete velodromes, then they fight to cross the line first, with riders pushing, shoving, and crashing in the final stretch. Long associated with the working class, even the notorious yakuza crime syndicates, riders today live in blacked-out dorms, with no access to technology, to prevent bet-rigging. Their lives are ruled by ritual and competition, from their rookie days at the Mt. Fuji training camp to elite competitions that are the Japanese equivalent of the Grand National. Foreign riders sometimes compete, but rarely prosper in this intense environment, and the Olympic version is a mere child's play to the fierce environs of the velodromes in Tokyo. and Osaka, where a spectre of danger still looms. The War on Wheels explores a side of Japan we rarely see and it's uniquely fascinating sporting culture.
Road to Valour
Author: Aili McConnonPublisher: Phoenix
ISBN: 9780753828144
Category : Cyclists
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
An Italian SCHINDLER'S LIST, this is the inspirational story of Gino Bartali, who made the greatest comeback in Tour de France history and secretly aided the Italian Resistance during the Second World War. ROAD TO VALOUR is the inspiring, against-the-odds story of Gino Bartali, the cyclist who made the greatest comeback in Tour de France history and still holds the record for the longest gap between victories. Yet it was his actions during the Second World War, when he secretly aided the Resistance, rather than his remarkable exploits on a bike, that truly cemented his place in the hearts and minds of the Italian people. Based on nearly ten years of research, and including fascinating new interviews, this is the only book written that fully explores the scope of Bartali's wartime work. A breathtaking account of one man's unsung heroism and his resilience in the face of adversity, this is an epic tale of courage, comeback and redemption, and the untold story of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century.
