David Herlihy (1930–1991)

Much as I was obstructed by Herlihy's sort of quaint 1890s prose style, I eventually did get caught up in this remarkable story, set in a world I knew absolutely nothing about. First, an 1890s America gone bonkers over bicycles, then into Ottoman Empire Turkey and the horrendous genocide of the Armenians, and finally the struggle of the young Midwestern American thrown into the middle of the atrocities, trying to discovered who murdered the world-circling Frank Lenz. A pretty damned show more interesting sidelight into American history. So I guess I liked it after all. show less

The author tells the story of Frank Lenz, who lost his life -- murdered -- while cycling solo through the Ottoman empire, intermingled with the story of another world-touring cyclist, William Sachtleben. This made the book harder to read and made no sense until towards the end of the book when Sachtleben is sent to Turkey to find out what happened to Lenz. Then it made sense, but it was too late to redeem my confusion.

"The Lost Cyclist" is a fascinating book that features some great research about an era in World History in which 'discovery' was human powered.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed learning about the early years of bicycling, about the early models and the conflicts and competitions that took place between the fans of different designs: Just loved it.

I also enjoyed the descriptions of the characters in this book. Sachtleben & Allen proved so enticing that stopped my read of "The Lost show more Cyclist" a quarter of the way in, so that I could read S&A's book "Across Asia on a Bicycle." I then returned to Herlihy's book where I was struck by what a different sort of character Lenz was. The author does an excellent job, in my opinion, in differentiating the men, their attitudes, and their approaches to set-backs and successes. And by the time you get to the end of the book, the outcome makes perfect sense.

Another thing I very much enjoyed was the sense of adventure that was conveyed by the author. It was absolutely wonderful to follow the bicyclists as they pedaled around the world. Everywhere from sophisticated places like France and Italy, where they were wined and dined by bike clubs, to places so remote that the bike was considered a frightening, evil creature.

A part of this sense of adventure was the politics of the day. While bicyclists might be riding through some incredibly remote areas, it was clear that their safety was not unaffected by world affairs. And I think Herlihy does a good job of explaining the politics of the day without getting bogged down. Instead he lets the photographs, news, and correspondence tell the story.

Ultimately, there's a mystery at the heart of this book. Herlihy makes it his mission to lay out the evidence and make his case for what happened to Lenz. But history lovers are likely to be drawn in more by the images Herlihy paints of this fascinating point in time.

Pam T~
mom/blogger show less

An adventurous and fascinating personal history covering the early rise of cycling. The mystery in the second half is interesting but a bit procedural at times. The overwhelming moral: it always pays to bring a buddy when attempting to undertake any significant journey.