Beryl - WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023: In Search of Britain's Greatest Athlete, Beryl Burton

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With much of the action taking place during early mornings spent barreling down anonymous A-roads, it’s a culture that still ticks steadily beneath the surface of British cycling. Her motivation, sparked by appalling childhood illness, is as fascinating as her achievements are stunning. It's a highlight of the book for me, and could make it a definitive reference work in future debates.

Whether through reticence or the belief that there’d be little interest in the personal life of a working-class Yorkshirewoman, Burton’s autobiography Personal Best went sparingly on the first part of its title. Wilson goes to a wind tunnel and measures the performance of a rider using Burton's original equipment and riding position, and then compares this with the same rider using everything from the modern era. Ruthless, relentless, brilliant, belligerent - and quite possibly the greatest Olympian Britain never had. Beryl Potter was a reserved working-class mother of three living a decent life, or so it seemed, when a harmless slip and fall marked the unravelling of everything that she had known about herself and the world around her.TheBookAtWar by Andrew Pettegree is the perfect present for bibliophiles and history buffs alike – a fascinating exploration of the role of books in wartime. The most engaging of the book, Fotheringham does a superb job of reconstructing the events behind the numbers.

And the fact that they kept doing it, despite having the world champion in the form of Beryl Burton. Previously the mainstay of the country’s club scene, you put your name on the sheet, pay a couple of quid and pedal off.WINNER of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year 2023WINNER of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022WINNER OF THE TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022A TIMES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022A WATERSTONES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022A DAILY MAIL SPORTS BOOK OF 2022Cyclist Beryl Burton - also known as BB - dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, but with a longevity that surpasses even sporting legends like Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams and Sir Steve Redgrave.

Payments made using National Book Tokens are processed by National Book Tokens Ltd, and you can read their Terms and Conditions here. This fabulous book brings the person and her phenomenal, groundbreaking achievements to light - I couldn't put it down. Her rich, complicated life provides important insights into the strength and fortitude required to obtain the most basic disability rights. Nathalie Issa * The Daily Telegraph * Beryl was a woman ahead of her time, she was an incredible athlete with an inspirational mindset, and we are only left to imagine what she would have achieved given the same opportunities as the women's peloton now has.Long ignored by sporting history, Burton's life story - recently told by Maxine Peake in a stage and radio play - is finally getting the recognition she deserves. The later chapters of the book covering the period of Burton’s decline describe a person so consumed by cycling as to neglect every other element of her emotional life.