ROAD TO VALOR: A True Story of World War II Italy, the
Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation
by siblings Aili and Andres McConnon
Gino Bartali, “The Lion of Tuscany,” is best known as an
Italian cycling superstar: the man who not only won the Tour de France in 1938
and 1948, but to this day holds the record for the longest time span between
victories. However, there is another
thread to Bartali’s epic story—his secret efforts to help save Jews in Italy
during the Holocaust and German occupation—the full details of which have not
been revealed until now.
Set in Italy and France against the turbulent backdrop of an
unforgiving sport and threatening politics, ROAD TO VALOR: A True Story of
World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation (Crown
Publishers, June 12, 2012) is the breathtaking account of one man’s unsung
heroism and his resilience in the face of adversity. Based on nearly ten years
of research in Italy, France, and Israel, including interviews with Bartali’s
family, former teammates, a Holocaust survivor Bartali saved, and many others,
it is the first book ever written about Bartali in English and the only book
written in any language to fully explore the scope of his wartime work.
Authors Aili and Andres McConnon chronicle Bartali’s
remarkable journey from childhood to champion, starting in impoverished rural
Tuscany where a scrawny, mischievous boy painstakingly saves his money to buy a
bicycle and before long is racking up wins throughout the country. At the age
of 24, he stuns the world by winning his first Tour de France and quickly
becomes an international sports icon.
After Mussolini’s Fascists try to hijack Bartali’s victory
for propaganda purposes and as the Nazis occupy Italy, Bartali, a devout
Catholic, becomes involved in the Italian resistance and undertakes dangerous
missions to help those being targeted. In addition to sheltering a family of
four Jews in an apartment he financed with his cycling winnings, Bartali
smuggles counterfeit identity documents past Fascist and Nazi checkpoints.
Recognizing him simply as a national hero in training, the soldiers never
suspect he’s hiding precious papers in the hollow frame of his bicycle,
documents that helped save countless Jews hiding in Tuscany and Umbria from deportation
to work and death camps.
After the grueling wartime years, Bartali fights to rebuild
his career as Italy emerges from the rubble. In 1948, the stakes are raised
when midway through the Tour de France an assassination attempt in Rome sparks
nationwide political protests and riots. Despite numerous setbacks and a
legendary snowstorm in the Alps, the chain-smoking, Chianti-loving, 34-year-old
underdog comes back and wins the most difficult endurance competition on earth.
Bartali’s inspiring performance helps unite his fractured homeland and restore
pride and spirit to a country still reeling from war and despair.
An epic tale of courage and redemption, ROAD TO VALOR is the
untold story of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
About the Authors:
AILI McCONNON is a Canadian journalist living in New York
who has been a staff writer for BusinessWeek and has also written for the New
York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Guardian. She has appeared as a
commentator on ABC, MSNBC, and CNN.
ANDRES McCONNON has been a historical researcher for several
books. He graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University. Aili and Andres
are siblings, born in Toronto.
Visit www.roadtovalorbook.com
To win a copy of ROAD TO VALOR by Aili and Andres McConnon, send an email to contest@gmail.com, with "ROAD TO VALOR” as the subject or click here. Make sure to include your name and mailing address in the US only. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age. One entry per email address, please. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone. All entries, including names, email addresses and mailing addresses, will be purged after winner is notified. This contest ends July 12, 2012. Good luck!
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