Riding in the Zone Rouge: The Tour of the Battlefields 1919 – Cycling's Toughest-Ever Stage Race

by Tom Isitt

'An evocatively thoughtful wider history of the race, the war and the peace' GUARDIAN'Occasionally funny and regularly poignant, brilliantly focused in its research . . . His drive, wit and curiosity inform Zone Rouge . . . gently profound and genuinely moving' HERALDThe Circuit des Champs de Bataille (the Tour of the Battlefields) was held in 1919, less than six months after the end of the First World War. It covered 2,000 kilometres and was raced in appalling conditions across the battlefields of the Western Front, otherwise known as the Zone Rouge. The race was so tough that only 21 riders finished, and it was never staged again.With one of the most demanding routes ever to feature in a bicycle race, and plagued by appalling weather conditions, the Circuit des Champs de Bataille was beyond gruelling, but today its extraordinary story is largely forgotten. Many of the riders came to the event straight from the army and had to ride 18-hour stages through sleet and snow across the battlefields on which they had fought, and lost friends and family, only a few months before. But in addition to the hellish conditions there were moments of high comedy, even farce.The rediscovered story of the Circuit des Champs de Bataille is an epic tale of human endurance, suffering and triumph over extreme adversity.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Cycling, Travel, Biography

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 21, 2019

Reviews

[Sunjay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Proof that some stories really do not need to be told, or rather, told in a more engaging way. The lack of source material surrounding the Circuit leads to a repetitive narrative, or simple outright conjecture. The lack of rich and vivid prose makes such conjecture, as well as the contemporary narrative about the author's own journey overwrought with cliched, frankly uninspiring writing. Finally, the author's own inability to use Strava to plan his routes via popularity, rather than (most likely) Google Maps, is a simple schoolboy error, and therefore I can't even take his cycling street cred very seriously.

[Lissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cycling book, but so much more than that!!

A book about a forgotten race is what I bought. This I got, but also a book that brought World War One horrifyingly to life and a humorous cycling biography as well. Super writing Tom thank you.

[Cade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of cycling's early hardmen. The worst conceived bicycle race in history. Distances too long over roads that generally no longer existed, through lands that had be completely ravaged by years of war in brutal weather conditions. This book does a great job of chronicling and bringing to life a race that had nearly disappeared from history.

Isitt pieces together the race through sparse newspaper articles, some personal accounts, historic weather reports, and a lot of research on the battlefields and aftermath of WWI. He takes some artistic liberties that are a bit odd at times, and the side steps into the present as he describes his own journey retracing the route on a bike were distracting at first and annoying at times with the whinging about a hotel room or mostly his sat-nav. However, his descriptions of various war monuments throughout the battlefields were educational.

In the end, I liked the book and learned a lot from it. This was going to be a 3-star review, but Isitt brought to life the aftermath of WWI and I learned from reading it. If you like cycling and/or are interested in WWI history, it is definitely worth the read.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Riding in the Zone Rouge" is an special book for bike enthusiasts that combines historical analysis with a captivating personal narrative. The author takes readers on a journey of a bike race in the most difficult conditions in 1919 through the devastated landscapes of northeastern France, while exploring the forgotten battlefields of World War I on a bike-packing tour in our current time.

[Paul Brierley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the book I was expecting, whilst the story of the 1919 race is interesting (more creative licence than are facts I think) it's the history of the First World War and the Author's own cycling adventure following the route that sticks in the memory.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Riding the Zone Rouge by Tom Isitt. I have to declare some interests here - I am a keen cyclist and I have a deep interest in the Western Front of the First World War, so this book was always going to appeal to me. Getting straight to the point, I am happy to rate this book at 4 stars. I preserve 5 stars for works that, well are deep and help to define our society. Tom Issit, in his own declaration, is a writer not a historian, and the style of the book reflects that. Tom has written an easy to read, but undoubtly well researched, account of a cycling race hed mainly in the area of the Western Front, just months after the Armistice and by chance, at the precise time that the peace was being negoiated in Paris. In parallel, Tom recounts his own journey of cycling the route that the originals competitors took, albeit taking a somewhat more days and not commiting to the outrageously difficult stages that the riders endured in 1919. Don't let this assessment discount the clearly considerable research that has gone into writing this book. With limited primary sources, Tom Issit has managed to reconstruct the Circuit des Champs de Bataille with fantastic clarity. Whilst I have visited the Western Front battlefields on a number of occassions, including a cycling trip, my range extends only to the Somme and Flanders, so I learnt a lot about the French and American sectors in reading Riding in the Zone Rouge. I confess that there was a point when I felt that I was bogged down in the reading and looking for the finish, but that may be as much to do with my state of mind as anything else. If you are interested in either European cycling or the First World War, you will enjoy this book.Riding in the Zone Rouge: The Tour of the Battlefields 1919 – Cycling’s Toughest-Ever Stage Race

[Myra Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book. I got this book to read about another part of my WW1 interest. I expected a sort of dull account but was happy to find it fascinating. Mr Isitt combines a topic I have no interest in (cycling) with a main interest of mine (WW1). The toughness it takes to race a bicycle is amazing especially since many of these racers were veterans without much time to train. The author conveys the horror and pathos of the war through his own observations 100 years later and through his research. Visiting the French memorial to the 69th French division near Verdun he writes, "For me this haunting, disturbing monument cuts right to the heart of war memorialization. There's no sense of sentimentality or nationalistic triumphalism about it, it's a stark reminder of the realities of war, as well as a suitable memorial to the men who fought and died here in their tens of thousands." page 223. These are long sentences but straight from the heart. I am impressed by the determination of the 1919 racers over an impossible course. Mr Isitt's own experience is very interesting. I can understand the interest in food to fuel this endeavor! It appears that he has done a great job of researching. One area I had no idea of is the sites from WW1 that are still toxic and off limits because of the ordnance and decaying chemicals and the bodies that cannot be recovered. Such a tragedy. Great read.

[Andrés P. Mohorte · Rating 2 out of 5]

A priori este libro debería haberme encantado: albores del ciclismo, Primera Guerra Mundial, pinceladas de historia social, recorrido paisajístico a lomos de una bicicleta. Y digo a priori porque el resultado es más bien exasperante.

Dado que el Tour de los Campos de Batalla es una carrera muy oscura y poco documentada, Isitt tiene que recurrir a una pobre "novelización" de algunos eventos históricos para dotar de hilo conductor a su relato. Es un pecado que podría haber pasado por alto de haber sido Isitt un escritor brillante. No lo es, y esto pesa como una losa sobre el otro gran defecto del libro: la narración paralela de su propio Tour de los Campos de Batalla, un viaje a lomos de su bicicleta por las rutas originales de la carrera.

Es en estos pasajes en primera persona donde el libro pasa de interesante distracción a... Las continuas quejas de un cincuentón británico que no parece disfrutar ni de los paisajes que surca ni del deporte que practica ni de la experiencia que él mismo ha decidido emprender. El tono plañidero y típicamente británico empaña los comentarios históricos sobre la Primera Guerra Mundial, que sin duda conoce, pero a la que trata desde una mirada nacionalista —sesgo germanofóbico incluido—.

En fin, un pequeño desastrillo tanto por la estructura como por el autor como por la decisión de incluir el road-trip de Isitt como algo sustancial al libro. Aporta cero unidades de valor y empaña los pasajes más inspirados de su obra.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About an almost forgotten stage race that was run only once, after the end of World War I in 1919. It was a race through the battlefields of France and Belgium and very dangerous and difficult since the roads were still damaged from the battles and the weather was bad with cold, snow, sleet and all other sorts of bad weather. The author decided to ride the basic route of the race, at least as much as he could for the changes made in the years since. Each chapter concerns a stage of the race and the author's attempt to ride it. The race was so difficult it was never staged again.
The author searched old newspapers and everywhere else that such information about the race might be. He also includes bits of information and the battles that took place on these roads and the battlefield museums and memorials.
A very interesting and informative story of the race and the times in 1919. One of the stages of the race ended in Luxembourg and he found the bicycle store in a town outside Luxembourg run by Andy Schleck, a winner of the Tour de France. Quite an interesting encounter.....
The author's adventures are very often humorous.
The Zone Rouge is those areas around battlefields and the front deemed unfit to live in because of unexploded ordinance. numerous bodies and ammunition dumps.

[Ian Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine cycling through the battlefields of Flanders and the Somme just 6 months after the Armistice to end the First World War had been signed. Then imagine cycling on the dangerous war torn roads through villages where the locals and military were still clearing the unexploded ordnance and burying the dead. Add to this the horrendous, wintry weather conditions that raged over the ‘Zone Rouge’ in the month of May 1919 and you have the crazy event called the Circuit des Champs de Bataille. 87 riders were mad enough to take on this ghostly challenge and 100 years later one mad Englishman thinks it’s a good idea to do the same. Tom Isiitt brings to life the grim reality of this race to end all races, and we can sit in the comfort of our homes and follow him through the mud, the wind and the rain. You’ve got to admire his efforts and You’ve got to read his book!

[Scott Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The combination of narrative from the author as he traces the route taken by the original race with the history of the battlefields and other places made for an engaging, informative read. The outtake scenes between the racers was, of course, fictional, but it provided some insight into the grueling conditions and how they individually must have felt about having to tackle one horrendous stage after another. And oh how horrendous they were! No modern stage race comes close to what these individuals suffered through. The closest thing today might be some of the self-supported races like Iditarod, but even those don't roll across battlefields still littered with live ammunition.

Good stuff.

[Thomas McCall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tourism and the Great War battlefields in the immediate aftermath of the war is a very interesting topic to explore and this book does add something to the literature. I certainly learned about conditions on the battlefields in 1919, the French newspaper industry and details of lesser known battles. However, I was regularly frustrated that the author failed to visit or explore museums or sights he considered very interesting, eiher because they were closed or because he would visit another time. This was a missed opportunity to explore the battlefields in greater detail. While not a book on food and drink, the author clearly takes an interest with repeated passages about eating meals in various locations. Some further detail about regional dishes, wines, beers etc. Would have added to the tour and given a real sense of movement and change to the text.

[Tim James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Interesting book. An absolutely horrendous story of endurance and suffering. How did they do it! I am a keen cyclist and Tour de France watcher but I found the whole culture around cycling at that time amazing and quite frankly funny- drugs,cheating….you start to understand the current problems that cycling has. The world war1 stories were well researched but got a bit repetitive- felt the book could have been shorter. Got a bit irratated by his own travails on the road- particularly the satnav and the obvious sponsorship name drops!. Would have liked more material on the actual race- not sure he had a great deal and much was speculation (the conversations between riders). But liked it overall

[Ian Sunderland · Rating 4 out of 5]

'An evocatively thoughtful wider history of the race, the war and the peace' GUARDIAN

'Occasionally funny and regularly poignant, brilliantly focused in its research . . . His drive, wit and curiosity inform Zone Rouge . . . gently profound and genuinely moving' HERALD

The rediscovered story of the Circuit des Champs de Bataille, the ride of 1st WWW battlefields in 1919, is an epic tale of human endurance, suffering and triumph over extreme adversity. Hellish tale of a long forgotten bicycle tour which was scrapped as soon as the 21 riders completed it,

Loved my first read of 2022.

# cycling, First World War, history

[T Collen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed. This book's blurb says that the author, "tells the extraordinary story of the [1919] Circuit des Camps de Bataille," but the reality is that more than 90% of this book is the tale of the author's 2016 ride over the same route. Frankly, I didn't care what brand of bicycle the author rode, nor about his clothing, nor what he ate on a given day, nor the author's daily weather report. I wanted to know all that information circa 1919.

It's noted that the 1919 race reports are scant, and so conjecture was necessary. So this book is actually a work of historical fiction interspersed throughout the author's autobiographical 2016 recollections.

[Carole Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers interested in military history might like to give this a go even if they are not cyclists. I am definitely not a cyclist, but found the story of the 1919 race covering much of the former battlefields of the Western Front fascinating, together with the back story of how people were trying to rebuild. Some of the technical detail pertaining to Tom’s own bike lost me but didn’t affect my enjoyment. This is a narrative written with verve, wit and a bit of poetic licence which moved the story along. I loved it and I’m sure it would appeal to anyone who enjoys a story that is not fiction.

[Matt Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty great mix of world war 1 in France history, historic fiction on bike racing and bike travelogue. Either one of these by it's own would have not worked, but I feel that Isitt made a great balance between the three to create an engaging historical travelogue.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read that I dipped into every now and then. The race itself is fascinating but occasionally I felt distracted by the writers “creative freedom” when navigating the factual gaps. On the whole though it was a good read.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I knew the First World War caused immense loss of life but some of the stats in this book really brought it home to me. Never again.

[Adam Becket · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, very readable. Educational as well as entertaining.

[Mikey Moriarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual read, tracing both the race route and his own recreation of it. Interesting from a historical perspective.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal.

[Mike Finch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite disappointing. Should have been brilliant, but just isn't written well enough for a subject that deserves much better.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about a fascinating race.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

a worthy read

Insightful in both the horrors of the 1st WW and the toughness of the riders attempting this race. I really enjoyed this book.

[Colter Sikora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Energizing and a little heart-wrenching, didn't want to put it down!

[maxgo]

thanks Emma!!!

more about WWI than i was expecting but some fun antique biking moments too such as

Everyone was using drugs of one sort or another in those days … Take, for instance, the Pot Belge. This was a mixture of some, or all, of the following: alcohol, cocaine, caffeine, amphetamines, heroin, analgesics, morphine, and even strychnine. It was usually swigged from a small bottle that the rider carried with him, and most often used in the final hours of a stage for a bit of extra ooomph.

[Andy Holdcroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potentially a most interesting book, it is not terribly well written which is a shame: a competent editor could definitely improved the often excruciatingly badly composed text