The Lost Cyclist By David V. Herlihy

On the surface, this story is an intriguing mystery alongside a fun history of early bicycle culture. But then the story runs into the Armenian Genocide. The book never addresses how the death (likely murder) of one privileged white American male compares to the atrocities resulting in thousands of innocent Armenian deaths. Why should the reader care about justice for Lenz when the story raises the lack of justice for thousands of other innocents? 9780547195575 A well written tale about a Pittsburgher who attempted to cycle around the world in the late 1800's. He made great progress until he reached Turkey where he stopped sending letters back home. After nothing was heard from him, people tried finding him from home, eventually sending someone to search for him, or his remains, in person. The local governments weren't very helpful.

The author did a great job at researching a man who has just about faded from view. He told about the new history of bicycling and how people were using it to explore the land around their cities and at times, even further. He gave a good description of how the foreign officials attempted to pass the buck and how difficult it was for searchers to find anything after months had gone by. 9780547195575 The first half was very good! The second half, after Lenz goes missing, was a snooze fest 9780547195575 One of the most enjoyable histories I've ever read -- largely because of the subject, but also because Herlihy tells such a gripping, romantic, mysterious story. His research is impeccable, and the narrative pedals along as steadily as a bike on rough roads. Although his story is tragic, Frank Lenz has become a new hero of mine, for his humble Pittsburgh origins, his tenacious globe-girdling venture, and his martyrdom in the name of anthropology of adventure. I wanted to begrudge his rivals (old-money New Yorkers who never had to raise a nickel for their three-year trek), but they were also a delight to read about. It's heartening to know that, even during the Victorian age, a clique of young men could travel the world and embrace its diversities.

Should you have a similar fetish for history, photography, long-distance cycling, early journalism and adventure travel, The Lost Cyclist absolutely must be found. 9780547195575 In short, this was a good story that fell a little flat in the telling.

The most interesting parts of this book were pretty much all in the first half, as Herlihy brings us through the early days of the bicycle, with bicycle clubs popping up all over the nation and cyclists debating the merits of the newer safety bicycle (with its two equally sized wheels) versus the high wheeler. By the time the book ends, the glory days of cycling are past, with the automobile supplanting the bicycle as the touring vehicle of choice and bicycle manufacturers going belly-up. This should be a dramatic moment in the tale, but it ends up being treated as little more than a footnote.

The focus of the book is, ostensibly, Frank Lenz, an early adopter of the bicycle who vanished while on his solo round-the-world bike trip. The focus of book really is William Sachtleban, one of a pair of cyclists whose own round-the-world trip was wrapping up as Lenz's was beginning, and the man who was eventually tasked with travelling overseas to track down the truth of what happened to Lenz.

But the focus of the book should have been the glory days of cycling. The emergence of cycling clubs, the abundance of cycling magazines, and the seemingly inexhaustible supply of funding for cycling globe-trotters paint a vivid portrait of a fascinating moment in history. These cyclists -- none of them the first to pedal around the world -- were feted at just about every city and town they entered, followed by parades of local cyclists and honored with great feasts.

The story of Lenz's trip wants to be more interesting than it is. It sounds good on paper, but the problem is that the final act -- the search for Lenz, which should be full if intrigue and adventure -- is comparatively dull. It mostly consists of a petulant Sachtleban whining his way through a morass of bureaucracy and logistics. What should have been dispatched in a chapter instead filled half of the book. And it's a shame, because to that point the book was telling a pretty great story; only, not on purpose.
9780547195575

In the late 1880s, Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh, a renowned high-wheel racer and long-distance tourist, dreamed of cycling around the world. He finally got his chance by recasting himself as a champion of the downsized safety-bicycle with inflatable tires, the forerunner of the modern road bike that was about to become wildly popular. In the spring of 1892 he quit his accounting job and gamely set out west to cover twenty thousand miles over three continents as a correspondent for Outing magazine. Two years later, after having survived countless near disasters and unimaginable hardships, he approached Europe for the final leg.

He never made it. His mysterious disappearance in eastern Turkey sparked an international outcry and compelled Outing to send William Sachtleben, another larger-than-life cyclist, on Lenz's trail. Bringing to light a wealth of information, Herlihy's gripping narrative captures the soaring joys and constant dangers accompanying the bicycle adventurer in the days before paved roads and automobiles. This untold story culminates with Sachtleben's heroic effort to bring Lenz's accused murderers to justice, even as troubled Turkey teetered on the edge of collapse. The Lost Cyclist

This volume covers three connected events: the nineteenth century circling of the globe on bicycle by Americans Sachtleben and Allen, a similar attempt by Frank Lenz that ends in the cyclist's disappearance, and Sachtleben's attempt to find Lenz. The begining of the book offers a glimpse into early American cycling, the middle reads much like a travelogue, and the end dips into geopolitics. The result is a strange and sometimes dissonant mix.

This is one of those nonfiction works where you can tell that all the research made it on the page (and not necessarily in a good way). Herlihy writes in a dense style with anecdote following anecdote, but without much of the way of introduction. As an example, the early chapters are full of cycling terms (boneshakers, safeties, wheelmen, the ordinary, etc...) that the reader just needs to absorb and try to parse --- if you don't know the early history of the bicycle, you may feel lost. There is a similar approach with the globe girdling of the cyclists; Herlihy appears to tell you every city each of the cyclists travels through.

In some places, this level of detail works well. Towards the middle of the book, Herlihy focuses on Lenz's travels through Asia. (Lenz, unlike Sachtleben and Allen, tried the trip moving westward.) Herlihy clearly captures how foreign China appears to Lenz, and you can feel the sense of dislocation that gradually diminishes, but never disappears.

[Warning: spoilers from here on out....] Lenz makes it across much of Asia, but vanishes in Turkey, at which point Sachtleben travels to find the cyclist (or, as is much believed, evidence of his murder). The narrative again is chock full of detail, but it is here that a wider perspective is greatly needed. As it turns out, Lenz was murdered by Kurd brigands protected by Turks who end up framing Armenians for the death. Sachtleben's investigation is taking place during the Hamadian massacres of 1894-1896, and Sachtleben himself photographs images of the deaths.

At this point, I was yearning for context --- there is a much larger story taking place, but Herlihy's narrow focus does not introduce it. In some sense, the author's viewpoint mirrors that of Sachtleben's. The cyclist's insistence on American involvement to bring Lenz's killers to justice appears naive, and he makes promises of American protection to Armenians that he cannot fulfill. (To his credit, Sachtleben lectured on the Armenian massacres when he returned to the US.)

The result --- coupled with an epilogue that attempts to second guess most of the protagonists' actions --- ignores the large issues for the small personal details. I'm guessing this is a great work for those who love cycling history, but much of the work was a miss for me.
9780547195575 Social networks collate travel photos, Lonely Planet and its competitors find hotels, and travelogues have become so numerous that we can spend months exploring them before going to the airport. Perhaps the best way to find the unknown is to read a travelogue from the 19th century. David V. Herilhy, author of Bicycle: The History, offers a two-for-one deal: a travelogue and an epic tale of adventure and mystery.

Back in the 1890s, Frank Lenz set out from Pittsburgh to cycle around the world alone. He would be one of the first travelers to use the safety model -- a bicycle with two tires of equal size! Before this, Thomas Stevens of England had circled the globe on his high wheel. How old school.

Lenz' route was perhaps unusual in that he chose to head west from Pittsburgh. He crossed America, the Pacific, and Japan before entering Shanghai and heading south. From here, Lenz' troubles began. He survived the Far East only to be murdered shortly after entering Turkey. The second half The Lost Cyclist depicts William Sachtleben's attempt to find Lenz' murderers.

Although the bicycles were certainly different at this time, other aspects of Lenz' journey are surprisingly familiar. Even at this time, there was commentary about whether China would supplant the West as the next global empire and General Li is curious to know how travelers find China's roads (FYI - China has recently invested a great deal in its highways). Many of Lenz' observations about chopsticks and ordering food can still be found in many a travel blog. Sadly, the blanket assumptions about the Orient are still combated in today's travelogues.

Of course, some things were different.

There was no Internet, for one, and although photography had been invented, it wasn't as though Lenz grew up with photos and videos of Chinese New Year celebrations.

However, the British Empire at this point had set up telegraphs. Lenz was also able to mail spare parts -- extra tires, for example -- before he began his journey. After leaving the docks, most of the Westerners that could be found in Asia were either missionaries or diplomats. Interestingly, when the Hamidian Massacres began in Turkey, it was the job of the diplomat to protect the missionaries.

Although Herlihy has done his homework on bicycles and he has obviously spent considerable time with travel diaries from this period, he offers very little explanation about what's going on in China and Turkey. For example, Lenz is often attacked while in China, but there is no explanation as to why. There is a great deal of unrest in Turkey, but Herlihy assumes that his audience is familiar with this stage of the Ottoman Empire's decline. The British Empire has done a lot of work to make the planet a smaller, simpler place, but Herilhy declines to consider its impact on Lenz' journey -- even though Lenz relies on the empire's infrastructure to communicate with his home and his sponsors. I found these gaps frustrating and sometimes wondered if they weren't irresponsible as well.

The Lost Cyclist is interesting for its history of the bicycle as well as for comparison to other travelogues of the period -- Joshua Slocum's Sailing Alone Around the World comes to mind -- but I found it a disappointment. 9780547195575 I was mildly disappointed by this book. The story, in the summary, seemed like an incredible one and I couldn't wait to get started.

The book is broken up into manageable parts each covering a country traveled. It's a fascinating story, once you actually dig through the somewhat dry text to get to it and I'm glad I pushed my way through the book, but.. yes, it was dry reading.

I think one of my favorite parts of the book was in the beginning. Up until reading this book I'd never considered how different it would have been to ride bikes back in the late 1800's. My imagination was caught up in what it would have been like to travel across the countryside, pushing through bogs of mud, filthy and tired but enjoying the incredible scenery afforded by the trip. And then I started thinking of the stamina that such a trip would have taken and I was awed by it all.

One thing I did learn in reading this book was that, when traveling through a place in upheaval (like Turkey) it's never a good idea to show off your coins.

According to the summary I'd read, this was a story about Frank Lenz, the cyclist who disappeared and William Sachtleben, the man sent on his trail to find out what happened. The book was definitely skewed more toward Sachtleben and less toward Lenz, but that was fine - it just took me a bit by surprise since I was expecting more on Lenz.

This book definitely proves that happy endings are not commonplace in real life stories that have tragedy involved. If you are into the history of the bicycle and historic events, then I recommend this novel. If you are looking for a satisfactory mystery in the form of a non-fiction novel I can't say I'd steer you toward this one.

9780547195575 The story should have been fascinating and thrilling. A lone man in the early days of the bicycle, attempting to travel the world by himself, disappears in a dangerous part of Turkey.

Why, then, was it so boring? The story of the titular lost cyclist was interspersed with the story of two other world travelers. Then his story ends and the book spends quite a lot of time detailing the agonizingly slow debate over whether he even disappeared at all. Maybe he's in Russia. Maybe it's a hoax. Maybe he's ill. Maybe he's dead. Maybe he's in a very remote area. Just get on with it already!

The book then chronicles the investigation being undertaken by a man who is presented as so boorish and culturally clueless. I know this is another time, but a foreigner demanding to search the homes of locals and wanting the authority to arrest suspects? At the same time he is naive enough to believe that he can guarantee protection for a class of citizens that, in 20 years' time, be subject to a genocide committed by their own government. By the way, the genocide is not mentioned anywhere in the book. I would have thought that the Repercussions or Reflections chapter might have been an appropriate place to write about it. It adds another dimension to the circumstances of the disappearance and investigation.

All in all, I didn't hate this book. I enjoyed a glimpse into the beginnings of the bicycle. If nothing else, it's made me eager to go out and ride my bike. 9780547195575 In the 1890's bicyclists were called wheelmen. The were transitioning from the high wheeled boneshakers to what was called a safety bike, similar to the bikes we ride today.

Frank Lenz was a wheelman, he participated in racing, and long distance rides, hoping to escape his boring life as an accountant. His goal was to ride around the world on a bicycle by himself.

He had watched as William Sachtleben and a partner, traveled around the world, and he felt he would succeed solo.

Hardship was part of the travel package. He took his camera to record his travels, and sent articles about what he saw back to the cycling magazine, Outing. He endured heat, mud, dogs, crowds of astounded onlookers, unwanted escorts, staying in everything from hovels to palaces.

Frank Lenz loved riding bicycles, he was enthusiastic and headstrong. Frank wrote to his mother and reported back faithfully, but suddenly his letters and reports stopped. First weeks, then months went by with no word.

Headlines shouted Frank Lenz is Lost, sending shivers through the cycling community, and forcing a rescue mission, headed by William Sachtleben, travelling to the last places Lenz was seen.

What he found was chilling, and disappointing. He discovered what most likely happened, but never found Lenz.

This book was extremely good! Even if you do not ride, it is a fascinating story, a mystery, and a travelogue of sorts, that makes it sound like a good idea to ride around your own neighborhood!

I received this book from Net Galley and read it on my new e-reader, Melville for review. 9780547195575

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David V. Herlihy ↠ 3 review