160,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Happy Sunday! Auckland Store open until 5pm today 📚

1923

The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession
4.1 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 595 ratings, 61 reviews)
Brief Description
WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: SPORT NOMINATED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 'An absorbing mix of historical sleuthing and travel writing' - The Telegraph '[a] fascinating and often... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5300

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

An intriguing journey that encompasses travelogue, history and detective story.

An intriguing journey that encompasses travelogue, history and detective story.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: SPORT
NOMINATED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

'An absorbing mix of historical sleuthing and travel writing' - The Telegraph

'[a] fascinating and often touching book… Wonderful' - The Times

When cycling commentator Ned Boulting bought a length of Pathé news film featuring a stage of the Tour de France from 1923, he set about learning everything he could about it. This begins an intriguing journey that encompasses travelogue, history, and detective story.

In the autumn of 2020, Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored, it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge.

Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence — studying each frame, face, and building — until he had squeezed the meaning from it. It sets him off in fascinating directions, encompassing travelogue, history, and mystery story, to explain and delve deeper into this moment in time captured on his little film.

Join him as he explores the history of cycling and France just five years after WWI.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781399401586

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 July 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Sport

Illustration: Black and white images

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 136.0mm

Height: 200.0mm

Weight: 209g

Pages: 288

About the Author

Ned Boulting is the UK’s best known voice of cycling – he commentates on the Tour de France for ITV, and all other major cycling races. Ned is the author of five books, including the bestselling How I Won the Yellow Jumper and On the Road Bike. He lives in London with his wife and two children. @nedboulting

Also by Ned Boulting

View all
  • The Accidental Tour-ist
    FROM THE WINNER OF THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2024 CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR: 1923 'A fascinating and inspiring book ... An excellent read' – Phil Liggett MBE In the follow-up to the bestselling How I Won the Yellow Jumper and the award-winning 1923, this is a lap of honour for everything that Ned has been lucky enough to have...
    Hardback
    $4699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Accidental Tour-ist
    Pre-order
    The Accidental Tour-ist
    It’s been over ten years since I wrote How I Won The Yellow Jumper, a book that quite unexpectedly seemed to ride the crest of a substantial new wave of interest in the Tour de France. I did not realise it at the time, but I think that a very large number of fans were discovering road racing (a deeply...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 3 Nov 2026

More from Travel & Adventure

View all
  • On Sale
    19% off
    The Salt Path
    The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Abroad in Japan
    The hilarious number one bestselling memoir from YouTube sensation Chris Broad, a Brit trying to assimilate into life in Japan as he unravels the wonders and eccentricities of one of the world's most mysterious cultures. When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan, he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Penguin Lessons
    Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastéis de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
    Cozy Bookshops—your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Domesday
    Pre-order
    Domesday
    The Domesday Book describes the furniture of a culture and its economy – the legacy of Anglo-Saxon England. When King William I sent his agents to survey every shire in England, he asked them to list his holdings and calculate what was owed to him. The manuscript record of the resulting ‘Great Survey’ is not just a tax record, but...
    Hardback
    $5499
    Pre-order
    Out 5 Jan 2027
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Auto Biography
    From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...
    Hardback
    $4600
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Around the World in 80 Trains
    WINNER OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER AWARD FOR BEST TRAVEL BOOK SHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 'Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride'...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lonely Planet Norway
    Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Norway. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from watching walruses lolling and hunting in Borebukta to hiking in the remote causeway of Ekkerøy in Finnmark, and road tripping along the Lofoten Islands to admire villages replete with traditional fishing...
    Paperback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Lonely Planet Pocket Paris
    Lonely Planet's Pocket Paris is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Wonder at the city's museums and architecture, stroll through the Pere Lachaise, and dine on rich French cuisine; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Paris and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Paris:...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lonely Planet Thailand
    Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Thailand. Discover popular and off-the-beaten-track experiences, from sinking your toes into the soft white sand of Ko Lipe's Sunrise Beach to slurping boat noodles with locals at food stands in Ayuthaya, and spotting wild elephants on a night safari at Khao...
    Paperback
    $4100
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 160,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.