Merckx 525 Hardcover – Download: Adobe Reader, October 1, 2012

Very well written and documented biography of Eddy Merckx.

What a great book about an iconic figure in cycling. I bought it for my spinning instructor who also leads our little club during our multi-day rides. I had to scan through it , of course, before I gifted it. I had no idea what Eddie Merckx was before that.

This is primarily a photo history of Merckx' career with short bios of key races. It is not a critical biography and lightly passes over controversy, such as the '69 Giro doping scandal. The photos are wonderful but the production/paper quality does not do them justice. Better quailty in these areas would have been worth the added expense. Despite that, a book worth having if you are a Merckx fan.

Every fan of cycling knows the name Eddy Merckx. His record of race victories stands above all others. For the great Eddy Merckx to be seen in the detail put together in this book is indeed rare. Many images are seen here for the first time, and show the reader a more intimate view of the man and his life while racing. The stories, many in his own words, are alone worth owning the book. To have all the excellent photographs together with them is a great accomplishment, and a welcome treat.

Most of us cycling fans already know the bullet points of the Merckx epic This book puts them in perspective, first by depicting them in chronological order, and then by including the background--his childhood and family life, his rise as an amateur, the smaller races won, the controversies, and the races lost. A lot of the details have been lost to time, but the overall presentation is extensive and clear-eyed and fair, a vivid mural of a magnificent athletic career.

This is a wonderful, comprehensive volume about one of the greatest bike road racers of all time. Super photographs, nice text, great lay-out. I bought a copy for myself and liked it so much I gave other copies to family and friends (who ride) for Xmas. They loved it, too. A must-have for your bike-related library, but it stands equally well as a general coffee table book -- the images are that powerful.

When friends visit and complain about the state of cycling in this post-Lance era, hand them this wonderful book. It's a joy to read, to look at, and even just to hold in your hands. Pure class in every way, just the way Eddy Merckx was in his prime, and still is, in his retirement.

It too looks like an interesting book, I just haven't gotten to it yet. I'm looking forward to receiving the other book about Eddy Merckx, "Half Man, Half Bike".

I'm a big fan of Merckx so I had to own this book. It is beautifully printed on high quality paper, superb never seen before photos and full of information. A real gem.

An expensive book but, if you worship Eddy, vital.

Bought as a gift - a really beautiful coffee table book for a road cycling enthusiast. Great imagery and fab cover.

The photographs and writings within this book took me into a time period of cycling that was foreign to me because of my age; it gave me a wonderful view of what cycling was and maybe what it should return to being. Eddy Merckx's accomplishments are described beautifully and you also get a slight glimpse into his personal and family life. The book itself is quite large (13.5" x 9.5") so it makes a great coffee table book.

This was a gift for my father who is an enthusiast of cycling and he really enjoyed the read. Included a few rare pictures which gave him a smile. Put a smile on my fathers face and you get 5 stars. :)