Road to Valour: A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation Capa dura - 2012

Winner of the Canadian Jewish Book Award - Biography
Winner of the Christopher Award
Winner of the Mazzei Award

"You do not have to follow cycling to relish Bartali’s story....Like Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit before it, Road to Valour is about an unlikely, headstrong champion who transcended his sport to make a deep impact on the broader world.”
—Sports Illustrated

“This thoroughly documented biography is both inspiring and immensely enjoyable.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[Road to Valour] tells a dramatic and moving story that is virtually unknown to most readers....An important addition to World War II biography and also to the history of twentieth-century cycling.”
—Booklist

“‘Thou shall not stand idly by’ is a powerful Biblical command. In Aili and Andres McConnon’s book it offers a moving example of moral courage. A simple citizen and great athlete chose to oppose a cruel and racist political dictatorship by saving Jewish victims in Italy. Was it so hard to become a hero then? It was enough--enough to remain human. And yet.”
—Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

"This retelling of the saga of Gino Bartali, the Italian cycling icon who rescued Jewish victims from  Nazi oppression has the ring of truth and is told with the intensity of the Anne Frank chronicles.That it had a happy ending is a bonus. This astonishing book will become a classic.
—Peter C. Newman,  author of When the Gods Changed
 
“It is with genuine pleasure that I recommend to men and women of all ages and all religious and ethnic backgrounds Road to Valour by Aili and Andres McConnon.  It recounts a true story that is marvelously exciting and inspiring as well.  The heroism of so many Italians during World War II and afterwards is a tale that needs to be told, and the authors tell it masterfully.  Their readers will be deeply touched by the courage of the hero of the book, Gino Bartali, and others who put their lives at risk to protect the innocent and defend both their faith and their commitment to democracy.”
—Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York