Beryl - WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023: In Search of Britain's Greatest Athlete, Beryl Burton

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An incredible story about one of the nation's greatest-ever athletes that you probably haven't heard of - until now. AllThatSheCarried by Tiya Miles is an eye-opening social history of love and resilience, and an insightful testament to the people who are left out of the archives. The tragedy of it all was that Beryl couldn’t just stop being or thinking that she could be an elite athlete in her 50s. The truth is she was a cycling phenomenon [and] ferociously competitive Yorkshire girl, who swept the board in all the various British national championships.

This is an incredible book -- Gabby Logan A story with the ingredients that Hollywood would recognise . Beryl is a story of a life in which dreams were shattered by a disabling accident but that was re-built through the experience of being seen and accepted. Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year 2023Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022THE TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022A WATERSTONES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022'A marvellous book' Maxine PeakeCyclist Beryl Burton dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, with a longevity that surpasses sporting legends like Muhammad Ali and Serena Williams. In my previous review I also mentioned that it's always hard to compare performances across different eras; however, in a prime example of what makes this book so different to a more conventional biography, Wilson has actually done exactly that. He presents a powerful new perspective on the deep psychological mechanisms behind birthday parties, royal coronations, fire-walking and terrifying rites of passage.Nathalie Issa * The Daily Telegraph * Beryl was a woman ahead of her time, she was an incredible athlete with an inspirational mindset, and we are only left to imagine what she would have achieved given the same opportunities as the women's peloton now has. Driven by something almost beyond rational comprehension, what emerges from Fotheringham’s biography is an occasionally uncomfortable but always engaging portrait of one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes. In my view there is enough difference between both books to make a case for each – or even all three if you include Burton's autobiography. Dustin Galer’s writing draws us into a historical narrative that is an intellectual tale and a pleasure to read.

A survivor of more than one hundred surgeries, a dangerous opioid addiction, and multiple suicide attempts, Beryl Potter devoted herself to bettering the lives of other people with disabilities and made a tremendous contribution to disability awareness from the 1970s to 1990s.

Yet despite little outside assistance, Burton won the World Championships Road Race in 1960 and 1967, while on the track she won a huge haul including five gold, three silver and four bronze medals. More than anything, this book really makes you think about just how many other women (or anyone from a group that didn’t have the opportunities that the dominant group did) we’ve never heard of even though we should have done. Written with the depth the subject deserves, Fotheringham’s book should be just-about accessible enough for the disinterested reader – and will be hoovered-up by fans. Uncomfortable among her peers, as a child Burton was so shattered by failing her 11-plus and missing the opportunity for social advancement it presented, she suffered a mental breakdown.

With much of the action taking place during early mornings spent barreling down anonymous A-roads, it’s a culture that still ticks steadily beneath the surface of British cycling.

The book explains her upbringing, her home life while riding, her athletic feats and her sad premature death. Cyclist Beryl Burton – also known as BB – dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, but with a longevity that surpasses even sporting legends like Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams and Sir Steve Redgrave. A stalwart of the club scene who encouraged a generation of female cyclists, when eventually deposed by her daughter, the older Burton refused to embrace her and sunk into a depression over the loss of her previous identity. Like, you can’t say women aren’t good at sport when some of them (like Beryl) could beat those amateur men (like she did for the 12 hour time trial, where she was the fastest for both men and women, and held the men’s record for 2 years).