Bicycle in Wartime (P)

After a brief introduction about the development of bicycles, Dr. Fitzpatrick sets forth an interesting history of the use of bicycles by the military in peacetime and in war, and by civilians in wartime. Dr. Fitzpatrick discusses the successes and failures of bicycle use in wartime in very understandable terms. An interesting aspect of the book is its identification of the different forms of resistance to bicycle use raised by various military leaders, as well as the "mental blinders" that led to some to seriously underestimate the capacity of the bicycle to be used effectively in warfare. The book has fascinating and thought-provoking discussions of the successful use of bicycles by the Japanese Imperial Army in the conquest of Malaysia and Singapore during World War II, and by the Vietnamese against the French and American military forces in Indochina. Dr. Fitzpatrick is candid about the limitation of his ability to access more foreign-language resources (Preface at p. ix), but that limitation does not seriously detract from the quality of this book. The book is very readable and very informative. This is a history book that a non-historian can enjoy, and a student of history can find very useful. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in a different perspective on bicycles, military history, or practical examples of human ingenuity and problem solving.

Great study on a very neglected topic. Text is supplemented with some great photos. I hope a volume two will come out someday!

Very well written, lots of historical photos. A pleasure to read

Detailed text and amazing photos show the use of bicycles by armies ranging from the Civil War to Vietnam to Yugoslavia.