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One that covers the whole history from beginning to end... which will keep me busy on Xmas day!
This -
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The Yellow Jersey Companion to the TDF by Les Woodland is actually very good. I
I believe a man called LAnce Armstrong has written a few 😉
A Race For Madmen is excellent, one of the most readable sports books I've come across, and he also gives the Armstrong years some very balanced coverage (detailing the Christophe Bassons episode, for example).
Ned Boultings "How I lost the Yellow Jumper" or whatever it's called is a very easy read covering the last 10 years or so.
not quiet what your looking for but 'french revolutions' by tim moore is really good. made me laugh and gave me a feel for what it must be like to ride the tour as i cant relate to it properly not being a superhuman 🙂
For history I would suggest Graham Fife's Tour de France: the history, the legend,the riders, I have an earlier version.
One from the charity shops is '23 days in July' written by a journo covering one year's race by looking into each team's performance and strategies.
Definitely not a multi-year history, nor a Lance Armstrong Promo Book, but a good insight to the whole event.
PaulD
French Revolutions is good but not really tdf. Have Race for Madmen next on my book pile. Comes highly recommended
Blazing Saddles - The Cruel and Unusual History of the Tour de France (by Matt Rendell)
Summarises each year of the tour in a couple of pages or so, with tales of how in the early years riders would catch the train to get a lead or get beaten up when going through villages that supported someone in the pursuing group.
I'm going to have to dig out my copy again, now you've reminded me!
Far from a history of the race, Wide Eyed and Legless. About ANC-Halfords at the 1987 tour, very good read.
Geoffrey Wheatcroft wrote one called Le Tour - its a bit linear but readable
I know loads of people love it here but French Revolutions is the worst cycling book I've ever read
I didn't enjoy french revolutions either, I thought he was a thoroughly unpleasant bloke judging from the story about the postcard that he chucked as soon as the guy gave it to him
I really enjoyed Race For Madmen. It's not a literary classic by any means, but I found it a real page turner all the same. And starts from day one. A thorough and enjoyable history.
Currently reading Lance Armstrong's It's Not About The Bike, and whilst The Tour is actually only a very small part of the book, it's a bloody good read.
+1 for The History, The Legend, The Riders by Graeme Fife.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moustache-Poison-Blue-Glasses-France/dp/0953172910
Details all the cheating, riots, murdering etc that happened in the early tours.