Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder - wisdom is in the mind. Partaking of either requires a good vantage point. These hilly vignettes were written to help you enjoy the climb. This book takes you places you can only discover by cycling up hills. Some hills are in the pretty part of New Jersey, a place few people imagine. Some are in France, Italy, Oregon and California. All these vignettes capture the enthusiasm of discovery, enjoying life, and cycling. Over the past six years, these vignettes were written to share some of the thoughts, tranquility and delight of cycling in beautiful places. Cycling up hills requires the right perspective and good conditioning. These hilly vignettes provide perspective. As a bonus, there are cycling routes that can take you on some of the prettiest roads you're likely to find.

Why do road cyclists go to the mountains? Many books tell you where the mountains are, or how long and how high. None of them ask 'Why?' After all, cycling up a mountain is hard - so hard that, to many non-cyclists, it can seem absurd. But, for some, climbing a mountain gracefully (and beating your competitors up the slope) represents the pinnacle of cycling achievement. The mountains are where legends are forged and cycling's greats make their names. Why are Europe's mountain ranges professional cycling's Wembley Stadium or its Colosseum? Why do amateurs also make a pilgrimage to these high, remote roads and what do we see and feel when we do? Why are the roads there in the first place? Higher Calling explores the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling. Blending adventure and travel writing with the rich narrative of pro racing, Max Leonard takes the reader from the battles that created the Alpine roads to the shepherds tending their flocks on the peaks, and to a Grand Tour climax on the 'highest road in Europe'. And he tells stories of courage and sacrifice, war and love, obsession and elephants along the way.