They inform us here that all sports can be decadent and cite the bicycling antics of Alfred Jarry (a 19th century French fellow who was a big inspiration for the surrealists and certainly not adverse to getting off his head on absinthe, painting his face green, and cycling manically through his home town) and the sailing exploits of Donald Crowhurst (who attempted to win a round the world boat race by not sailing around the world – cheating basically). The book is packed with such anecdotes, literary allusions and what we should, in fact, even consider a sport (voyeurism or cocktail mixing anyone?). Fans of that august gentlemen’s journal, The Chap – and other assorted loafers - should find much to keep them away from the dreaded gym membership here. RM