Major Taylor

Reviews Kevin Brown | September 24, 2026 Frederick Noland’s graphic biography of Marshall “Major” Taylor focuses on his life as a cyclist, moving from his beginnings in Indiana to the end of his career that had led him around the world, making him “the world’s fastest man,” as the subtitle says. The biography proceeds chronologically throughout his life, the racism present in the society at large as well as in cycling, specifically, remains the primary conflict facing Taylor. The story is one of compelling inspiration, despite the absence of internal conflict or flaws keeping readers from seeing Taylor as fully dimensional. Noland begins the work with context about bicycles, setting the stage for Taylor’s career. That focus runs throughout the work and helps the reader see Taylor's world, particularly in terms of cycling. At the turn of the century bicycle races were a significant form of entertainment before automobiles came along to displace them. Noland reminds readers that bicycles first came about because of a decline in horse populations due to a catastrophic volcanic eruption, even though cars earned the nickname “horseless carriages”, bicycles were a type of evolutionary li...