The definitive biography of one of the greatest, most extraordinary runners and Olympic heroes of all time, from the author of running classic Feet in the Clouds.
Richard Askwith has been a journalist for more than 35 years. For the past 15 years he has been Associate Editor of the Independent. A keen runner and a lifelong admirer of Emil Zatopek, he has written two previous books about running. His first, Feet in the Clouds, won Best New Writer at the British Sports Book Awards and the Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape and Tradition. It was shortlisted for the William Hill and Boardman-Tasker prizes and was named by Runner's World as one of the three best running books of all time. His 2014 book, Running Free, was short-listed for the Thwaites-Wainwright Prize.
A tale from athletics' age of innocence... He was a sporting hero
not just for his time but for all time
*Spectator*
A wonderfully in-depth and often emotionally charged piece of
writing
*Athletics Weekly*
An astonishing achievement... There are few writers as adept at
capturing so lyrically the utter and incomprehensible strangeness
of distance running... A joy to read
*Literary Review*
Sport book of the year… A fascinating tale, showing all sides of
Zátopek, injecting humanity and humour into a dramatic life
*i, Book of the Year*
Reminds us of the pain and the glory behind every victory and the
power of sport to bring people together and make history
*Martina Navratilova*
A warm, honest and moving account of one of the greatest sportsmen
of all time. Richard Askwith brings to life both the epic triumphs
but also the difficulties and complexities of Zatopek's role in
Communist Czechoslovakia
*Adharanand Finn, author of Running with the Kenyans*
A portrait of a fine but flawed human.
*Sunday Times, Book of the Year*
A tremendous read and also a reminder of the lost purity of track
and field
*The Irish Times*
Terrific
*Guardian*
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