I saw this on another forum, but, being a bookworm, I thought I would throw it out here. What are some of the better books that are athletic/endurance/adventure inspired that you have read? Maybe a must read list for triathlete inspiration, or just some that you have enjoyed over the years …
“The Old Man and the Sea.”
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Going Long - Gordo Byrn & Joe Friel To the Edge : A Man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance - Kirk Johnson (1/2 way finished and it’s been great) Flying Scotsman - Graeme Obree (next on the list of books to read) Lance Armstrong’s Books Breaking the Chain - Willy Voet (story of the Festina Drug Scandal)
I haven’t read many triathlon specific books, but would love to hear more suggestions.
Lots of recommendations here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=67714;search_string=Into%20Thin%20Air;#67714
clm
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Thanks clm. By the way, I like your Web site. I like to read about other folks’ training. Gives me much needed inspiration.
Thomas Pynchon - “Vineland”
Makes me laugh and think at the same time, a rare quality that I’m grateful for in a book. I forget about my sports obsession while reading it.
Once a Runner John L. Parker Jr.
Gold in the Water P.H. Mullen
Both are very good. OAR is a fiction story about a miler in the 70’s. It really captures the feelings that one goes through while training hard and racing the mile. It makes you want to go live in the woods and train like a madman. GITW follows the Santa Clara Swim Club to the 2000 Olympics. The focus athlete is Tom Wilkins but does a lot with Kurt Grote, Dod Wales, Tate Blahnik, Sergey Mariniuk, Dara Torres, Tom Dolan, Ed Moses and coach Dick Jochums. It gives a great look into the life of a world class “fringe sport” athletes life. Also makes you want to train like a madman.
The Amateurs by David Halberstam is the best book I have ever read about athletes and why they do it. The book is about a group of rowers trying to make the US Olympic team.
The best adventure story is The Worst Journey in the World.
Thanks Brett! Nice to hear.
clm
Books:
“Into Thin Air” - Great book on the Everest expedition in 96 that went sour.
clm,
I agree with Brett C, great site. Funny thing is that I was cruising around your site a few weeks back and I see one of my lane mates (‘Boop’) in your Ralphs 1/2 section. Small world.
Into thin Air, Skeletons on the Zahara, Endurance, Essex, all survival adventure books that were great. the best was into thin air.
I second
letters to a young poet…
Recently read (and reread) books:
“tender to the bone” Ruth Reischel
“The Spirit Cathes you and You fall down”
"Kitchen Confidential’
“Soul of a chef”
“Brave New World” Definately!!!
"Bell Jar’
“Silent Room” (First hand account of schizophrenia)
“House of God” (imagine the television show Scrubs… well before Scrubs)
“Chocolat”
“Miles” (sutobiography of miles Davis)
“Complications’ (very interesting critique of the practice of medicine”
Tao Te Ching (go back to this one often, the translation I like is a guy with a western name who escapes me right now)
Uhh that’s all I can think of right now…
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. Unlike anything else he’s written, and a real page turner, even at 900 of 'em. I’ve recommended this book to many and all have loved it.
Hornblower novels by C.S Forester.
i just finished Rick Atkinson’s “In The Company of Soldiers”, which is a fascinating look at the first phase of the (most recent) Iraq war.
like many of the people in the book, I wonder how it ends.
i second the recommendation of the hornblower series
along the same lines, i must add the sharpe series (for some reason, he reminds me of tom d)
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Great historical adventure read is “The Fever Trail” by Mark Honigsbaum. It’s the true story of the search for the cure to Malaria and the cinchona tree of deep south america.
Also, about 18 months ago National Geographic Adventure Magazine prointed a list of the all time best adventure books. Here is a link to the top 4 and the forum that went with it.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0107/story.html#story_4
Happy reading!
Karma
saw another bryce courtenay reference on here i have not read, but from the perspective of goal setting, long term mental toughness: the power of one. great read. really great read.
also - for triathlon inspiration - the compilation of my first ironman stories - i don’t have it handy because i loaned it to my ex-boyfriend’s mom…she says she’ll mail it to me…but probably i need to just buy another copy haha - so i can’t remember the exact name but it is very inspirational i thought for stories of perseverance and what triathlon is all about. i re-read some of the stories before a big race - helps keep me motivated and keeps things in perspective.
I found my link to the whole National Geographic best adventure books of all time:
http://pbehmer.com/links/adventurebooks/
I’ve spent countless hours reading many of these and plan to read many more.
Cheers!
Karma
not exactly leisure reading but great perspectives…
Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age
Modris Eksteins
All That is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience of Modernity
Marshall Berman