Today We Die A Little
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LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 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. Emil Zátopek won five Olympic medals, set 18 world records, and went undefeated over 10,000 metres for six years. He redefined the boundaries of endurance, training in Army boots, in snow, in sand, in darkness. But his toughness was matched by a spirit of friendship and a joie de vivre that transcended the darkest days of the Cold War. His triumphs put his country on the map, yet when Soviet tanks moved in to crush Czechoslovakia's new freedoms in 1968, Zátopek paid a heavy personal price for his brave defence of 'socialism with a human face'. Rehabilitated two decades later, he was a shadow of the man he had been - and the world had all but forgotten him. Today We Die A Little strips away the myths to tell the complex and deeply moving story of the most inspiring Olympic hero of them all.
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Wow, that was a blast: I accidentally learned about Zátopek this summer and decided to read this book. By doing that, I learned about an athlete who redefined modern running training, turning himself into an Olympic champion through sheer determination and effort, enjoying life and facing whatever adversities came his way.
The biographer is admittedly a big fan of his, but doesn't for that reason portray him as a saint: he points out his merits as well as his flaws, and does not shy away from talking about his controversial, alternating relationship with the Communist regime that ruled Czechoslovakia at that time.
The resulting portrait is that of a charismatic person trying his best to live up to his own ideals, but occasionally failing to do so.
I occasionally found it going into too many details, but I enjoyed its content nonetheless, so 5 stars.
