The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It

( 14 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback (Reprint)
$11.15
BN.com price
$14.95 List Price (Save 25%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$1.50
$14.95 List Price (Save 90%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (43)  
Used (23)  
New (20)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 5
Showing 1 – 10 of 43 (5 pages)
$1.50
(Save 90%)
Tacoma Goodwill
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(393)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Acceptable
100% of your purchase helps Goodwill create jobs and change lives. All pages are intact, and the spine and cover are also intact. May have some usage wear, missing or damaged dust ... jacket, stickers, cover creases, bumped corners, bent pages, remainder mark, previous owner label or name, inscription, notes, underlining and/or highlighting. Text only; no CDs, InfoTrac, Access Codes, Activation Keys, or other inclusions, unless otherwise noted. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Tacoma, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
GWBooks
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(60)

Condition: Acceptable
A readable copy. All pages and cover are intact. Dust jacket is torn or missing. The book has moderate to heavy wear. This book does not appear to have any writing or other ... markings. Nicked edges. Yellowed pages. Slightly warped from storage. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Vancouver, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Express, 48 States
$1.99
(Save 87%)
GreenEarthBooks
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4876)

Condition: Good
Light shelving wear with minimal damage to cover and bindings. Pages show minor use. Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read. Recycle and ... Reuse! Read more Show Less

Ships from: Portland, OR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 87%)
Trinity City Books
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(960)

Condition: Acceptable
Intact & readable. PLEASE NOTE~ we rated this book USED~ACCEPTABLE due to likely defects such as highlighting, writing/markings, folds, creases, ETC. We ship from Dallas within 1 ... day & we LOVE our customers! Satisfaction guaranteed. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Garland, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.25
(Save 85%)
Open Books Ltd
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(82)

Condition: Good
2005 Paperback Good Open Books is a Non-profit literacy organization and proceeds from the sale benefit literacy programs.

Ships from: Chicago, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.99
(Save 80%)
Patrico Books NY
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(3433)

Condition: Good
2005-04-06 Paperback Good Ships Out Tomorrow!

Ships from: Apollo Beach, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$3.25
(Save 78%)
Shadow Mountain Books
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(3)

Condition: Good
This copy is in Good+ condition/shows some bending of entire book - - doesn't lie flat. Otherwise very nice. Minimal edgewear/corner bumps/clean and tight. **Publisher ... Comments: "There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was the elusive holy grail, believed to be beyond the limits of human speed. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners set out individually to break that barrier. Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur ? driven not just by winning but by the nobility of the pursuit. John Landy was the privileged son of a genteel Australian family, who as a boy preferred butterfly collecting to running but who trained relentlessly in an almost spiritual attempt to achieve this singular task. Then there was Wes Santee, the swaggering American, a Kansas farm boy who was a natural athlete and who believed he was just plain better than everybody else..."** Read more Show Less

Ships from: Cary, NC

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.15
(Save 72%)
Extremely_Reliable
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(3184)

Condition: Acceptable
Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$4.46
(Save 70%)
BookHouse COM LLC
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(316)

Condition: Like New
PAPERBACK Fine 0618562095 May have a remainder mark FROM A COMPANY YOU TRUST, HUGE SELECTION. RELIABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! ! HASSLE FREE RETURN POLICY, SATISFACTION GURANTEED****

Ships from: Philadelphia, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.46
(Save 70%)
Vitalbooks PA
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(101)

Condition: Like New
PAPERBACK Fine 0618562095 Ships Fast. All standard orders delivered within 5 to 12 business days. May have a remainder mark.

Ships from: Southampton, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 5
Showing 1 – 10 of 43 (5 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$10.16
BN.com price
$14.95 List Price (Save 32%)

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

More About This Book

Overview

There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be entirely beyond the limits of human foot speed. And in all of sport it was the elusive holy grail. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners set out individually to break this formidable barrier. Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur—still driven not just by winning but by the nobility of the pursuit. John Landy was the privileged son of a genteel Australian family, who as a boy preferred butterfly collecting to running but who trained relentlessly in an almost spiritual attempt to shape his mind and body to this singular task. Then there was Wes Santee, the swaggering American, a Kansas farm boy and natural athlete who believed he was just plain better than everybody else.
Santee was the first to throw down the gauntlet in what would become a three-way race of body, heart, and soul. Each young man endured thousands of hours of training, bore the weight of his nation's expectations on his shoulders, and still dared to push to the very limit. Their collective quest captivated the world and stole headlines from the Korean War, the atomic race, and such legendary figures as Edmund Hillary, Willie Mays, Native Dancer, and Ben Hogan. Who would be the first to achieve the unachievable? And who among them would be the best when they raced head to head? In the answer came the perfect mile.
In the tradition of Seabiscuit and Chariots of Fire, Neal Bascomb delivers a breathtaking story of unlikely heroes and leaves us with a lasting portrait of the twilight years of the golden age of sport.

Editorial Reviews

David Horspool
In this enthralling book, Neal Bascomb not only burnishes the legends of two men whose rivalry captured the world's attention, but restores a third, Santee, who was never given a real chance to compete against them, to his rightful place alongside Landy and Bannister.
— The New York Times
Jonathan Yardley
It was Bannister, though, who won the race to crack the four-minute wall. How he did so is a dramatic story, and Bascomb tells it well. The reader knows how it turns out, of course, but Bascomb moves things along at a swift pace and builds suspense not so much over the outcome as over all the steps in getting there. He writes sympathetically and admiringly about all three men, describes their different approaches to training and race strategies, and fills in a lot of interesting background about the history of the mile.
— The Washington Post
More Reviews (3) Fewer Reviews
The New Yorker
On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister, a British medical student who squeezed in track workouts between hospital rounds, became the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes. It was a feat that had widely been thought impossible, but within seven weeks an even faster time was posted by the Australian John Landy, setting up a showdown later that year in a race that was billed as the “Mile of the Century.” In masterly fashion, Bascomb re-creates the battle of the milers, embellishing his account with fascinating forays into runner’s lore. (In the seventeenth century, athletes had their spleens excised to boost speed; in the nineteenth, they were advised to rest in bed at noon naked.) It’s a mark of Bascomb’s skill that, although the outcome of the race is well known, he keeps us in suspense, rendering in graphic detail the runners’ agony down the final stretch.
Publishers Weekly
The attempt by three men in the 1950s to become the first to run the mile in less than four minutes is a classic 20th-century sports story. Bascomb's excellent account captures all of the human drama and competitive excitement of this legendary racing event. It helps that the story and its characters are so engaging to begin with. The three rivals span the globe: England's Roger Bannister, who combines the rigors of athletic training with the "grueling life of a medical student"; Australia's John Landy, "driven by a demand to push himself to the limit"; and Wes Santee from the U.S., a brilliant strategic runner who became the "victim" of the "[h]ypocrisy and unchecked power" of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Although Bannister broke the record before Landy, Landy soon broke Bannister's record, and the climax of the book is a long and superb account of the race between the two men at the Empire Games in Vancouver on August 7, 1954. Bascomb provides the essential details of this "Dream Race" which was heard over the radio by 100 million people while Santee, who may have been able to beat both of them, was forced by AAU restrictions to participate only as a broadcast announcer. Bascomb definitively shows how this perfect race not only was a "defining moment in the history of the mile and of sport as well," but also how it reveals "a sporting world in transition" from amateurism to professionalism. (Apr.) Forecast: With Bascomb's narrative skills, it's no surprise that movie rights have already been optioned and by the team behind the Seabiscuit film. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
May 6, 2004, marks the 50th anniversary of a breakthrough achievement that had once seemed impossible the first running of a sub-four-minute mile. Bascomb describes the buildup to the event, including how three main competitors came together to race on that memorable day. It was an American, Wes Santee, who boldly claimed that he would be the first person to run the sub-four-minute mile. The other two protagonists, Englishman Roger Bannister and Australian John Landry, were as determined as Santee. The race captured the imaginations of people around the globe, sharing headlines with the Korean War, Elizabeth's coronation, and another considerable human accomplishment, Edmund Hillary's conquest of Everest. This is an engaging tale that features detailed notes for each chapter, plus eight black-and-white photos. Bascomb (Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City) is a former editor and journalist who has appeared in documentaries on A&E and the History Channel. Recommended for all sports collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 12/03.] Larry R. Little, Penticton P.L., B.C. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780618562091
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Publication date: 4/6/2005
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 344
  • Sales rank: 83,733
  • Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.25 (h) x 0.75 (d)

Meet the Author

NEAL BASCOMB is the critically acclaimed author of The Perfect Mile , a New York Times bestseller, Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky , and Red Mutiny: Eleven Fateful Days on the Battleship Potemkin , which won the U.S. Maritime Literature Award in 2007. A former editor and journalist, he has appeared in documentaries on A&E and the History Channel.

Read an Excerpt

Prologue

How did he know he would not die?” a Frenchman asked of the first runner to break the four-minute mile. Half a century ago the ambition to achieve that goal equaled scaling Everest or sailing alone around the world. Most people considered running four laps of the track in four minutes to be beyond the limits of human speed. It was foolhardy and possibly dangerous to attempt. Some thought that rather than a lifetime of glory, honor, and fortune, a hearse would be waiting for the first person to accomplish the feat.
The four-minute mile: this was the barrier, both physical and psychological, that begged to be broken. The number had a certain mathematical elegance. As one writer explained, the figure “seemed so perfectly round—four laps, four quarter miles, four-point-oh-oh minutes—that it seemed God himself had established it as man’s limit.” Under four minutes—the place had the mysterious and heroic resonance of reaching sport’s Valhalla. For decades the best middle-distance runners had tried and failed. They had come to within two seconds, but that was as close as they were able to get. Attempt after spirited attempt had proved futile. Each effort was like a stone added to a wall that looked increasingly impossible to breach.
But the four-minute mile had a fascination beyond its mathematical roundness and assumed impossibility. Running the mile was an art form in itself. The distance—unlike the 100-yard sprint or the marathon—required a balance of speed and stamina. The person to break that barrier would have to be fast, diligently trained, and supremely aware of his body so that he would cross the finish line just at the point of complete exhaustion. Further, the four-minute mile had to be won alone. There could be no teammates to blame, no coach during halftime to inspire a comeback. One might hide behind the excuses of cold weather, an unkind wind, a slow track, or jostling competition, but ultimately these obstacles had to be defied. Winning a footrace, particularly one waged against the clock, was ultimately a battle with oneself, over oneself.
In August 1952 the battle commenced. Three young men in their early twenties set out to be the first to break the barrier. Born to run fast, Wes Santee, the “Dizzy Dean of the Cinders,” was a natural athlete and the son of a Kansas ranch hand. He amazed crowds with his running feats, basked in the publicity, and was the first to announce his intention of running the mile in four minutes. “He just flat believed he was better than anybody else,” said one sportswriter. Few knew that running was his escape from a brutal childhood.
Then there was John Landy, the Australian who trained harder than anyone else and had the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. The mile for Landy was more aesthetic achievement than footrace. He said, “I’d rather lose a 3:58 mile than win one in 4:10.” Landy ran night and day, across fields, through woods, up sand dunes, along the beach in knee-deep surf. Running revealed to him a discipline he never knew he had.
And finally there was Roger Bannister, the English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur athlete in a world being overrun by professionals and the commercialization of sport. For Bannister the four-minute mile was “a challenge of the human spirit,” but one to be realized with a calculated plan. It required scientific experiments, the wisdom of a man who knew great suffering, and a magnificent finishing kick.
All three runners endured thousands of hours of training to shape their bodies and minds. They ran more miles in a year than many of us walk in a lifetime. They spent a large part of their youth struggling for breath. They trained week after week to the point of collapse, all to shave off a second, maybe two, during a mile race—the time it takes to snap one’s fingers and register the sound. There were sleepless nights and training sessions in rain, sleet, snow, and scorching heat. There were times when they wanted to go out for a beer or a date yet knew they couldn’t. They understood that life was somehow different for them, that idle happiness eluded them. If they weren’t training or racing or gathering the will required for these efforts, they were trying not to think about training and racing at all.
In 1953 and 1954, as Santee, Landy, and Bannister attacked the four-minute barrier, getting closer with every passing month, their stories were splashed across the front pages of newspapers around the world, alongside headlines about the Korean War, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, and Edmund Hillary’s climb toward the world’s rooftop. Their performances outdrew baseball pennant races, cricket test matches, horse derbies,, rugby matches, football games, and golf majors. Ben Hogan, Rocky Marciano, Willie Mays, Bill Tilden, and Native Dancer were often iiiiin the shadows of the three runners, whose achievements attracted media attention to track and field that has never been equaled since. For weeks in advance of every race the headlines heralded an impending break in the barrier: “Landy Likely to Achieve Impossible!”; “Bannister Gets Chance of 4-Minute Mile!”; “Santee Admits Getting Closer to Phantom Mile.” Articles dissected track conditions and the latest weather forecasts. Millions around the world followed every attempt. When each runner failed—and there were many failures—he was criticized for coming up short, for not having what it took. Each such episode only motivated the others to try harder.
They fought on, reluctant heroes whose ambition was fueled by a desire to achieve the goal and to be the best. They had fame, undeniably, but of the three men only Santee enjoyed the publicity, and that proved to be more of a burden than an advantage. As for riches, financial reward was hardly a factor—they were all amateurs. They had to scrape around for pocket change, relying on their hosts at races for decent room and board. The prize for winning a meet was usually a watch or a small trophy. At that time, the dawn of television, amateur sport was beginning to lose its innocence to the new spirit of “win at any cost,” but these three strove only for the sake of the attempt. The reward was in the effort.
After four soul-crushing laps around the track, one of the three finally breasted the tape in 3:59.4, but the race did not end there. The barrier was broken, and a media maelstrom descended on the victor, yet the ultimate question remained: who would be the best when they toed the starting line together?
The answer came in the perfect mile, a race fought not against the clock but against one another. It was won with a terrific burst around the final bend in front of an audience spanning the globe.

If sport, as a chronicler of this battle once said, is a “tapestry of alternating triumph and tragedy,” then the first thread of this story begins with tragedy. It occurred in a race 120 yards short of a mile at the 1,500- meter Olympic final in Helsinki, Finland, almost two years to the day before the greatest of triumphs.

Copyright © 2004 by Neal Bascomb. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

Table of Contents

Prologue ix
Part I A Reason to Run 1
Part II The Barrier 69
Part III The Perfect Mile 195
Epilogue 256
Author's Note 273
Acknowledgments 275
Notes 277
Index 307

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 14 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(8)

4 Star

(6)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 14 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 28, 2011

    Outstanding Story of Glowing Hope

    Neal Bascomb's national bestseller "The Perfect Mile" is a captivating story representing the world's first ever four minute mile. Bascomb, who only started writing books full-time in 2000, delivers the imagery and suspense needed to create the feeling that you are actually in the stands watching history unfold. With three athletes from different backgrounds and countries all going for the same "impossible" barrier, the intensity that is created between each athlete builds up throughout the story. Even knowing who the legendary icon will be, there were times in this story when I actually believed that someone else may get to it first. "Bascomb excels at unearthing the real suspense of this era"- Christian Science Monitor. This book was one the best books I have read, and it is truly thrilling to read of the numerous attempts and failures that went through to achieve it. This book creates motivation for my own races, and as a runner, this book is extremelly relateable. "The Perfect Mile" is a must-read book for any interested sports historian. "There's nothing you can't do."

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 7, 2010

    The Perfect Mile

    There was a time in the mid-1900's when it was believed that running a mile in under 4 minutes was beyond the human bodies capability. It was known in track and field at the time as the goal that no one could quite touch. Many had come close but none had every broken the barrier. In 1952, 3 athletes set out to break the elusive barrier. Wes Santee, A Kansan who spent his life working on the farm. Rodger Bannister, a English medical student who could only do his workouts in between his work at the hospital. John Landy, a well privileged Australian who spent all of his time working on shaping his body to be in the best shape it could possibly be in. The Perfect Mile walks you through the journey of these three athletes and show the dramatic steps they must take to make their attempt at the perfect mile. On May 6th 1954 Roger Bannister was the first ever athlete to break the 4 minute barrier with a time of 3:59.4. The post race announcement was read: "Ladies and gentlemen, here is the result of event 9, the one mile: 1st, No. 41, R.G. Bannister, Amateur Athletic Association and formerly of Exeter and Merton Colleges, Oxford, with a time which is a new meeting and track record, and which - subject to ratification - will be a new English Native, British National, All-Comers, European, British Empire and World Record. The time was 3..." The final numbers were drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Just weeks later John Landy also broke 4 minutes. You might think the book ends here however the book is called the perfect mile for a reason. It is called this because of the race after Bannister, and Landy broke the barrier. A race that pits the two runners against each other in a race that was known as the "Miracle Mile". The final chapters of this book walks you nearly minute by minute through everything leading up to the race itself. I would recommend this book to not only runners but anyone who enjoys sports books, because this is probably the best sports book I have ever read in my life.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 8, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    9780875964577

    The Perfect Running Book

    The Perfect Mile is a gloriously well crafted story entailing the attempts of three runners to break the four minute mile barrier in the early 1950's. It details the many runs made at said barrier by Roger Bannister, Wes Santee and John Landy. Also, it discusses the race of the century that would decide who was the best miler in the world at the time.
    Neal Bascomb does an excellent job of describing how the races occurred, and not just how the runners themselves felt but the public in general. He keeps the reader entertained the entire book through by perfectly describing how the race felt to the runners and how it affected their psyche with each failed attempt. However, somehow Bascomb was able to explain the races in such detail yet still let the reader use their imagination to think of how the runners felt for themselves. His ability to not molest the readers view of what happened shows Bascomb's supreme skill at writing stories of sport. Bascomb also delves into the history of not just the four minute mile barrier but the history of running the mile itself. He then illustrates the races that occurred after the barrier was finally broken in which milers had great races.
    There were not many down sides of this book except for the fact that Bascomb does not deal with each runner equally. Wes Santee, the lone American, seems to be forgotten at points in the book, especially towards the end of the book when Landy and Bannister race at the Empire Games in Vancouver. Santee was supposed to be in this race but was not allowed to race because the Amateur Athletic Union would not let him. There is a reason for some absence from the book however it does not talk about how terrible it must have felt in enough detail.
    Another book that one might consider reading if they enjoyed The Perfect Mile would be Pre which entails the life and death of Steve Prefontaine. It is also superb in its explanation of races and feelings that Pre and the rest of the public went through during his life.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 12, 2009

    The Perfect Mile

    One of the best sports books I have read.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 18, 2005

    This book is just amazing....

    I myself am a mile runner in my high-school, and i think this book is just so great. I really enjoyed the great detail that was put in to the book. At time it felt like I was Roger Bannister, Wes Santee, or John Landy at times finding myself pumped up and just caught up with the races, training sessions, and all within the story. I would tell anyone who is really interseted in these types of books, or even history to read this book. It is jsut simple mind-boggling, it's purely amazing that somehting that was so great and hard to break, would end up driving three men into another form of greatness. From a person who hates to read books, I would find myself just staying up well into the night reading this book, before I raced I would really a little peices of the book. To anyone who is a mile runner weither it's in highschool, college, or pro, I really think you should read this book!!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 16, 2004

    Most definitely the best book I have ever read

    As a highschool runner, I am by no means the best out there. With a mile pr of 5:04 it is beginning to seem impossible to break 5 minutes. And here are these three men, 50 years ago, who were running more than a minute faster than me. This detailed summary of the different journeys of these men (even recording their mile splits and exactly what occured during the races) is not only a great book about the sport of running but also an amazing inspirational novel. If these men can keep themselves together and gather up enough courage to run 1,760 yards in 3:59.6 then I can most definitely run it in 4:59.6. Or at least I have to keep telling myself that. But overall it is a wonderful novel and I would recommend it to anybody who is looking for a good book to read. I could not put this down in the time that I was reading, and finished it faster and with more ease than it takes for me to run that 5:04 (ok maybe a little exaggeration there but you get my point). Just go out and read the book. I guarantee that you'll enjoy it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 27, 2004

    The perfect book for the perfect 4-minute mile race

    Author Neal Bascomb has written the perfect book about the first sub-4 minutes mile race in 1954 and the dramatic follow up between the two fastest milers head to head the same year. He has not only gathered up the facts, by interviewing the three principal runners in person in their homes in the United States, England, and Australia, but woven them together in a gripping narrative. The result is not only good history of races that put you in the stands watching, but lively details. With his descriptions of the environment, you feel the pre-race excitement and hear the cheers. And he doesn¿t resort to conjuring up conversations only based on fact; he uses the actual words of the people he interviewed or takes quotes from newspaper accounts, documenting it inconspicuously at the end of the book. As I runner, I got an added thrill out of the book. I read the race sections (and there are many) slowly, feeling each lap of the mile, imagining how the runners felt (though Bascomb also tells us in their own words). I read it on a trip to New York, in the airport waiting rooms, on board, and later on the subways. It¿s one of the first books I¿ve read in a while outside the field I teach in; and I read every word. The week after I finished the book, as I was jogging around a curve on an old cinder track, the kind Bannister, Landy and Santee used to run on in 1954, I was Bannister, striding toward the finish line, ignoring tiredness, gliding, speeding on - to a very slow, but enjoyable mile time.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 26, 2004

    Outstanding

    Not only has Bascomb captured the essence of a sporting event that once seemed unthinkable, he enlightens by capturing another era.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 23, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 27, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 16, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 30, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 24, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 17, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 14 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit