Monday, May 24, 2010

Conquerors of Time Review (5)

From: Track and Field News, June 2010-05-25
By RL Quercetani in The European View column writing about a nostalgic trend in Europe with books about the past having been published.

"The same trends seem to prevail even elsewhere, for instance in Oceania. British publisher SportsBooks recently offered a most enthralling book, Conquerors of Time, which covers the 1500/mile era of 1932-36.

"It's a profound study of the careers of Jack Lovelock, Luigi Beccali, Glenn Cunningham, Bill Bonthron, Gene Venzke, Jerry Cornes and Sydney Wooderson.

"Its author, New Zealander Lynn McConnell, contacted most of these legendary runners' relatives and brought to light a lot of previously unpublished details.

"Lovelock, who won the 1500 at the '36 Olympics in World Record time (3:47.8), is the main figure in the plot.

"A most emblematic name Down Under, his tragic death beneath a subway car in New York when only 39 had indirectly contributed to make him one of the most famous subjects in the history of miling."