Duel in the Sun: The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon (Paperback)

~ John Brant (Author) "Monday, April 19, Patriots' Day, broke warm and blue over Boston, perfect for just about anything except running 26.2 miles..." (more)
Key Phrases: marathon trials, running career, track club, Boston Marathon, Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautiful, heartbreaking book . . . Like that marathon 25 years ago, Duel in the Sun is absolutely riveting."—Michael Paterniti, author of Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein’s Brain

"It’s an uplifting tale, all the more inspirational because it seems no uncomfortable detail has been spared in its telling. . . astonishing."—San Francisco Chronicle

"Two inspiring tales, well told."—Booklist

Product Description

The 1982 Boston Marathon was great theater: Two American runners, Alberto Salazar, a celebrated champion, and Dick Beardsley, a gutsy underdog, going at each other for just under 2 hours and 9 minutes. Neither man broke. The race merely came to a thrilling, shattering end, exacting such an enormous toll that neither man ever ran as well again. Beardsley, the most innocent of men, descended into felony drug addiction, and Salazar, the toughest of men, fell prey to depression. Exquisitely written and rich with human drama, Duel in the Sun brilliantly captures the mythic character of the most thrilling American marathon ever run—and the powerful forces of fate that drove these two athletes in the years afterward.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594866287
• ISBN-13: 978-1594866289
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling tale told with great background and insight, May 12, 2009

By	Sheila King "desk-worker mom turned marathoner" (L.A. County, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Duel in the Sun: The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon (Paperback)

I will own up front that the timeline in this book can be confusing. It is important to pay attention to dates as you read the story. But if you can get past that and avoid timeline confusion, the tale is great. I was given this book as a gift by my running club when I qualified to run the Boston Marathon. They all signed it and then I was also able to get Dick Beardsley to sign it as well at the Boston Marathon Race Expo. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was quite a page-turner, and my husband read it and enjoyed it as well. Amazing to see what these great runners have had to struggle with in their lives.

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read about a great race, how it happened and it's consequences, April 26, 2009

By	C. King (Seal Beach, Ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An interesting and fast read about the race between Dick Beardsley & Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon. It goes into detail about the background of each runner and what led them to Boston that year as well as detailing how it dramatically affected the lives of both runners long after the race had ended.

The book is narrated in a highly non-linear fashion jumping back and forth between descriptions of the race, the runners' background, and the aftermath. It requires that you pay a fair amount of attention so that you don't get confused as to when the action being described happened.

While I enjoyed the book, I got the impression it was being written almost as a TV documentary for the Biography Channel, it could certainly have benefited from some additional editorial work.

That being said it was enjoyable to read and certainly worth the cover price.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story About A Great Race, July 6, 2008

By	C. I. McCabe (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book on a true duel in the sun. The re-telling of the race which weaves the runners' stories, both pre-race and post-race, works well, and is highly readable. If you've ever run a marathon, or love running, this book is for you.