The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story [Paperback]

Jim Denison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Haile Gebrselassie revolutionized the world of long-distance running over the last decade. His world records stagger the imagination. He won two Olympic 10,000m golds, eight world and indoor championships; and set 17 world records over four different distances. Now he seeks a third gold medal over 10,000m in Athens. His biography is fascinating, detailing his early life in war-torn Ethiopia, and his rise to godlike status in the track world. The book will release immediately after the 2004 Olympics, with the last chapter covering his final race.

Jim Denison is the author of Bannister and Beyond.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Be in no doubt Haile is the greatest distance runner the world has ever seen." -- Dave Bedford, former 10,000m world record holder, and currently race director for the London Marathon

"Haile Gebrselassie has won many great victories. He is a great ambassador for his people." -- Nelson Mandela

"Haile Gebrselassie is the best distance runner I have seen in the last quarter-century, the most electrifying personality." -- Amby Burfoot, Executive Editor, Runner's World magazine

"Haile is an elegant champion and a fine example of sportsmanship." -- Lasse Viren, Olympic double-gold medalist

About the Author

Originally from New York, Jim Denison currently lives and works in England. He is the editor of The Coach, a bi-monthly magazine for track and field coaches, and his features on running appear regularly in Athletics Weekly. He is the author of BANNISTER AND BEYOND: The Mystique of the Four-Minute Mile. Denison is also a lecturer in sports sociology at the University of Bath.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Breakaway Books (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891369482
• ISBN-13: 978-1891369483
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Very Inspiring, July 20, 2006

By 

Eric T (Medford, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story (Paperback)

For those who are unfamiliar with Gebrselassie, they will find this book incredibly boring. I, an avid runner, found this book to be a pretty horrible tribute to the greatest distance runner in the last 25 years. Most running books describe races in quite detail and focus on each of the tiring laps that a runner endures. This book on the otherhand basically skips over that saying "Haile won this, got the world record...or Haile lost this, and all of Ethiopia was angry at him." It doesn't go into any detail though. Rather than Haile the runner, this book focuses on Haile the businessman which is not what he is known for nor is it was most people even care much about.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great runner, mediocre book, March 31, 2006

By 

Jason Friedman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story (Paperback)

Geb is one of my five favorite runners of all time, but this book is a little sappy even for me. By all accounts, a phenomenal athlete and a great guy; but the author could have been a bit more objective. The writing is a bit uneven as well.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Running Book, April 10, 2005

By 

Bradley Feld (Eldorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story (Paperback)

As a runner, I love a good running book. The Greatest - the biography of Haile Gebrselassie - a man who dominated distance running for a decade - was extremely inspiring. It balanced the racing with the personal story of Haile, along with a great overview of the Ethiopian running scene and the opportunities and challenges facing the country. In addition to being a champion athlete, Haile has become a very successful Ethiopian businessman and the vignettes about his businesses, why he does them (when he clearly doesn't have to), and how he is focused on continuing to help Ethiopia evolve as a country was powerful. Heroic running, riveting race stories, good Ethiopian history, the passing of the torch of a champion to the next generation, and a guy that everyone would like - what more could you want from a running biography?