Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life [Paperback]

Hermann Maier (Author), Knut Okresek (Author), Lance Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2005

Hermann “The Herminator” Maier, born in 1972, rose from humble beginnings as a scrawny mason to the heights of sports stardom, skiing to four world championship titles and two gold medals, in super-G and giant slalom. All that changed in 2001, when a motorcycle accident threatened to end not only his career but his life. True to his reputation, Maier fought his way back to the slopes and further victories. This compelling autobiography tells a riveting story of flirting with death and dodging it through sheer willpower, of painful recoveries and worldwide triumphs. The dramatic text and many color and black-and-white photographs cover Maier’s highs and lows, including his appearance at the 1998 Olympic Games at Nagano, where he stunned millions in what has become the most notorious downhill crash of all time. This book profiles a man who is a superstar in every sense.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Maier’s autobiography follows the fanatical and inspiring dedication that enabled Austria’s most popular athlete to recover from motorcycle-crash injuries and win ski races again.” — SKI magazine

“A fast-paced memoir.” — Outside magazine

“Maier’s happy ending to a gruesome and long fight was one few of us understood until the release of his book, Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life, which chronicles the days of depression, painkiller addiction, and paralysis scares followed by nights without sleep in sweat-soaked sheets.” — SKI magazine

“Rarely has there been an athletic comeback story as compelling as that of Hermann Maier. . . . [This book belongs] on the shelf with the best skier biographies, a rarity in a sport that, in America, lives in the margins.” — Boston Globe

“This is the book I was waiting for: A gutsy, honest, straightforward read about one of the best skiers of all time. Hermann is ample proof that there is always hope and his book is destined to be a skiing classic. It's an exciting and captivating read.” — Peter Graves, Olympic and World Cup race announcer

"Great insight into a comeback we only thought we understood." — Steve Porino, OLN and Olympic race announcer

“When you read his book, you realize this guy is all about hard work.” — Todd Brooker, NBC Alpine Skiing Analyst and former pro World Cup downhiller

"A tale of mental toughness and recovery." —Vail Daily

“What is truly illuminating about the Herminator's story is that it's a warts-and-all tale. It's not like Maier always knew he'd make it back. It's not like he never got frustrated and behaved selfishly or rudely. Like any human who has his livelihood suddenly snatched away from him, Maier at times lashed out, threw things in anger and wanted to give up. And then he went back to work with the determination of a champion.” —Dallas Morning News

“An open diary of Maier’s ski career… This book is a lesson in life.” —SportsFeatures.com
 

From the Back Cover

"BACK FROM THE DEAD." That’s what the ski world said when Hermann Maier returned triumphantly to the high mountains of the prestigious World Cup circuit. Austria’s larger-than-life hero had indeed made a Lazarus-like recovery from a crippling injury that most thought would end his career.

But Maier has always defied convention. In a country where skiers are selected at a young age for stardom, Maier had a late and unlikely debut. In a sport with strict rules, Maier set his own schedule. And in an athletic pursuit full of risk, Maier found his biggest challenge far from the slopes.

In 2001, Maier—Olympic gold medalist, multiple World Cup titleholder, and symbolic leader of Austria’s powerful ski squad—stood as a giant in the ski world. That summer, however, the "Herminator’s" championship reign came to a frightening halt in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. His right leg was shattered, and in the dark days that followed, doctors feared that Maier would never ski again.

Yet it was at this low point that Hermann Maier’s astonishing story truly begins. With the same tenacity that marked his aggressive skiing style, Maier fought back—first simply to walk, then to run, and then to ski. In the end, he not only found his way to the podium again, but seized another World Cup overall title in 2004, his fourth to date.

Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life is a shocking, gripping, and ultimately inspiring autobiography from one of sport’s most electric figures.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: VeloPress (December 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931382832
• ISBN-13: 978-1931382830
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Technocratic, March 19, 2006

By 

Longfellow "Longfellow" (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life (Paperback)

As a friend of Bill Johnson and a longtime racer and race fan, I looked forward to the book, but after 100 pages it was clear the technocratic writing style would not bring Maier's compelling recovery to much life. On the facts alone one feels deeply for Maier personally and respects his incredible rehab, but oft cited medical reports,training charts and plans, and media strategy do little to tell us how Maier personally coped with his losses and regained his form. Clearly Maier has great courage, on and off snow, but the book reduces him largely to a re-engineered man and athlete, rather than someone facing human and career death who by family,will,passion,faith and science recovers. That story is there, but barely. To be fair, the book seemed to be a function of Maier's stoicism, which is clear throughout the book. I think there is more to Maier than he was willing to tell.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skiingwith the best of the best!, March 21, 2006

By 

Janula Helotes Jan (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life (Paperback)

I thought that Hermann Maier wrote a very candid and authentic book about his victories and struggles in the world of expert skiing...a help to the layman and an inspiration to the professionals about not giving up and how to reach for those goals/dreams!

This book is a realistic perspective of a true hero and athlete and it's a great read for young and old!

I enjoyed it very much and I applaud Hermann for his perspective on life and on skiing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Race of My Life by Hermann Maier, March 6, 2006

By 

J. Susser "JS" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life (Paperback)

I was terribly disappointed with the 100 or so pages I forced myself to read. I had looked forward to reading about Maier's incredible courage and expected to be inspired as I was by Lance Armstrong's book. Maier's book fails to re-create the experience of the extraordinary event, and his miraculous return to competition. Hard to believe that a story such as this could be made tedious. It reads as though Maier dictated it into a computer program which translated and transcribed it. I also suspect they rushed it to print without the revisions it needed desperately. I found myself skimming pages, and I was shocked by how poorly the story is told and written. He is clearly the uber-athlete, but he should stay on the slopes and leave writing to the experts. Waste of time and money.