A personal and heartfelt account of the most stunning athletic achievement of the twentieth century.
The Four-Minute Mile, Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Forty-some years after the barrier was broken it's difficult to imagine how daunting a challenge the four-minute mile once was, but for a generation of world-class runners it represented the impossible dream. Roger Bannister, the British middle-distance runner who finally achieved the epic quest in 1954, wrote this stunning memoir of his life as a runner a year later; intelligent, analytical, dramatic, and graceful, it remains a sporting classic. Though two introductions have been added in years since, it's a shame that Bannister, a remarkable man who graduated from Oxford to a distinguished medical career, has never penned a more complete memoir. Still, his achievement as a young man remains one of the pivotal moments in 20th-century sports, and his account of that achievement is as good a glimpse into a runner's race toward greatness as has ever been written.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Bannister writes in much the same fashion as he runs-with rippling smoothness, eye-catching grace, and spectacular effectiveness." --The New York Times
"...makes for compelling reading..."-- New York Runner
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a cross-country runner in high school this book by Roger Bannister was a great inspiration to me. His description of the assault on the 4 minute mile barrier is fascinating but also memorable are his recollections of the Helsinki Olympics (where Bannister failed to achieve a medal), and his success at the Commonwealth Games where the only two sub-4 minute milers met face to face for the first time.
It's now about 40 years since I first read the book and I was very pleased it was republished in a commemorative edition.
Reading the book again was a joy. The book went very quickly and had most of the excitement of when I first read it. It was not surprising tha the prose and impressions seemed less mature than when I first read them, but that was to be expected as Bannister wrote the book when he was in his twenties.
I was disappointed that the pictures were not the same as the original edition, with perhaps too many pictures of Bannister in later years. The original pictures of the Helsinki Olympics and other competitions were an integral part of the book and it's a shame that they were missing.
Bannisters achievement in breaking the Four Minute Mile was a milestone (pardon the pun), as was the fact that he did it as an amateur and while he was in the middle of his medical studies. In my opinion his book is also a great achievement and is certainly worth the read.
It's now about 40 years since I first read the book and I was very pleased it was republished in a commemorative edition.
Reading the book again was a joy. The book went very quickly and had most of the excitement of when I first read it. It was not surprising tha the prose and impressions seemed less mature than when I first read them, but that was to be expected as Bannister wrote the book when he was in his twenties.
I was disappointed that the pictures were not the same as the original edition, with perhaps too many pictures of Bannister in later years. The original pictures of the Helsinki Olympics and other competitions were an integral part of the book and it's a shame that they were missing.
Bannisters achievement in breaking the Four Minute Mile was a milestone (pardon the pun), as was the fact that he did it as an amateur and while he was in the middle of his medical studies. In my opinion his book is also a great achievement and is certainly worth the read.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Roger Bannister sets about telling the story of his historic record 4 minute mile but in the process he reveals that there is more to life than just running. This book is quite unlike most running books I have read in that Bannister strives to keep things in perspective amid spectacular and historic events. It could just be his British demeanor, but I found narrative rather enjoying.
25 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Bannister not only was the greatest runner of his time, he also was a incredibly thinking and balanced man. He was an amatuer because he understood running was only a means to a better life.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Adventure!
I love a history lesson but to read these pages which were written over 50 years ago about the event itself was amazing. Read more
Published on September 21, 2010 by William H. Folk II
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Four Minute Mile
A must read for any athletics enthusiast. Deep and meaningful analysis of training for a true champion of his day.
Published on May 21, 2009 by Plodder
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Chosen One
It is amazing how vivid it all came back to me, since I was about 8 years old and the name Bannister became passed around. Read more
Published on August 3, 2008 by Pit O'Maley
4.0 out of 5 stars
Breaking Through An Incredible Barrier
May 6, 1954: 3,000 spectators, a number of competitors, one runner with a historic goal.
On that afternoon, Sir Roger Bannister broke through a mythical barrier, running... Read more
On that afternoon, Sir Roger Bannister broke through a mythical barrier, running... Read more
Published on June 13, 2008 by County Lineman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great runner, accomplished human, literate read
Short read, perfect for the summer vacation on the beach. A really talented man, amazing what he accomplished considering some of his training ( smoking and hung over collegiate). Read more
Published on December 16, 2007 by Philip W. Zielinski
3.0 out of 5 stars
Four-Minute mile...slow?
A great story about a great runner! You keep reading only wishing that he had put more about his career. It reads really slow and much of the book could be skipped over. Read more
Published on April 17, 2002 by C. Bailey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating
This is a very interesting bk but maybe he should talk more about the running (after all it is the 4 min mile) and introduce his characters before he starts to talk about them.
Published on June 22, 2000
Citations (learn more)
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books:
20
books
cite this book:
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- The Sports Council: Initiatives to Improve Financial Management and Control and Value for Money: [Hc]: [1993-94]: House of Commons Papers: [1993-94] by Great Britain in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Saint Joan by Geroge Bernard Shaw on page 186
- The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb on 14 pages
- Roger Bannister and the Four-Minute Mile: Sports Myth and Sports History by John Bale on 7 pages
- The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business by Yoram (Jerry) Wind on page 34, and page 35
- Running With the Legends: Training and Racing Insights from 21 Great Runners by Michael Sandrock on page 16, and page 20
- Breakthrough Triathlon Training: How to Balance Your Busy Life, Avoid Burnout and Achieve Triathlon Peak Performance by Brad Kearns on page 66, and page 195
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