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Daniel J. Boyne

Kelly: A Father, A Son, An American Quest Paperback – Illustrated, June 5, 2012

by Daniel Boyne (Author)

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An original American sports story about John B. Kelly, the most famous U.S. oarsman of all time, three-time Olympic gold medalist, rags-to-riches millionaire, and father of actress Grace Kelly and champion oarsman Jack Kelly Jr.

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Lyons Press
Publication date

June 5, 2012
Dimensions

5.4 x 0.9 x 7.9 inches
ISBN-10

0762779292
ISBN-13

978-0762779291
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Red Rose Crew: A True Story of Women, Winning and the Water) chronicles Kelly's rise from modest beginnings as the son of Irish immigrants to Olympic gold.... [A] fine portrait of two Olympic champions [Kelly and his son] and their remarkable family, including Jack's daughter Grace, and theater stars Walter and George.”

From the Back Cover

Winner of the 2008 Premier Book Award for best biography The son of Irish immigrants who grew up along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia at the turn of the twentieth century, Jack Kelly became a three-time gold medal Olympian, a political maverick, and the millionaire father of a princess. In this classic American tale of grit and perseverance, the clash between old world privilege and new world courage is played out on many fronts—including the watery battlefield of rowing, where Kelly first chose to forge his strength of character. Author Daniel J. Boyne follows the life of Kelly as he parlays his athletic prowess to France during WWI and then ventures into Philadelphia politics during the Great Depression. Readers are introduced to other members of the Kelly clan, including Jack’s brothers, Walter and George, who ascend to international acclaim in the world of theater, not to mention his daughter Grace, who seeks to follow in their footsteps against her father’s will, and his son, Jack Kelly Jr., upon whose shoulders is laid the greatest challenge of all—to carry on the Kelly tradition of championship rowing.

Featuring more than thirty gorgeous historical photographs, Kelly is an uplifting true story of a real champion’s profound success in sport and life.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lyons Press; Illustrated edition (June 5, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762779292
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0762779291
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 0.705 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.4 x 0.9 x 7.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #578,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #352 in Boating (Books)
- #2,496 in Sports Biographies (Books)

Customer Reviews:
67 ratings

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Daniel J. Boyne

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Daniel J. Boyne is the author of Kelly: A Father, a Son, an American Quest(Mystic), The Red Rose Crew: A True Story of Women, Winning and the Water (Hyperion/Lyons), and Essential Sculling (The Lyons Press). He has also written articles for The Atlantic Monthly, Harvard Magazine, Double Take, Wooden Boat, and Gray's Sporting Journal, among others. Most of his writing has concerned itself with the interplay between sport and society, and he has often focused on groups or individuals who have used sport as a means to change their social status.

He currently lives in Cambridge with his wife and daughter, and works at Harvard University.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

67 global ratings

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Rory Malone

A Riveting, Revealing Tale

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 7, 2014

Verified Purchase

Dan Boyne tells the story of John B. Kelly, Sr.--rowing champion, bricklayer turned business mogul, and patriarch of a high-flying Philadelphia family--with a keen eye for the sort of details that bring out the human element to Kelly's near-superhuman achievements. We learn of the discipline instilled in Kelly and his colorful and talented siblings by their Irish immigrant parents, and how young Jack came to apply that discipline to the goal of becoming the best single sculler in the world. This ambition is briefly thwarted when his entry to the Diamond Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1920 is turned down by the aristocratic Stewards, citing his employment as a manual laborer, which disqualified him from amateur status. Kelly has his revenge at the Olympics that summer when he beats all comers (including Jack Beresford, the winner of the Diamonds) in the single scull, and then 30 minutes later partners with his cousin Paul Costello to win the gold medal in the double scull. Such a feat has never been equalled in Olympic rowing.

Following such a massive achievement at the age of 31, one might have expected the rest of Kelly's life to have been somewhat anti-climactic. While Boyne does include ample anecdotes about Kelly's family life and business and political activities, he wisely structures the latter part of the book around John B. Kelly, Jr., "Kell" to his family, who would become a champion rower in his own right and eventually claim the Diamond Sculls title that Kelly, Sr. felt was so unfairly denied to him. The relationship between father and son is treated with the nuance it deserves and it is this psychological thread concerning the drive, dedication and discipline necessary to be a champion that really ties the book together.

This is a thoroughly-researched book, but it is never dry nor do the details and historical asides ever seem out of place; rather, Boyne writes with an easy style that flows smoothly along like the current on the Schuykill River. While it will be of particular interest to rowers and aficionados of the sport, this account of the life of John B. Kelly, Sr. should be read by all who want to know what it was that made not just one, but two true champions tick.

One person found this helpful

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R. D. Paauw

A fascinating rowing story about a father and a son

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 13, 2010

Verified Purchase

This is a great book, very well researched and very well written. At last we know exactly why Kelly Sr was not allowed to row for the Diamond Sculls in 1920. This goes back in fact to 1905 when the Vesper eight rowed in Henley and was not considered an amateur crew in England. But above all the British did not like te be beaten by foreign people. Even in 1947, in modern times, when Kelly jr triumphed at Henley there was some booing!
I liked the story of this remarkable family. What a character was Kelly Sr. The book finished rather abruptly after young Kelly's victory at Henley. The auther chose to do so because it was the endpoint of Kelly Sr.'s original autobiography in which he has tried to stay true. That may be so but I would have preferred to know more about young Kelly's struggle to win an Olympic gold than the few words now in the afterword.
With William Stowe's 'All together' about the Vesper eight's victory at the 1964 Olympics I consider 'Kelly' as the best I have red about rowing. Recommended!

2 people found this helpful

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Sienna Gisella

Informative of John Kelly's life

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 23, 2011

Verified Purchase

i bought this book because of my buddy interest in the history of rowing and i heard that john kelly was a legend in that sport. i have read other books by the author and always found his writing to be enjoyable. this is no exception. it has loads of rich details about his life and his obsession with the sport. particularly poignant was how he pressured his son to succeed in rowing, above all else, and to win that single scull trophy in the henley royal regatta. after he died, his son, without someone tell him what to do, turned into a playboy womanizer. i love the history and how the kelly family was integral to the building and development of philadelphia. i would recommend this book to any rowing enthusiast.

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Antonio

Great book for former Rowers and ordinary people, worldwide...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

Reading about Jack Kelly down here in Buenos Aires was a great experience. Dan Boyne uses a kind of universal rowing language and feelings to describe how Jack approached training, races, but also life. The book invites to think about the value of self-determination to make progress in life regardless the social origin and environment. And so is Row... Rowing is hard, but life is hard too and being stronger in the water through continuous training and positive thinking seemed to be the key for Jack Kelly and many others, to better approach live... And Dan Boyne seems to translate those thoughts and feelings with reach and smooth writing. I strongly recommend to deep dive in the life story of honest and successful people, so I strongly recommend this book…

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Gordon Hamilton

Boyne is becoming one of the important chroniclers of American Rowing History

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

Kelly: A father, A Son, An American Quest now joins Boyne's other excellent books.

This is an interesting book which covers an important period of American and international rowing history. It takes us from the age of professional scullers, through the development of the Henley Royal Regatta from an upper class British affair to the truly international pageant it has become and the establishment of the Modern Olympics as the pinnacle of Sport, all through the biography of a couple prominent American athletes and the fascinating Kelly clan.

It is a wonderful story about colorful characters who had a significant role in the development of our sport of rowing at a time of social change both in America and abroad

One person found this helpful

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David A Carr

A great addition to my rowing library!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 25, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book from Daniel Boyne gives great insight into the early history of US rowing in general and the Kelly legacy (Olympic Gold sculler and businessman, Olympic Bronze son Jack, film-star and daughter Princess Grace, Pulitzer playwright brother George etc etc) in particular. It focuses mainly on rowing lore, but as an enthusiastic club sculler I found the analysis of Kelly's approach to sculling, with emphasis on tenacity, technique and racing strategy, particularly interesting and encouraging. A great addition to my rowing library! By the way, Boyne has written other books - Essential Sculling, and Red Rose Crew - and I recommend these too.

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