Bill Rodgers inspired me to run "back in the day." I grew up a mile from the Boston Marathon course. So, I was going to like this book, no matter what - and I did. It was like any other collaborative look back and a fun read. Still, I was disappointed in the lazy copy editing. I found 6-10 typos, grammatical errors, etc. Just sloppy and the guy who helped him write the book - Matthew Shepatin - is effusive in his compliments to the staff at St. Martin's Press. Really? Did you read your finished product? Sloppy, like I said. Also, as the "real" writer, he might've cut back on the repetitive themes that Bill reference like butterfly chasing, Amby this Amby that and others. Give some credit to the reader, guys. We can hear something once and then maybe mention it during wrap up but not every few chapters. ( )

The body of the book was quite exciting. The warp-up chapters seemed to drag on. But it was nice to have the wrap-up chapters to explain the rest of the story.

The body of the book consists of his 1975 Boston Marathon race interleaved with flashbacks. It was very nicely done because the flashbacks explained how he got there, and the parts about him running gave the excitement.
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Not a book to pick up if you aren't a runner or a lover of the city of Boston. This book is a great insight into Rodgers and how he persevered during the late 60s and early 70s to become the best road racer of his time. Marathon runner wasn't really a descriptor years ago since there used to be only two races, New York, and Boston. Now there are many cities who host them, including LA. I learned a lot about the Boston race history and that Rodgers was a conscientious objector during Vietnam. He suffered publically for that stance although he felt morally justified. He would not feel personally vindicated until he qualified for the Montreal US Olympic Team. A great book if you are a distance runner. Rodgers speaks about his own motivations in separate subchapters and how he learned to win races against others by maximizing his strengths and minimizing his weaknesses. Although not a religious person, his first marriage was to a Catholic woman who helped him begin his career. ( )

This book covers Bill’s rise through the ranks as a runner, from his high school and college days when he was good but not serious, then as a young adult and conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, when he almost stopped running. Finally, he saw the light, and with Amby Burfoot as his mentor and Frank Shorter as his rival, Bill began to train seriously. His writes about his first victory in the Boston Marathon in a flashback-style, then goes on to recount his experiences in the Olympics and in the New York Marathon. This is a great read for runners and anyone who is a fan of the Boston Marathon and Bill Rodgers.- Reviewed by Jeff, faculty-