Today We Die a Little

Emil Zátopek, Olympic Legend to Cold War Hero

Richard Askwith

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English

Jonathan Cape
18 May 2017

Biography: sport; Sports & outdoor recreation; Olympic games; Marathon & cross-country running

LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR

The definitive biography of one of the greatest, most extraordinary runners and Olympic heroes of all time.

LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR

The definitive biography of one of the greatest, most extraordinary runners and Olympic heroes of all time, from the author of running classic Feet in the Clouds.

Emil Zatopek won five Olympic medals, set 18 world records, and went undefeated over 10,000 metres for six years. He redefined the boundaries of endurance, training in Army boots, in snow, in sand, in darkness. But his toughness was matched by a spirit of friendship and a joie de vivre that transcended the darkest days of the Cold War.

His triumphs put his country on the map, yet when Soviet tanks moved in to crush Czechoslovakia's new freedoms in 1968, Zatopek paid a heavy personal price for his brave defence of 'socialism with a human face'. Rehabilitated two decades later, he was a shadow of the man he had been - and the world had all but forgotten him.

Today We Die A Little strips away the myths to tell the complex and deeply moving story of the most inspiring Olympic hero of them all.

By: Richard Askwith
Imprint: Jonathan Cape
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 29mm
Weight: 342g
ISBN: 9780224100359
ISBN 10: 0224100351
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 18 May 2017
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Askwith has been a journalist for more than 35 years. For the past 15 years he has been Associate Editor of the Independent. A keen runner and a lifelong admirer of Emil Zatopek, he has written two previous books about running. His first, Feet in the Clouds, won Best New Writer at the British Sports Book Awards and the Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape and Tradition. It was shortlisted for the William Hill and Boardman-Tasker prizes and was named by Runner's World as one of the three best running books of all time. His 2014 book, Running Free, was short-listed for the Thwaites-Wainwright Prize.

Reviews for Today We Die a Little: Emil Zátopek, Olympic Legend to Cold War Hero

A tale from athletics' age of innocence... He was a sporting hero not just for his time but for all time Spectator A wonderfully in-depth and often emotionally charged piece of writing Athletics Weekly An astonishing achievement... There are few writers as adept at capturing so lyrically the utter and incomprehensible strangeness of distance running... A joy to read Literary Review Sport book of the year... A fascinating tale, showing all sides of Zatopek, injecting humanity and humour into a dramatic life -- Matt Butler i, Book of the Year Reminds us of the pain and the glory behind every victory and the power of sport to bring people together and make history -- Martina Navratilova A warm, honest and moving account of one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. Richard Askwith brings to life both the epic triumphs but also the difficulties and complexities of Zatopek's role in Communist Czechoslovakia -- Adharanand Finn, author of Running with the Kenyans A portrait of a fine but flawed human. -- Nick Pitt Sunday Times, Book of the Year A tremendous read and also a reminder of the lost purity of track and field -- Eileen Battersby The Irish Times Terrific -- Huw Richards Guardian