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Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics - Library Edition
In 1936, against a backdrop of swastikas flying and storm troopers looming, an African American son of sharecroppers set three world records and won an unprecedented four gold medals, single-handedly crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy. The story of Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympic Games is that of a high-profile athlete giving a performance that transcends sports. But it is also the intimate and complex tale of the courage of one remarkable man.
Drawing on unprecedented access to the Owens family, previously unpublished interviews, and exhaustive archival research, Jeremy Schaap transports us to Nazi Germany to weave this dramatic tale. From the start, American participation in the games was controversial. A boycott, based on reports of Nazi hostility to Jews, was afoot, but it was thwarted by the president of the American Olympic Committee. At the games themselves the plots and intrigues continued: Owens was befriended by a German rival, broad jumper Luz Long, who helped Owens win the gold medal at his own expense. Two Jewish sprinters were, at the last moment, denied the chance to compete for the United States out of misguided politeness to the Nazi hosts. And a myth was born that Hitler himself had snubbed Owens.
Like Neal Bascomb's The Perfect Mile and David Margolick's Beyond Glory, Triumph captures this momentous episode in sports, and world, history in a nuanced yet page-turning narrative full of drama, suspense, and color.
Drawing on unprecedented access to the Owens family, previously unpublished interviews, and exhaustive archival research, Jeremy Schaap transports us to Nazi Germany to weave this dramatic tale. From the start, American participation in the games was controversial. A boycott, based on reports of Nazi hostility to Jews, was afoot, but it was thwarted by the president of the American Olympic Committee. At the games themselves the plots and intrigues continued: Owens was befriended by a German rival, broad jumper Luz Long, who helped Owens win the gold medal at his own expense. Two Jewish sprinters were, at the last moment, denied the chance to compete for the United States out of misguided politeness to the Nazi hosts. And a myth was born that Hitler himself had snubbed Owens.
Like Neal Bascomb's The Perfect Mile and David Margolick's Beyond Glory, Triumph captures this momentous episode in sports, and world, history in a nuanced yet page-turning narrative full of drama, suspense, and color.
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First published February 1, 2007
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About the author
Jeremy Schaap
13 books10 followersFrom wikipedia article on author Jeremy Schaap (b. August 23, 1969, New York City) is an American sportswriter, television reporter, and author. Schaap is a six-time Emmy award winner for his work on ESPN's E:60, SportsCenter and Outside the Lines.
He is a regular contributor to Nightline and ABC World News Tonight and has been published in Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, Time, Parade, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
A native and resident of New York City, Schaap is the author of Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History (Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0-618-55117-4), a New York Times best-seller, and Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics.
Schaap is the son of the late journalist and broadcaster Dick Schaap. Like his father, Schaap is an alumnus of Cornell University and a former editor of The Cornell Daily Sun. Schaap was also a member of the Quill and Dagger society. He won the Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Writing at the 2005 Emmys, an award named after his father, for an Outside the Lines feature entitled "Finding Bobby Fischer." Schaap and his wife have one child, a daughter.
He is a regular contributor to Nightline and ABC World News Tonight and has been published in Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, Time, Parade, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
A native and resident of New York City, Schaap is the author of Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History (Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0-618-55117-4), a New York Times best-seller, and Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics.
Schaap is the son of the late journalist and broadcaster Dick Schaap. Like his father, Schaap is an alumnus of Cornell University and a former editor of The Cornell Daily Sun. Schaap was also a member of the Quill and Dagger society. He won the Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Writing at the 2005 Emmys, an award named after his father, for an Outside the Lines feature entitled "Finding Bobby Fischer." Schaap and his wife have one child, a daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
November 29, 2025
With so many hurdles set in place by society; it is a wonder Jesse Owens was ever able to clear his mind to compete athletically. This book is testament to an American hero who brought glory to a country that treated him as a second class citizen - powerful and inspiring - highest recommendation.
October 18, 2020
Triumph falls into the niche of books describing an athlete in between wars. It reminded me of Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II and Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time. The focus here is about Jesse Owens, who competed and absolutely dominated the 1936 Berlin Olympics, winning four gold medals.
The 1936 Olympics were fraught with political tensions. The USA had considered boycotting them due to the rising levels of antisemitism in Germany. This was fairly hypocritical, as Jim Crow laws existed at the time. At the time, there wasn't a huge difference between being Black in America or being Jewish in Germany. However, due to the fact that Germany was not willing to allow Jewish athletes to participate, there were some grounds to this claim.
Eventually, the USA did decide to participate but there was a spotlight on racial tensions. The Nazis wanted to use the Olympics as a chance to highlight racial superiority but many of the best athletes were Black Americans. This led to a rather awkward situation for the Nazis (like a Nazi newspaper didn't publish that Jesse Owens won first place and instead wrote that the German was the first white man).
However, Jesse Owens, at least in how Schaap describes him, comes across as a remarkably chill person. In a world that wanted him to represent America or/and represent Black people, all he ever wanted was to run. Schaap tells us about interviews where it's just clear Owens doesn't particularly care about the drama around the Olympics. He cares about sportsmanship and athletics. He wanted to compete. That's it.
This led to a fascinating juxtaposition between Owens' focus on his success and the world's focus on geopolitics. Every situation had a political aspect but was not solely political. For example, Hitler stepped out of the auditorium when three Americans won all of the high jumper's medals instead of congratulating them, as he did to the German and Finnish winners. Was it because they were Black? Was he disappointed that they won? Did he have to go because of traffic/ hunger? Was he truly unable to accept their victory?
The classic Jesse Owens story is, of course, whether Hitler snubbed him after his victory. Owens himself, again, doesn't seem to really care. He originally said Hitler waved to him. Schaap makes the argument that nothing happened but that Owens, in order to make a living after the Olympics, was forced to exaggerate the story. Americans wanted to know more about it and well, he was willing to provide.
I think the best piece of information that I learned from this book would have to be Luz Long and Jesse Owens' friendship. During the trials for the long jump, Owens was struggling to make it, due to different rules between the states and Germany. In a moment of self-doubt and fear, Long, his German opponent, gave him some technical advice and supported him. It's so admirable to consider that Long knew that if Owens would get through the trials, he'd be hard to beat and yet, he helped him.
Owens went on to make the trials and then win gold. They remained friends after the Olympics. In 1943, Long died during the war. He asked Owens to tell his son about " how things can be between men on this Earth" and Owens indeed met his son.
And true, some people claim the story about the advice is a myth that Owens promoted but everyone acknowledges that they hugged after the finals in front of Hitler and well, that's enough for me to find this story wholesome.
To conclude, so much of those Olympics were focused on symbolism and politics. At the end of the day, there are so many myths about them that it's hard to truly know what happened and really, it doesn't matter. The stories we tell ourselves about these Olympics are far more interesting and Schaap digs deep into those stories.
What I'm Taking With Me
- Jesse Owens used to race horses and win, what the actual heck?
- Usain Bolt ran 100 meters at 9.58. I didn't realize how fast that was until I read this book.
- Every Jesse quote is a delight to read because it's full of 1930s slang.
- Okay, say what you will but the fact that two runners were replaced in the relay because of politics is so sad, like I can't imagine how frustrating that would have been for them.
- The fact that one of them was like, "Okay, we're the only two Jews on this team and you're kicking us out" and the guy argued that it wasn't because of that, it was because they were slower and ack, it's so hard to know.
-------------------
Nothing can make you feel incredibly lazy like reading about Olympic athletes. Review to come!
The 1936 Olympics were fraught with political tensions. The USA had considered boycotting them due to the rising levels of antisemitism in Germany. This was fairly hypocritical, as Jim Crow laws existed at the time. At the time, there wasn't a huge difference between being Black in America or being Jewish in Germany. However, due to the fact that Germany was not willing to allow Jewish athletes to participate, there were some grounds to this claim.
Eventually, the USA did decide to participate but there was a spotlight on racial tensions. The Nazis wanted to use the Olympics as a chance to highlight racial superiority but many of the best athletes were Black Americans. This led to a rather awkward situation for the Nazis (like a Nazi newspaper didn't publish that Jesse Owens won first place and instead wrote that the German was the first white man).
However, Jesse Owens, at least in how Schaap describes him, comes across as a remarkably chill person. In a world that wanted him to represent America or/and represent Black people, all he ever wanted was to run. Schaap tells us about interviews where it's just clear Owens doesn't particularly care about the drama around the Olympics. He cares about sportsmanship and athletics. He wanted to compete. That's it.
This led to a fascinating juxtaposition between Owens' focus on his success and the world's focus on geopolitics. Every situation had a political aspect but was not solely political. For example, Hitler stepped out of the auditorium when three Americans won all of the high jumper's medals instead of congratulating them, as he did to the German and Finnish winners. Was it because they were Black? Was he disappointed that they won? Did he have to go because of traffic/ hunger? Was he truly unable to accept their victory?
The classic Jesse Owens story is, of course, whether Hitler snubbed him after his victory. Owens himself, again, doesn't seem to really care. He originally said Hitler waved to him. Schaap makes the argument that nothing happened but that Owens, in order to make a living after the Olympics, was forced to exaggerate the story. Americans wanted to know more about it and well, he was willing to provide.
I think the best piece of information that I learned from this book would have to be Luz Long and Jesse Owens' friendship. During the trials for the long jump, Owens was struggling to make it, due to different rules between the states and Germany. In a moment of self-doubt and fear, Long, his German opponent, gave him some technical advice and supported him. It's so admirable to consider that Long knew that if Owens would get through the trials, he'd be hard to beat and yet, he helped him.
Owens went on to make the trials and then win gold. They remained friends after the Olympics. In 1943, Long died during the war. He asked Owens to tell his son about " how things can be between men on this Earth" and Owens indeed met his son.
And true, some people claim the story about the advice is a myth that Owens promoted but everyone acknowledges that they hugged after the finals in front of Hitler and well, that's enough for me to find this story wholesome.
To conclude, so much of those Olympics were focused on symbolism and politics. At the end of the day, there are so many myths about them that it's hard to truly know what happened and really, it doesn't matter. The stories we tell ourselves about these Olympics are far more interesting and Schaap digs deep into those stories.
What I'm Taking With Me
- Jesse Owens used to race horses and win, what the actual heck?
- Usain Bolt ran 100 meters at 9.58. I didn't realize how fast that was until I read this book.
- Every Jesse quote is a delight to read because it's full of 1930s slang.
- Okay, say what you will but the fact that two runners were replaced in the relay because of politics is so sad, like I can't imagine how frustrating that would have been for them.
- The fact that one of them was like, "Okay, we're the only two Jews on this team and you're kicking us out" and the guy argued that it wasn't because of that, it was because they were slower and ack, it's so hard to know.
-------------------
Nothing can make you feel incredibly lazy like reading about Olympic athletes. Review to come!
January 15, 2016
Reviewed this for Kirkus waaaayyy back when it came out: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Great book, if you're into this sort of thing.
Great book, if you're into this sort of thing.
November 10, 2009
An absolutely fantastic read!
The author does a wonderful job at painting just how once-in-a-lifetime talent Owens really was, while not deifying him or making him into an icon without defects. It's pretty amazing to think about the records he set and how long they stood and what he could have accomplished had he had today's training, equipment and facilities.
One of my favorite parts was when as an 11-year old kid, in street clothes and regular school shoes he ran a 100-yards in 11 seconds. The world record at the time was 9-point-4! With his time of 11 seconds he would have placed 9th at the previous Olympics! Again - all this as an 11-year old kid!
Overall I thought it was a great book that deals equally with the athlete, the important role he played in the 1936 Olympics and the challenges faced by all black athletes in the states at that time.
Definitely worth your time.
The author does a wonderful job at painting just how once-in-a-lifetime talent Owens really was, while not deifying him or making him into an icon without defects. It's pretty amazing to think about the records he set and how long they stood and what he could have accomplished had he had today's training, equipment and facilities.
One of my favorite parts was when as an 11-year old kid, in street clothes and regular school shoes he ran a 100-yards in 11 seconds. The world record at the time was 9-point-4! With his time of 11 seconds he would have placed 9th at the previous Olympics! Again - all this as an 11-year old kid!
Overall I thought it was a great book that deals equally with the athlete, the important role he played in the 1936 Olympics and the challenges faced by all black athletes in the states at that time.
Definitely worth your time.
February 27, 2018
I was not anticipating much drama from this book about Jesse Owens's famous and incredible performance at the 1936 Olympics. Even as a non-fan, I knew that story. However, author Jeremy Schaap brings excitement and meaning to Owens's record-setting acts of athleticism by placing them in the context of American racism and German fascism. Some of the most interesting characters here are not athletes, but the Führer and his favored filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl. If you're interested in the history of the Olympics or WW2, then this book is a must read. Even if you are not, you will probably enjoy it.
March 29, 2018
The story of Jesse Owens’ life is incredible. I think we take for granted the stories of super-athletes today, but Jesse Owens was the greatest athlete of his day. The fact that he was a black athlete in 1930’s America could be discussed for days. In his early life, Jesse tried to keep politics and sport separate, but reading this story shows that sport and politics overlap, and cannot be cut clean from one another. That’s a big lesson that is relevant today. Athletes have a platform, and their stories show us the injustices of our society. Read this book if you’re a sports fan. Read this book if you’re interested in Civil Rights history.
February 25, 2017
Ever since I read Unbroken, about Louie Zamperini, I was interested in reading more about the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Especially as Jesse Owens was a part, though very brief, of Zamperini's story I wanted to learn about his life and journey to the Olympics.
Owens was the youngest of 10 children born in Alabama to a sharecropper. His family was incredibly poor and the decision was made to move to Ohio where they could try to make a better life. Jesse caught the eye of Charles Riley who could immediately see the potential for Jesse to become an amazing runner. The two became very close, Jesse was almost another member of the family he was over at Riley's so often.
In 1932, when Jesse was 18, he competed in the Olympic trials and barely made notice. He did not qualify. Not only was he not yet at his best, but he had things on his mind. His girlfriend, Ruth, was about a month away from giving birth to their daughter, Gloria. Owens went back to his high school where he set his sights on college at Ohio State, where Larry Snyder presided as coach. They were to become a great team.
In college Jesse started to get more notice. He spent time in California for racing events and picked up some gossip. He was romantically linked to a wealthy young woman named Quincella Nickerson. Ruth was pissed and threaten to sue him for breach of promise. Jesse, realizing that he'd messed up, returned home and immediately married Ruth.
The next couple years we follow Jesse and his ups and down in racing. Eulace Peacock was his biggest threat, but Peacock injured himself and did not qualify for the Olympics. Ralph Metcalfe ended up being his greatest 'rival' for the Olympics.
A good portion of the book then goes into the politics behind whether the US should participate in the Olympics. While this is incredibly relevant to Jesse's story, I was more interested in his journey than in the Olympic Games/war politics. Though pieces of it were quite interesting and necessary for the perspective of how the world was at that time. The decision was made for the US to compete, Jesse qualified for the Olympics, and he headed over to Germany. (I remember Zamperini's journey, he had been starving and gorged himself on the trip over. Jesse was sea sick and barely ate at all).
Schaap captures various impressions and reactions of people experiencing Berlin, the Oympics, and the Nazis. I was honestly surprised when i read that the people of Germany would wait for hours just to see Hitler. I think i had always just assumed people were forced to like him and follow him. It was shocking to me, and appalling, that he was so adored. We learn of Leni Riefenstahl, and how she was pretty much given sole rights to film the games. She made a move called Olympia that was very well regarded (I want to check it out).
Then Schaap takes us on each day of Jesse's time at the Olympics. He won the 100. But at the long jump he found himself doubting his own abilities once he saw the German, Luz Long. His practice run was counted as an attempt. He messed up the second jump. He was freaking out when Luz approached him and gave him some friendly advice. Just like that Jesse had his head on straight and finished well, eventually winning Gold in the event. He and Luz became friends, exchanged letters, and after the war (Luz was killed in the war) Jesse found Luz's son, Kai, and told him about his father. Jesse won the 200 too, winning a Gold in three different events. He was widely held as the best Olympian of all time.
But more drama was still to play out. Jesse wanted to race on the relay team, but to do so one of the four men already supposed to race it would have to be dropped. It is sorta surprising he wasn't on the team in the first place, but the decision was made to put him in... and Stoller and Glickman were out. What is incredibly suspicious about this decision is that Stoller and Glickman were the two Jewish men on the team, and were not the slowest runners. Still, the relay team ran the race and Jesse got his fourth Gold medal.
After the race the men were toted around Europe for exhibition races, which they were not paid for and essentially only given a ride from point A to B. Owens sometimes would only eat by the grace of strangers giving him food. Finally he had enough and said he was going home and of course they suspended him. Jerks.
Jesse returned home and tried to cash in on his success, not very successfully. But remained happy with his wife and three daughters.
Another thing I should mention, that I guess was a big deal at the time, was that Hitler "snubbed" Jesse by leaving before congratulating him on his win. Jesse said he waved to him, others said he didn't. I can bet that Hitler absolutely went out of his way to avoid having to shake Jesse's hand, I mean the man was a psycho sociopath. But at the time this was a widely held debate.
I liked learning about Jesse's story at the Olympics and learning more about what the world and life was like as Hitler ramped up the Nazi party.
Owens was the youngest of 10 children born in Alabama to a sharecropper. His family was incredibly poor and the decision was made to move to Ohio where they could try to make a better life. Jesse caught the eye of Charles Riley who could immediately see the potential for Jesse to become an amazing runner. The two became very close, Jesse was almost another member of the family he was over at Riley's so often.
In 1932, when Jesse was 18, he competed in the Olympic trials and barely made notice. He did not qualify. Not only was he not yet at his best, but he had things on his mind. His girlfriend, Ruth, was about a month away from giving birth to their daughter, Gloria. Owens went back to his high school where he set his sights on college at Ohio State, where Larry Snyder presided as coach. They were to become a great team.
In college Jesse started to get more notice. He spent time in California for racing events and picked up some gossip. He was romantically linked to a wealthy young woman named Quincella Nickerson. Ruth was pissed and threaten to sue him for breach of promise. Jesse, realizing that he'd messed up, returned home and immediately married Ruth.
The next couple years we follow Jesse and his ups and down in racing. Eulace Peacock was his biggest threat, but Peacock injured himself and did not qualify for the Olympics. Ralph Metcalfe ended up being his greatest 'rival' for the Olympics.
A good portion of the book then goes into the politics behind whether the US should participate in the Olympics. While this is incredibly relevant to Jesse's story, I was more interested in his journey than in the Olympic Games/war politics. Though pieces of it were quite interesting and necessary for the perspective of how the world was at that time. The decision was made for the US to compete, Jesse qualified for the Olympics, and he headed over to Germany. (I remember Zamperini's journey, he had been starving and gorged himself on the trip over. Jesse was sea sick and barely ate at all).
Schaap captures various impressions and reactions of people experiencing Berlin, the Oympics, and the Nazis. I was honestly surprised when i read that the people of Germany would wait for hours just to see Hitler. I think i had always just assumed people were forced to like him and follow him. It was shocking to me, and appalling, that he was so adored. We learn of Leni Riefenstahl, and how she was pretty much given sole rights to film the games. She made a move called Olympia that was very well regarded (I want to check it out).
Then Schaap takes us on each day of Jesse's time at the Olympics. He won the 100. But at the long jump he found himself doubting his own abilities once he saw the German, Luz Long. His practice run was counted as an attempt. He messed up the second jump. He was freaking out when Luz approached him and gave him some friendly advice. Just like that Jesse had his head on straight and finished well, eventually winning Gold in the event. He and Luz became friends, exchanged letters, and after the war (Luz was killed in the war) Jesse found Luz's son, Kai, and told him about his father. Jesse won the 200 too, winning a Gold in three different events. He was widely held as the best Olympian of all time.
But more drama was still to play out. Jesse wanted to race on the relay team, but to do so one of the four men already supposed to race it would have to be dropped. It is sorta surprising he wasn't on the team in the first place, but the decision was made to put him in... and Stoller and Glickman were out. What is incredibly suspicious about this decision is that Stoller and Glickman were the two Jewish men on the team, and were not the slowest runners. Still, the relay team ran the race and Jesse got his fourth Gold medal.
After the race the men were toted around Europe for exhibition races, which they were not paid for and essentially only given a ride from point A to B. Owens sometimes would only eat by the grace of strangers giving him food. Finally he had enough and said he was going home and of course they suspended him. Jerks.
Jesse returned home and tried to cash in on his success, not very successfully. But remained happy with his wife and three daughters.
Another thing I should mention, that I guess was a big deal at the time, was that Hitler "snubbed" Jesse by leaving before congratulating him on his win. Jesse said he waved to him, others said he didn't. I can bet that Hitler absolutely went out of his way to avoid having to shake Jesse's hand, I mean the man was a psycho sociopath. But at the time this was a widely held debate.
I liked learning about Jesse's story at the Olympics and learning more about what the world and life was like as Hitler ramped up the Nazi party.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2018
First, I have to say the *only* reason I gave this 4 stars is because the writer's style is very dry, difficult to wade through at times. And the personal side of Jesse Owens, the man off the track, was left virtually completely off the pages. Not much was fleshed out to give us a true feel for the man himself, not just the athlete.
That being said, I so thoroughly enjoyed reading about this man. I am a sucker for any book that showcases a man who triumphs over seemingly insurmountable odds, and this book had that in spades. We all have read about Jesse Owens, and have a basic, albeit cloudy, understanding that he was a fantastic athlete and he showed Hitler up at his own Olympics. But this book brings to life the amazing details surrounding his feats, his unmatched athletic prowess, his dignity in the face of hatred, and his single-minded focus on the task in front of him.
I learned so much while reading this book, and I can't recommend it enough!
That being said, I so thoroughly enjoyed reading about this man. I am a sucker for any book that showcases a man who triumphs over seemingly insurmountable odds, and this book had that in spades. We all have read about Jesse Owens, and have a basic, albeit cloudy, understanding that he was a fantastic athlete and he showed Hitler up at his own Olympics. But this book brings to life the amazing details surrounding his feats, his unmatched athletic prowess, his dignity in the face of hatred, and his single-minded focus on the task in front of him.
I learned so much while reading this book, and I can't recommend it enough!
July 20, 2023
A really good piece of historical documentation. Without taking away from Jesse Owen's astounding feats (4 gold medals in the '36 Olympics?!?!?) this book covers the societal opinions, political negotiations, and global impact sparked by the 1936 Olympics, which were held in Berlin, Germany during the short span of peace between the world wars.
May 20, 2019
Although I enjoyed the book, it's a bit cursory. I would have liked more detail, more depth. Owens and his story are important and I wanted more: more about the man, more about his relationships, in particular with other runners.
It wasn't always clear what Schaap's goal was: was this a biography of Owens? A story just focused on the Owens at the Olympics? A story about the politics and nationalism that threatened to swallow the Olympics? It feels at times a little of all these, and not enough of any one of them.
I didn't like the way the book handled the footnotes, especially on kindle, it was very hard to see what the sources were for conversations and stories Schaap is relating. It wasn't obvious when Schaap was quoting a direct source for the dialogue or 'recreating' it. (This is part of the problem when a journalist writes history.)
Still, the writing is crisp and the narrative style is clear (part of the benefit of having a journalist write history!). If you know nothing of Jesse Owens and or the 36 Olympics, it's a good place to start. (Though I am not sure how much of this qualifies the eponymous "untold story").
It wasn't always clear what Schaap's goal was: was this a biography of Owens? A story just focused on the Owens at the Olympics? A story about the politics and nationalism that threatened to swallow the Olympics? It feels at times a little of all these, and not enough of any one of them.
I didn't like the way the book handled the footnotes, especially on kindle, it was very hard to see what the sources were for conversations and stories Schaap is relating. It wasn't obvious when Schaap was quoting a direct source for the dialogue or 'recreating' it. (This is part of the problem when a journalist writes history.)
Still, the writing is crisp and the narrative style is clear (part of the benefit of having a journalist write history!). If you know nothing of Jesse Owens and or the 36 Olympics, it's a good place to start. (Though I am not sure how much of this qualifies the eponymous "untold story").
June 26, 2019
A fascinating story of his youth, where an alert coach saw the potential in an elementary school child.
I read it as a hard copy, so have few quotes from this engaging book.
It skillfully compares the racial discrimination in the USA with Hitler’s discrimination against Jews and his desire to prove the Aryan race superior using the 1936 Olympics.
“Owens was accustomed to that particular attitude (of discrimination) and inured to it. His lifelong refusal to allow bigots to truly bother him was often considered, unfairly, a token of his weakness. Even at the age of twenty-two, Owens knew who he was and what he was, and he could see no good reason to allow himself to become embittered by the ignorance of lesser men.” (Page 185)
I read it as a hard copy, so have few quotes from this engaging book.
It skillfully compares the racial discrimination in the USA with Hitler’s discrimination against Jews and his desire to prove the Aryan race superior using the 1936 Olympics.
“Owens was accustomed to that particular attitude (of discrimination) and inured to it. His lifelong refusal to allow bigots to truly bother him was often considered, unfairly, a token of his weakness. Even at the age of twenty-two, Owens knew who he was and what he was, and he could see no good reason to allow himself to become embittered by the ignorance of lesser men.” (Page 185)
July 7, 2019
This was a very easy and fun read, I couldn't wait to turn each and every page. I am a self proclaimed sports fanatic and one of my favorite subjects throughout school was always history, so I truly didn't think I would like this book. I thought it would glide over the flaws in Jesse Owens' life and character, and even more so just breeze right through the race relations and major political rifts of this time. But I was wrong, while the author definitely loves sports, he paints a very historically accurate picture not only of Jesse's life, his family, and his surroundings, but the 1936 Olympic Games, the supporters of Hitler at the time, and the show that the '36 Olympics really were. I was extremely impressed with this book and the viewpoint that the author has.
January 20, 2020
Jesse Owens was born in an era when the world had seen one world war already and was slowly getting into one more. The book mainly talks about Jesse’s achievements in his ‘blitzkrieg’ path to stardom, the controversies and the politics that was in play for a black American who had to prove more than anyone that he is American and is patriotic about his country.
The politics around boycotting the Olympics. It was 1936. No one knew what Hitler was up to. But it does draw parallel to current world events wrt nationalistic fervour all around the German Olympics and how Hitler tried using the world’s greatest sporting event to further his propaganda.
Also in hindsight one might argue that Jesse Owens and USA should have boycotted the games. It was a difficult decision anyway.
The politics around boycotting the Olympics. It was 1936. No one knew what Hitler was up to. But it does draw parallel to current world events wrt nationalistic fervour all around the German Olympics and how Hitler tried using the world’s greatest sporting event to further his propaganda.
Also in hindsight one might argue that Jesse Owens and USA should have boycotted the games. It was a difficult decision anyway.
November 21, 2016
This book was average. I was really bored by the descriptions of the races Owens ran. While I think the story of Jesse Owens could be interesting, the writing in this book just didn't draw me in.
I have to say I was really disturbed reading about Hitler and white supremacy right now. Some of the parts about Hitler and his people's ability to convince the public that they weren't doing and planning horrible things in the early days of his leadership seemed a little too real. It is scary to think about where the tacit endorsement of racism and the "oh, it's not really that bad" attitude can lead.
I have to say I was really disturbed reading about Hitler and white supremacy right now. Some of the parts about Hitler and his people's ability to convince the public that they weren't doing and planning horrible things in the early days of his leadership seemed a little too real. It is scary to think about where the tacit endorsement of racism and the "oh, it's not really that bad" attitude can lead.
April 27, 2017
I saw the movie "Race" on an airplane recently and decided I wanted to read more about Jesse Owens in the Olympics. This book was just what I was looking for. The prose is very readable, and Schaap does a good job of describing both Owens's life and the important other players and events of the time without one distracting us too much from the other. It kind of irked me that the movie took certain typically Hollywood liberties with the truth (the part about the relay is completely changed, when there was no real reason to do so other than to add unnecessary drama). Particularly moving, in both film and book, is the friendship between Owens and Luz Long. Overall, a quick, engaging read.
June 19, 2009
"The Nazi government wants more than American participation in a sporting contest. It wants to picture Hitler with Uncle Sam standing behind him and saying, 'We are with you, Adolf!'" ...After years of debate, if the U.S. was to send its teams to the Olympics, its action would be viewed universally as nothing less than a validation of the Third Reich, which had just stripped its Jewish citizens of their most basic rights."
Sound familiar?
Sound familiar?
February 1, 2019
This book was extremely inspiring. It showed Jesse Owens story as he struggled with racism while trying to succeed in his sport. He persevered and made it to the olympics. I loved how informational it was. I learned a lot from this book and it helped me realize even more how hard it was for minorities in Nazi Germany. I would recommend this book for everybody, I think everyone can learn from this book.
May 9, 2018
For someone named Jesse Owen, I sure don't know very much about Jesse Owens. Fortunately, this book was a fantastic overview of his most triumphant moments: his 4 gold medals at the 1936 summer olympics in Nazi Germany. Highly recommend!!!
July 8, 2007
This book was more than a biography about the athlete. It was about someone who was the best in the world at what he did, and still was considered inferior because of his race.
October 23, 2017
A great breakdown of the day by day events leading up to the Olympics and the dynamics of the interactions of Owens, Long, and the interactions with Hitler and the Germans.
February 14, 2020
A historic Olympic performance in Nazi Germany, where the Jewish were persecuted, by Owens who faced his own racial problems at home in America.
April 15, 2018
Lo de historia no contada del título no es cierto ya que no aclara definitivamente ninguno de los misterios de comportamiento de los Juegos Olímpicos del 36. Las pruebas son todas declaraciones de los testigos y, teniendo en cuenta que cada uno cuenta su versión, ninguna es muy fiable.
A mí me hubiera gustado más un relato extenso de cómo trataron a Jesse Owens después de los Juegos en Estados Unidos, pero supongo que es cosa mía. Lo que perdura está.
A mí me hubiera gustado más un relato extenso de cómo trataron a Jesse Owens después de los Juegos en Estados Unidos, pero supongo que es cosa mía. Lo que perdura está.
March 26, 2025
The trick here is in the title. It is what it is,"Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics ", meaning the focus is on the time period where Owens goes to the 1936 Olympic Games, the only games that he would ever get to compete in. The rest of his life is briefly covered.
The shame about that is that in this audiobook, Owens life AFTER the 1936 games is given about 4 tracks. Jesse did not "cash in" after the games, he was just exploited by others.
It was a bit like Jim Thorpe, only Jesse did get to keep his medals.
The shame about that is that in this audiobook, Owens life AFTER the 1936 games is given about 4 tracks. Jesse did not "cash in" after the games, he was just exploited by others.
It was a bit like Jim Thorpe, only Jesse did get to keep his medals.
August 18, 2022
The incredible feat of Jesse Owens and the difficult German politics at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A must read. And it's short! So great!
October 4, 2024
Jesse Owens (slightly messy) overcame the blatant racism he faced in everyday life and athletics to become one of the greatest athletes of all time- doing so in the 1936 Olympic Games in Hitler’s Germany. A mighty slap in the face to the Aryanism. I really like athletic stories and WW2 stories so this was a perfect storm for me. Delves into the interesting build up to how Germany secured the Olympic host position despite their treatment of Jews, how the U.S. proceeded, and how Jesse Owen’s became one of the most successful and famous athletes of all time. C’mon now! Even Germany knew that he was the moment! An interesting, quick read. 🦅
June 13, 2021
Pretty good book, Middle was a tad lengthy but otherwise I enjoyed it. Jesse Owens is a great guy
June 28, 2019
I like Owens' story, but the book was pretty dull.
January 23, 2019
The Perseverance and Glory of Jesse Owens
This book opened up a whole window of curiosity for me. After reading this story, I craved to learn more information about the Hitler olympics. Through the eyes of an onlooker, the reader gets to dive into the conflict and segregation that was going on at the time in Germany. Hitler labelled the concept of “Aryan Superiority,” which said that only certain people were more powerful and able to achieve greatness.
Jesse Owens came from an unstable background with very little resources handed to him. His gym teacher saw great talent in him at a young age and met with him daily after school to improve his running skills. Riley looked past Jesse’s skin color and helped dig deeper within himself and achieve greatness. Jesse Owens was far more talented than the other kids his age and without Riley acknowledging that, that may not have ever been known.
The book travels through the lifetime of Jesse Owens. It starts all the way in his elementary school years and proceeds through his entire life until his death. Over the course of the book, the readers really get to know Jesse as a person. The author does an amazing job of painting a picture of what life was like under Hitler’s rule. But even more than that, Jeremy Schaap, the author, highlights what an amazing talent Owens had. By giving the statistics and facts, the readers are allowed to see how Owens was something special. He broke so many records and they stood for a remarkable amount of time. His accomplishments go to show how he was a once-in-a-lifetime athlete that isn’t seen very often.
Although this book is very good and interesting, I wish the reader got to see a little more into Jesse’s personal life. Not often were we give the inside scoop of what Jesse liked to do other than what he did on the track. In addition, some areas of the book, the author I felt left out a lot of detail making it very dry and boring to be reading.
Towards the end of the book, as Jesse is competing, the author emphasizes in many chapters the relationship that is formed between Luz Long, another competitor, and Jesse Owens. This proves to the reader that even though there was so much bad going on in the world between Hitler and the non-white people, there was still a lot of good. Highlighting this small relationship really brought hope to the reader’s eyes and brought a positive approach.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would read it again if given the chance! It was a very interesting topic for me and was so interesting to see the daily life of an African American olympian during Hitler’s rule. The setting was perfectly developed along with the events going in chronological order. The reader was allowed to feel that they were getting a first hand experience of the major events happening in the 1936 Olympics.
This book opened up a whole window of curiosity for me. After reading this story, I craved to learn more information about the Hitler olympics. Through the eyes of an onlooker, the reader gets to dive into the conflict and segregation that was going on at the time in Germany. Hitler labelled the concept of “Aryan Superiority,” which said that only certain people were more powerful and able to achieve greatness.
Jesse Owens came from an unstable background with very little resources handed to him. His gym teacher saw great talent in him at a young age and met with him daily after school to improve his running skills. Riley looked past Jesse’s skin color and helped dig deeper within himself and achieve greatness. Jesse Owens was far more talented than the other kids his age and without Riley acknowledging that, that may not have ever been known.
The book travels through the lifetime of Jesse Owens. It starts all the way in his elementary school years and proceeds through his entire life until his death. Over the course of the book, the readers really get to know Jesse as a person. The author does an amazing job of painting a picture of what life was like under Hitler’s rule. But even more than that, Jeremy Schaap, the author, highlights what an amazing talent Owens had. By giving the statistics and facts, the readers are allowed to see how Owens was something special. He broke so many records and they stood for a remarkable amount of time. His accomplishments go to show how he was a once-in-a-lifetime athlete that isn’t seen very often.
Although this book is very good and interesting, I wish the reader got to see a little more into Jesse’s personal life. Not often were we give the inside scoop of what Jesse liked to do other than what he did on the track. In addition, some areas of the book, the author I felt left out a lot of detail making it very dry and boring to be reading.
Towards the end of the book, as Jesse is competing, the author emphasizes in many chapters the relationship that is formed between Luz Long, another competitor, and Jesse Owens. This proves to the reader that even though there was so much bad going on in the world between Hitler and the non-white people, there was still a lot of good. Highlighting this small relationship really brought hope to the reader’s eyes and brought a positive approach.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and would read it again if given the chance! It was a very interesting topic for me and was so interesting to see the daily life of an African American olympian during Hitler’s rule. The setting was perfectly developed along with the events going in chronological order. The reader was allowed to feel that they were getting a first hand experience of the major events happening in the 1936 Olympics.
March 9, 2016
The accomplishments of Jesse Owens in the 1936 Summer Olympics is still revered and celebrated now, eighty years later. Not just for the athletic achievement of earning four gold medals, but also for dispelling the myth of Adolf Hitler’s notion of Aryan superiority is this feat remembered. In this excellent book by Jeremy Schapp, the reader will learn more about what made a humble black man from Ohio turn into the fastest man on Earth.
There are many aspects about Owen’s story that Schapp writes about beyond the wins on the track. From the coaching of Larry Snyder at Ohio State to the story about how Owens became one of the members of the 4 x 100-yard relay team to the alleged “snub” by Hitler after Owns won his first medal, there are many different subplots that are recalled in great detail. The story of the “snub” is very interesting in that the myth is dispelled by Owens himself by recalling that Hitler waved at him after his first medal. It was only later during the lecture circuit did the story of the snub become well known.
Not everything written is about Owens, either. Schapp wrote very good pieces about filmmaker Leni Reifenstahl, the American boycott of the games that almost happened and the controversy about leaving the two American Jewish runners off of the relay team in which Owens replaced one of them and won his fourth medal. Avery Brundage is also prominently portrayed in the book. These and other aspects of the 1936 Olympics make the book complete and an excellent source of information on this topic.
The only thing that could have made this better would have been a little more coverage of life after the Olympics for Owens as the book does not make it clear what really became of Owens after that historic event. But if the reader wants to learn about the Jesse Owens story of how he became a person who singlehandedly dispelled a dictator’s vision of domination through the simple acts of running and jumping, then this is the book to read.
There are many aspects about Owen’s story that Schapp writes about beyond the wins on the track. From the coaching of Larry Snyder at Ohio State to the story about how Owens became one of the members of the 4 x 100-yard relay team to the alleged “snub” by Hitler after Owns won his first medal, there are many different subplots that are recalled in great detail. The story of the “snub” is very interesting in that the myth is dispelled by Owens himself by recalling that Hitler waved at him after his first medal. It was only later during the lecture circuit did the story of the snub become well known.
Not everything written is about Owens, either. Schapp wrote very good pieces about filmmaker Leni Reifenstahl, the American boycott of the games that almost happened and the controversy about leaving the two American Jewish runners off of the relay team in which Owens replaced one of them and won his fourth medal. Avery Brundage is also prominently portrayed in the book. These and other aspects of the 1936 Olympics make the book complete and an excellent source of information on this topic.
The only thing that could have made this better would have been a little more coverage of life after the Olympics for Owens as the book does not make it clear what really became of Owens after that historic event. But if the reader wants to learn about the Jesse Owens story of how he became a person who singlehandedly dispelled a dictator’s vision of domination through the simple acts of running and jumping, then this is the book to read.
August 3, 2021
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I am an Olympic junkie. Every two years, for roughly two and a half weeks, I am glued to my TV, watching Team USA. I’ve even held Olympic parties in the past on the day of the opening ceremonies. Winter or summer, it doesn’t matter, I just want to see the excellence in sport. This week I’m going to highlight a few books and movies about the Olympics that you may or may not heard of. Today’s book brings us all the way back to 1936, when the rumblings of another world war were already starting. In case you don’t know who Jesse Owens was, he was the Usain Bolt of his time.
Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics is an important read, not just for the history of the modern Olympics, but for the history of race relations in the United States and fascism abroad.
‘“No eighth-grader can run that fast.” Eleven flat. In other words, at fifteen years old, in cheap shoes and street clothes, Jesse Owens was more than just a strong local talent. He was world-class—and not just for his age. The world record was 9.6 seconds—held by eight sprinters, all adults, who had set it in spikes, on real tracks, with real competition… The boy in whom he had recognized some athletic potential had turned out to be the greatest running and jumping talent the world had ever seen. But (the coach, Riley) knew that for a twenty-one-year-old black man in the United States in 1935, nothing was guaranteed.
As soon as Jesse Owens entered college, his life was a whirlwind. People were stunned when he ran. But then he ran too much, pushed himself too hard. In 1935, within “the space of just a few weeks he had attained international celebrity, broken several world records, reportedly proposed to one woman, married another woman, raced in the Midwest, on the West Coast, again in the Midwest, then on the East Coast, lost three consecutive races to a powerful foe, and watched as his Olympic prospects were downgraded from sure thing to long shot. Jesse Owens was tired.”
Then, the next semester, he failed his psychology course, making him ineligible for sports. It was a godsend. He could rest up, refocus on his schooling and his running, but at his own pace. He wouldn’t have to face competition until the late spring when the Olympic trials were held in New York. His eyes were still set on the Olympics, which in 1936 were being held in Berlin, Germany.
There was already a lot of talk about boycotting the Olympics being held in a country led by a fascist regime. “…The most vigorous and effective proponent of an American boycott of the 1936 Olympics in Germany was not a Jew. Instead he was a devout Irish-American Catholic known all his life for his stubborn opposition to racial and religious discrimination. Born on Manhattan’s East Side in 1878, Jeremiah Titus Mahoney… Mahoney, who succeeded Brundage as the president of the Amateur Athletic Union, became one of the most powerful men in all of sports. In 1935, after long reflection, he came to the conclusion that American participation in Hitler’s Olympics would serve only to legitimate a wholly evil regime, a regime that was discriminating against its own Jewish citizens as it chose its Olympic teams. “There is no room for discrimination on grounds of race, color, or creed in the Olympics,” Mahoney said.”
American officials toured Berlin, being led around by Nazis, who were careful what was seen and not seen by these men, who came home and said there was absolutely no reason to boycott the Olympics. Many of the black athletes felt the same way. ” Ben Johnson, the black Columbia sprinter who was expected to compete for a place on the American Olympic team, Mahoney’s argument was the apogee of hypocrisy. “The Negro in the South is discriminated against as much as the Jews in Germany,” Johnson said shortly after Mahoney’s visit to campus. “It is futile and hypocritical that Judge Mahoney should attempt to clean up conditions in Germany before cleaning up similar conditions in America.” ” The Jews were being treated just like they were being treated in America. Jesse and other athletes signed a petition to attend the games, despite a plea from the NAACP that they bow out. That and the tour by officials did the trick. The United States Olympic Team was heading to Germany.
So much has been written about Jesse Owens’ four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics, and there’s one thing about the games that Schaap tries to set the record straight. That would be of Hitler snubbing Owens and the other black athletes after their medals ceremony. Owens claimed that Hitler waved to him as he was leaving the stadium, but sports writers of the day didn’t see it that way and claimed Owens and his fellow black athletes were snubbed. In fact, Owens often said, upon his return to America, “Hitler didn’t snub me—it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”
After winning his four gold medals, Owens told a journalist, “I am proud that I am an American. I see the sun breaking through the clouds when I realize that millions of Americans will recognize now that what I and the boys of my race are trying to do is attempted for the glory of our country and our countrymen. Maybe more people will now realize that the Negro is trying to do his full part as an American citizen.”
Owens was tired after the Olympics and wanted to get home to earn money for his family, so he didn’t take part in a European tour made by Team USA. Because of this, he was suspended from competing in amateur competitions.
“Eventually Owens tried to cash in on his fame with a chain of dry-cleaning stores. They failed. He owned and operated a barnstorming black baseball team. To attract crowds to the games, he sometimes raced a horse across the outfield. Of course the horse would spot him 20 yards—and Owens, sometimes in a suit, sometimes in shorts, would sometimes win. If the horse got a bad start. He took a job with the state government of Illinois, working as a kind of physical education guru in the school system. Here he excelled, sharing the lessons he had learned from Charles Riley and Larry Snyder with thousands of children. He traveled the world spreading the Olympic gospel, mostly leaving to Ruth the responsibility of raising their three daughters. He also worked as an executive at Ford Motor Company and with a sporting goods company.” The riches that he expected when returning home a champion never materialized because he was a black man in the United States.
My only complaint with this book is the way of recreating conversations, as if Schaap were there to record exactly what was said. This is fairly common with sports journalists from what I’ve read, so I’ll give him some slack. His dad, Dick Schaap, after all, help write one of my favorite sports books of all time, Instant Replay.
I am an Olympic junkie. Every two years, for roughly two and a half weeks, I am glued to my TV, watching Team USA. I’ve even held Olympic parties in the past on the day of the opening ceremonies. Winter or summer, it doesn’t matter, I just want to see the excellence in sport. This week I’m going to highlight a few books and movies about the Olympics that you may or may not heard of. Today’s book brings us all the way back to 1936, when the rumblings of another world war were already starting. In case you don’t know who Jesse Owens was, he was the Usain Bolt of his time.
Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics is an important read, not just for the history of the modern Olympics, but for the history of race relations in the United States and fascism abroad.
‘“No eighth-grader can run that fast.” Eleven flat. In other words, at fifteen years old, in cheap shoes and street clothes, Jesse Owens was more than just a strong local talent. He was world-class—and not just for his age. The world record was 9.6 seconds—held by eight sprinters, all adults, who had set it in spikes, on real tracks, with real competition… The boy in whom he had recognized some athletic potential had turned out to be the greatest running and jumping talent the world had ever seen. But (the coach, Riley) knew that for a twenty-one-year-old black man in the United States in 1935, nothing was guaranteed.
As soon as Jesse Owens entered college, his life was a whirlwind. People were stunned when he ran. But then he ran too much, pushed himself too hard. In 1935, within “the space of just a few weeks he had attained international celebrity, broken several world records, reportedly proposed to one woman, married another woman, raced in the Midwest, on the West Coast, again in the Midwest, then on the East Coast, lost three consecutive races to a powerful foe, and watched as his Olympic prospects were downgraded from sure thing to long shot. Jesse Owens was tired.”
Then, the next semester, he failed his psychology course, making him ineligible for sports. It was a godsend. He could rest up, refocus on his schooling and his running, but at his own pace. He wouldn’t have to face competition until the late spring when the Olympic trials were held in New York. His eyes were still set on the Olympics, which in 1936 were being held in Berlin, Germany.
There was already a lot of talk about boycotting the Olympics being held in a country led by a fascist regime. “…The most vigorous and effective proponent of an American boycott of the 1936 Olympics in Germany was not a Jew. Instead he was a devout Irish-American Catholic known all his life for his stubborn opposition to racial and religious discrimination. Born on Manhattan’s East Side in 1878, Jeremiah Titus Mahoney… Mahoney, who succeeded Brundage as the president of the Amateur Athletic Union, became one of the most powerful men in all of sports. In 1935, after long reflection, he came to the conclusion that American participation in Hitler’s Olympics would serve only to legitimate a wholly evil regime, a regime that was discriminating against its own Jewish citizens as it chose its Olympic teams. “There is no room for discrimination on grounds of race, color, or creed in the Olympics,” Mahoney said.”
American officials toured Berlin, being led around by Nazis, who were careful what was seen and not seen by these men, who came home and said there was absolutely no reason to boycott the Olympics. Many of the black athletes felt the same way. ” Ben Johnson, the black Columbia sprinter who was expected to compete for a place on the American Olympic team, Mahoney’s argument was the apogee of hypocrisy. “The Negro in the South is discriminated against as much as the Jews in Germany,” Johnson said shortly after Mahoney’s visit to campus. “It is futile and hypocritical that Judge Mahoney should attempt to clean up conditions in Germany before cleaning up similar conditions in America.” ” The Jews were being treated just like they were being treated in America. Jesse and other athletes signed a petition to attend the games, despite a plea from the NAACP that they bow out. That and the tour by officials did the trick. The United States Olympic Team was heading to Germany.
So much has been written about Jesse Owens’ four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics, and there’s one thing about the games that Schaap tries to set the record straight. That would be of Hitler snubbing Owens and the other black athletes after their medals ceremony. Owens claimed that Hitler waved to him as he was leaving the stadium, but sports writers of the day didn’t see it that way and claimed Owens and his fellow black athletes were snubbed. In fact, Owens often said, upon his return to America, “Hitler didn’t snub me—it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”
After winning his four gold medals, Owens told a journalist, “I am proud that I am an American. I see the sun breaking through the clouds when I realize that millions of Americans will recognize now that what I and the boys of my race are trying to do is attempted for the glory of our country and our countrymen. Maybe more people will now realize that the Negro is trying to do his full part as an American citizen.”
Owens was tired after the Olympics and wanted to get home to earn money for his family, so he didn’t take part in a European tour made by Team USA. Because of this, he was suspended from competing in amateur competitions.
“Eventually Owens tried to cash in on his fame with a chain of dry-cleaning stores. They failed. He owned and operated a barnstorming black baseball team. To attract crowds to the games, he sometimes raced a horse across the outfield. Of course the horse would spot him 20 yards—and Owens, sometimes in a suit, sometimes in shorts, would sometimes win. If the horse got a bad start. He took a job with the state government of Illinois, working as a kind of physical education guru in the school system. Here he excelled, sharing the lessons he had learned from Charles Riley and Larry Snyder with thousands of children. He traveled the world spreading the Olympic gospel, mostly leaving to Ruth the responsibility of raising their three daughters. He also worked as an executive at Ford Motor Company and with a sporting goods company.” The riches that he expected when returning home a champion never materialized because he was a black man in the United States.
My only complaint with this book is the way of recreating conversations, as if Schaap were there to record exactly what was said. This is fairly common with sports journalists from what I’ve read, so I’ll give him some slack. His dad, Dick Schaap, after all, help write one of my favorite sports books of all time, Instant Replay.
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