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Alone: The Triumph and Tragedy of John Curry
Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.
One winter's night in 1976, millions of people all over the world watched John Curry skate to Olympic glory on an ice rink in Austria. Overnight he became one of the most famous men on the planet and changed ice skating from marginal sport to high art.
And yet the man was – and would always remain – an absolute mystery to a world that was dazzled by his gift. Surely, men's skating was supposed to be Cossack-muscular, not sensual and ambiguous like this.
Curry himself was an often-tortured man of labyrinthine complexity. For the first time, Alone untangles the extraordinary web of his toxic, troubled, brilliant – and short – life. It is a story of childhood nightmares, furious ambition, sporting genius, lifelong rivalries, homophobia, Cold War politics, financial ruin and deep personal tragedy. Alone reveals the restless, impatient, often dark soul of a man whose words could lacerate, whose skating invariably moved audiences to tears, and who – after succumbing to AIDS, as so many of his fellow artists and friends did – died of a heart attack aged just 44.
One winter's night in 1976, millions of people all over the world watched John Curry skate to Olympic glory on an ice rink in Austria. Overnight he became one of the most famous men on the planet and changed ice skating from marginal sport to high art.
And yet the man was – and would always remain – an absolute mystery to a world that was dazzled by his gift. Surely, men's skating was supposed to be Cossack-muscular, not sensual and ambiguous like this.
Curry himself was an often-tortured man of labyrinthine complexity. For the first time, Alone untangles the extraordinary web of his toxic, troubled, brilliant – and short – life. It is a story of childhood nightmares, furious ambition, sporting genius, lifelong rivalries, homophobia, Cold War politics, financial ruin and deep personal tragedy. Alone reveals the restless, impatient, often dark soul of a man whose words could lacerate, whose skating invariably moved audiences to tears, and who – after succumbing to AIDS, as so many of his fellow artists and friends did – died of a heart attack aged just 44.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2014
13 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Bill Jones
5 books1 followerBill Jones is the author of several award-winning books. The Ghost Runner (2011) won the 'Best New Writer' in the British Sports Book Awards. His biography of the ice skater John Curry - Alone (2014) - was shortlisted for the William Hill Awards and won the 'Outstanding Writing' category in the British Sports Book Awards. His first novel - Black Camp 21 (2018) was shortlisted in the Hugh McIlvanney Crime Fiction awards. All three of those books are in development as major feature films. Mr.Pilbeam Built A Boat is his latest, and most personal work of fiction, to date.
Before turning to full-time writing, Bill was - for many years - a distinguished documentary film-maker, producing and directing programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Discovery, Sky TV, PBS, national Geographic and many more.
His love of writing began as a journalist on an evening paper in North Yorkshire; the county where he now lives.
Before turning to full-time writing, Bill was - for many years - a distinguished documentary film-maker, producing and directing programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Discovery, Sky TV, PBS, national Geographic and many more.
His love of writing began as a journalist on an evening paper in North Yorkshire; the county where he now lives.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 3, 2018
I loved this book. It did exactly what I want a biography to do - open the person's life to me, so that I walk away feeling as if I knew them.
I am a big fan of figure skating, but in 1976, when he won his Olympic gold medal, I wasn't following the sport. All throughout this book, I kept pausing to go watch John's skating videos online. WOW. I say again, WOW. He was magnificent. He truly brought ballet to the ice. I have never seen a more graceful skater. I am totally enthralled. Totally.
The book covers his life, from birth to death, and I think the author did a fantastic job. He has laid it all out, the good, the bad, and the in-between.
John was an artistic genius, but like so many geniuses, he was very complex, and his dark side could be devastating to others. But most folks stayed near him, no matter the downside, just to absorb his creative talent ... which was immense.
Unfortunately, John was, like so many thousands of others (dear Freddie Mercury RIP), an actively gay man before AIDS, before anyone knew the distinct danger of unprotected sex. Sadly, AIDS took his life at the age of 44. "Only the year before, during a holiday in Cornwall, he’d told Alan Bates that he’d never wanted a long life, to grow old. What mattered to him was a life lived well. ‘I just hope I have done something with it,’ he said." He most certainly did ... and then some.
I have come away from this book wishing I had paid attention to him while he was still alive. Since I did not, I very thankful to be a fan of his posthumously. John Curry ... like Freddie Mercury ... a LEGEND. RIP dear ones.
5 Stars = It made a significant impact. I won't forget it.
I am a big fan of figure skating, but in 1976, when he won his Olympic gold medal, I wasn't following the sport. All throughout this book, I kept pausing to go watch John's skating videos online. WOW. I say again, WOW. He was magnificent. He truly brought ballet to the ice. I have never seen a more graceful skater. I am totally enthralled. Totally.
The book covers his life, from birth to death, and I think the author did a fantastic job. He has laid it all out, the good, the bad, and the in-between.
John was an artistic genius, but like so many geniuses, he was very complex, and his dark side could be devastating to others. But most folks stayed near him, no matter the downside, just to absorb his creative talent ... which was immense.
Unfortunately, John was, like so many thousands of others (dear Freddie Mercury RIP), an actively gay man before AIDS, before anyone knew the distinct danger of unprotected sex. Sadly, AIDS took his life at the age of 44. "Only the year before, during a holiday in Cornwall, he’d told Alan Bates that he’d never wanted a long life, to grow old. What mattered to him was a life lived well. ‘I just hope I have done something with it,’ he said." He most certainly did ... and then some.
I have come away from this book wishing I had paid attention to him while he was still alive. Since I did not, I very thankful to be a fan of his posthumously. John Curry ... like Freddie Mercury ... a LEGEND. RIP dear ones.
5 Stars = It made a significant impact. I won't forget it.
January 15, 2021
If nothing else John Curry was a complex miasma of a man. John Curry the skater and John Curry the man seem not to be one and the same. His short turbulent life has been vividly exposed in this excellent biography. Bill Jones has captured the man with every nuance of his personality and put it in black and white.
A genius with a dark side Curry is transcended on to the page in a meticulously researched biography with a straightforward text that is sympathetic but not maudlin.
Two passages especially exemplify John Curry, the artist and the man:
“Pioneering art often transcends understanding.” (Pg. 138)
“…..an attention seeker who craved privacy.” (Pg.142)
I had never heard of John Curry before and I am not a fan of ice skating but this bio led me to seek out as many videos as I could find on YouTube of John Curry and I can only say that the magic he wielded on ice was the kind of magic one only ever sees once in a lifetime.
Bill Jones has masterfully brought this remarkable man to life on the page.
A genius with a dark side Curry is transcended on to the page in a meticulously researched biography with a straightforward text that is sympathetic but not maudlin.
Two passages especially exemplify John Curry, the artist and the man:
“Pioneering art often transcends understanding.” (Pg. 138)
“…..an attention seeker who craved privacy.” (Pg.142)
I had never heard of John Curry before and I am not a fan of ice skating but this bio led me to seek out as many videos as I could find on YouTube of John Curry and I can only say that the magic he wielded on ice was the kind of magic one only ever sees once in a lifetime.
Bill Jones has masterfully brought this remarkable man to life on the page.
September 6, 2014
I have to say I'm so grateful to Bill Jones for writing this beautiful book. I read the reviews on here first before I actually opened it and all the reviewers have it right. I have read many articles and several books on John Curry but this one surpasses them all. It really is true that it is un putdownable so ,often I had to wait several days before picking it up again for this reason to be able to read it fully.
Having had ice skating lessons, there are so many names that I recognise in it and it's also lovely to read about Richmond Ice Rink, (sadly no longer there) and Queens. Both of these places I had lessons at.
It was also very interesting to read about him and his company at the Royal Albert Hall. I was lucky to see him on that opening night and it brings it all back to me. I feel honoured to have managed this and to have seen him for myself.
The book is most certainly truthful and shows all sides of John but it has to be said, John had a vision and he pursued it and it showed that Ice skating could be more of an art than just a sport. He was, like Nijinsky in ballet, the first in Ice skating to do this and this takes a certain type of person.
The book also educates about the devastation of Aids and while Bill tells us in detail, it is done very sensitively but , I feel , this still has to be said now so the awareness is still there.
I shed tears as I got to the end,( knowing already what that end was) but, while it was sad, it was beautifully and gently written.
Thank you Bill. A fabulous book.
Having had ice skating lessons, there are so many names that I recognise in it and it's also lovely to read about Richmond Ice Rink, (sadly no longer there) and Queens. Both of these places I had lessons at.
It was also very interesting to read about him and his company at the Royal Albert Hall. I was lucky to see him on that opening night and it brings it all back to me. I feel honoured to have managed this and to have seen him for myself.
The book is most certainly truthful and shows all sides of John but it has to be said, John had a vision and he pursued it and it showed that Ice skating could be more of an art than just a sport. He was, like Nijinsky in ballet, the first in Ice skating to do this and this takes a certain type of person.
The book also educates about the devastation of Aids and while Bill tells us in detail, it is done very sensitively but , I feel , this still has to be said now so the awareness is still there.
I shed tears as I got to the end,( knowing already what that end was) but, while it was sad, it was beautifully and gently written.
Thank you Bill. A fabulous book.
August 31, 2014
I was really surprised by this book - in a good way. Like most people, I knew very little about Curry but ALONE reveals him to be one of the most complex, fascinating, tortured and brilliant figures I have ever read about. Much if this story is deeply sad, and it's outcome had me in tears. However the author renders the material with sympathetic, well balanced humanity, and has created a real page turner out of his subjects rials and tribulations. Definitely to be recommended.
August 22, 2014
I remember watching John Curry skate in the 1976 Olympics and marveling at him. There was an other-worldly quality to him that was mesmerizing. He seemed so reserved, so serene, that it was impossible to imagine anyone besting him. And of course, no one did. Maybe I should have left that vague memory of his wondrous skating alone rather than reading this book, because now I know that the curly hair I remember was a tragic perm, and the serene confidence of his performance was the result of EST training. Oh, the 70s horror.
More importantly, I now know that John Curry was, in many ways, not a particularly admirable person. He tended to use people for as long as they served his purposes and then drop them as soon as that usefulness ended, leaving, as the author described it, a "pile of human discards" in his wake. That most of those people were devoted to him, sacrificed for him, and still spoke well of him even after he abandoned them, speaks to the magic that John Curry apparently exerted on everyone he met (or nearly everyone; Toller Cranston--the only person in the book less likable than Curry--was apparently immune). But as unhappy as Curry often made the people who loved him, none of them was as tormented as he often was himself. His demons led him down some truly dark paths, and it is heartbreaking to read about how it permanently affected his skating. He never seemed to understand that he was loved or even worthy of love, which makes his a heartbreaking story, even before illness strikes him.
As absorbing as the book is, I didn't always find it a smooth read. The author apparently had to reconstruct events from disparate and not always reliable sources--such as Curry's own letters--and that sometimes made the narrative seem scattered or even contradictory. I did enjoy the gossipy aspects of it, though. The seventies name-dropping was fun (Liza! Mikhail! Andy!) and the inside details of the skating world were intriguing. The author also does a good job of recreating the atmosphere of fear and panic that accompanied the unfolding AIDS epidemic in the 80s. All in all, this was an involving story that I'm (mostly) glad I read. One thing I am grateful to learn from the author is that most of Curry's amazing performances are available on YouTube. Without this book, I would never have thought to look for them.
More importantly, I now know that John Curry was, in many ways, not a particularly admirable person. He tended to use people for as long as they served his purposes and then drop them as soon as that usefulness ended, leaving, as the author described it, a "pile of human discards" in his wake. That most of those people were devoted to him, sacrificed for him, and still spoke well of him even after he abandoned them, speaks to the magic that John Curry apparently exerted on everyone he met (or nearly everyone; Toller Cranston--the only person in the book less likable than Curry--was apparently immune). But as unhappy as Curry often made the people who loved him, none of them was as tormented as he often was himself. His demons led him down some truly dark paths, and it is heartbreaking to read about how it permanently affected his skating. He never seemed to understand that he was loved or even worthy of love, which makes his a heartbreaking story, even before illness strikes him.
As absorbing as the book is, I didn't always find it a smooth read. The author apparently had to reconstruct events from disparate and not always reliable sources--such as Curry's own letters--and that sometimes made the narrative seem scattered or even contradictory. I did enjoy the gossipy aspects of it, though. The seventies name-dropping was fun (Liza! Mikhail! Andy!) and the inside details of the skating world were intriguing. The author also does a good job of recreating the atmosphere of fear and panic that accompanied the unfolding AIDS epidemic in the 80s. All in all, this was an involving story that I'm (mostly) glad I read. One thing I am grateful to learn from the author is that most of Curry's amazing performances are available on YouTube. Without this book, I would never have thought to look for them.
July 17, 2015
I'm so glad a solid and well-researched biography of John Curry has finally appeared. I do have Elva Clairmont Oglanby's highly individualistic opus (even though it was withdrawn by the publisher at the request of the family), but it's difficult having always to take a narrative with a hefty spoonful of salt because the relationship between author and subject was so tortured. Jones writes from the distance of time and of his journalistic profession. One of the advantages of writing in this century instead of the last is that the fact that John Curry had a strenuous leather sex life can be mentioned without censorship or obfuscation, though Jones doesn't go into detail. And, other than about those lovers who were also close friends and contributed sources like letters, there is much less gossip about Curry's succession of romantic/sexual partners than you'd expect. I assume that part of that is due to that pesky habit that some journalists have of asking permission.
Unlike Oglanby, Jones had the co-operation of Curry's surviving family (his mother Rita and his brother Andrew). He makes it fairly clear that John wasn't the only "character" in that family, and he doesn't gloss over the very very difficult relationship that John had with his deceased father.
Some of the photos are sheer gold. Some of the comments from various people Curry alienated badly over the years are downright painful. The comments from Toller Cranston were particularly so, in light of Cranston's recent passing.
The history of Curry's professional ice shows tells of a series of impossibilities that never should have happened if everyone were being sensible. Curry himself refused to be sensible, and therefore we have that invaluable legacy, not only in memory, but on tape.
I'm very glad to have this on my shelves.
Unlike Oglanby, Jones had the co-operation of Curry's surviving family (his mother Rita and his brother Andrew). He makes it fairly clear that John wasn't the only "character" in that family, and he doesn't gloss over the very very difficult relationship that John had with his deceased father.
Some of the photos are sheer gold. Some of the comments from various people Curry alienated badly over the years are downright painful. The comments from Toller Cranston were particularly so, in light of Cranston's recent passing.
The history of Curry's professional ice shows tells of a series of impossibilities that never should have happened if everyone were being sensible. Curry himself refused to be sensible, and therefore we have that invaluable legacy, not only in memory, but on tape.
I'm very glad to have this on my shelves.
February 19, 2019
I wish I had not waited two years to read this book. Easily one of the best figure skating books and sport biographies I have ever read (and I was a figure skating book collector back in the 1990s.) This author did so much research, so many interviews and tried to describe the psyche of an athlete and artist who did not share much with many. After reading this, you really shake your head at the coverage of the last Olympic Games - knowledge and respect of Curry could have leant itself well to coverage of Rippon and Radford as out Olympians.
Also: if you grew up thinking Curry's MSG performances were pivotal (usually thanks to having read A Very Young Skater as a kid), you might be surprised to see them given so little attention here. I don't know if that's because the author didn't find them important or because they actually weren't important in the large scheme of things. I'm eager to delve more into those performances to see which it is.
Also: if you grew up thinking Curry's MSG performances were pivotal (usually thanks to having read A Very Young Skater as a kid), you might be surprised to see them given so little attention here. I don't know if that's because the author didn't find them important or because they actually weren't important in the large scheme of things. I'm eager to delve more into those performances to see which it is.
September 21, 2020
I began watching skating and skating myself as a preteen around 1984. Curry was one of several skaters I didn't come to know of until recently because they had already turned professional by the time I began following competitions and there wasn't much opportunity to see them otherwise. Enter, the YouTube era.
Curry certainly had an impact on the sport, even though in my opinion he was not as remarkable as Toller Cranston. Even though I didn't know anything about him, this book was SO well written, and knowing the era and the other skaters referenced that I was completely absorbed.
But my gosh, what an awful person he was. Sure, a lot of it can be explained by external factors, which were tragic.
Got to say I also really appreciated the look at the world AIDS victims had to navigate in the mid 80s to mid 90s. I'm old enough to remember it but too young to have known anyone who was affected by it.
Curry certainly had an impact on the sport, even though in my opinion he was not as remarkable as Toller Cranston. Even though I didn't know anything about him, this book was SO well written, and knowing the era and the other skaters referenced that I was completely absorbed.
But my gosh, what an awful person he was. Sure, a lot of it can be explained by external factors, which were tragic.
Got to say I also really appreciated the look at the world AIDS victims had to navigate in the mid 80s to mid 90s. I'm old enough to remember it but too young to have known anyone who was affected by it.
April 14, 2022
A 4.5. Brilliantly and sensitively done. Curry was a conflicted, tortured soul: the height of selfishness and talent who only really felt happy when expressing his extreme sensitivity creatively. Obviously talented to the highest level but even without AIDS you feel his life would have been turbulent and tortured to the end. Why people put up with such bad treatment and stress from him, one never knows, as in many situations they should have just told him to "eff off". I presume it was because he had real charisma, could sometimes be lovely to them, the realization that he was a genius in his field and that his attitude was not so much against them but more a complete devotion to expressing that genius, come what may. Though he was extremely stubborn and went his own path- often to his detriment- he was completely true to his self and art and showed a lot of courage, if sometimes misguided, doing that.
February 4, 2020
When John Curry skated towards a gold medal for the UK in figure skating at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, he had transformed male figure skating into a new art form, and within hours of his win he has become one of the first sports figures to come out as gay. Bill Jones' well-researched biography succeeds through extensive interviews with Curry's family, friends, lovers and colleagues as well as Curry's own frequently scathing but piercing archive of letters to craft a portrait of someone who as well as creating beautiful art and inspiring devotion in all who came into contact with him could be utterly ruthless, demanding and careless with his own wellbeing and the emotions of others. Curry packed a lot into his tragically short life and this is a fascinating look at a true sporting innovater.
December 23, 2017
Figure skating nerds will enjoy this gossipy but well-researched biography of British ground-breaking skater John Curry. A rival to Canada's Toller Cranston (who is quoted extensively), Curry did achieve his goal of bringing ice dance theatre to London's, and the world's, prestigious stages. But along the way he enchanted and alienated fellow athletes, performers and benefactors, dying from AIDS at just 44. The back stage tales of slushy ice, lack of control on sky-rocketing costs, and the clashing personalities of strong-willed artists/athletes show the less-glamourous side of ice shows. And throughout it all looms the enigmatic Curry, bursting with talent and work ethic, but unable to truly share himself with anyone.
July 7, 2018
I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book but the reviews all seemed good, so I decided to give it a go. I’m certainly glad I did. The narrative is beautifully written and while Curry could be very difficult, you could understand why his character was so flawed. I was aware of him as a skater but wasn’t aware about the man. I throughly enjoyed the read and learning more about this legend. Highly recommended.
May 2, 2020
My goodness what a fickle mercurial character Mr curry was only happy if things went his way.not being that interested in ice skating,I was more interested in the person.he could have done and made so much more.i think his sexuality realy bothered him like Kenneth William's.his family background most peculiar there seemed to be a lack of any real connection to anybody.if you are feeling down do not read this as it will make you feel worse.
August 6, 2018
So much talent and so much pain. I only recalled the few sightings of John Curry in the Olympics and similar as a child, without understanding why he was different. This book gave the background with thought, care and kindness and didn't avoid the darkness and the struggles of a man who brought so much beauty and elegance to this world.
December 28, 2022
The book is well researched and written, but I did find myself struggling through it at times. John Curry isn’t always likable and can, at times, be tough to rout for. Regardless, with the book is done well using letters and conversations from friends and loved ones that frequently were contradictory.
December 11, 2021
Fascinating
March 24, 2022
I was so enthralled by every detail of this beautifully told story. I was so sad when it was over.
November 17, 2022
This book shares John's story with compassion and honesty. Bill Jones does an excellent job of painting a picture of the brilliant artist and a complex person John was.
September 22, 2014
I am a huge figure skating fan and I had heard about Curry over the years without ever really knowing anything about him.
This book does an excellent job of detailing John Curry's life. From the very first paragraph, I was hooked. The author writes with respect, but does not shy away from Curry's darker side. In fact, this book goes into quite a lot of detail about Curry's mood swings, his lack of respect for people and his inability to be happy, no matter what happens.
The skating parts of the story are excellent, making me feel as though I am watching Curry performed through the pages of the book. No question that Curry was a wonderful skater, but wow, I really did not like him as a person.
I loved reading this story. Rarely have I seen an author do such a good job of portraying a troubled man with a life that was hard to write about.
Wonderful book.
This book does an excellent job of detailing John Curry's life. From the very first paragraph, I was hooked. The author writes with respect, but does not shy away from Curry's darker side. In fact, this book goes into quite a lot of detail about Curry's mood swings, his lack of respect for people and his inability to be happy, no matter what happens.
The skating parts of the story are excellent, making me feel as though I am watching Curry performed through the pages of the book. No question that Curry was a wonderful skater, but wow, I really did not like him as a person.
I loved reading this story. Rarely have I seen an author do such a good job of portraying a troubled man with a life that was hard to write about.
Wonderful book.
April 29, 2015
I've been a huge fan of skating my whole life, and I was always bored by John Curry's "magnificent artistry." It was as if I could tell that his art didn't come from a warm and loving place even as a kid, and this book confirms that notion up, down, and sideways. The author paints a very objective picture of Curry's life and personality, and even objectively...well, he's not a people person, that's for sure.
But the cast of characters that tell the story - JoJo Starbuck, Toller Cranston, and lesser known skaters and supporters - are a delight to read, and their support of him was unwavering even when they were being torn down by his artistic tyranny and left unpaid when he walked out on his own productions. Jones paints a vivid picture of skating in the 70s and 80s, and much as I was irritated by the main character, disappointed in his actions, I couldn't put this book down.
But the cast of characters that tell the story - JoJo Starbuck, Toller Cranston, and lesser known skaters and supporters - are a delight to read, and their support of him was unwavering even when they were being torn down by his artistic tyranny and left unpaid when he walked out on his own productions. Jones paints a vivid picture of skating in the 70s and 80s, and much as I was irritated by the main character, disappointed in his actions, I couldn't put this book down.
July 31, 2016
Another tortured driven soul, made me think of Rudolph Nuryev I don't know why. The writing was very intense and detailed but very interesting nonetheless. His subject matter certainly didn't come over as a particularly nice person, but maybe that personality is what you need to be successful, although much good it did him. His prevaricating and naïveté certainly made his life a lot harder than it needed to be
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews