Paul Anderson: The Mightiest Minister

by Randall J. Strossen

What'd he really squat? How about the back lift and those one-arm presses? If you want to know, you'll want to read this book. An Olympic gold medalist, world champion and world record holder in weightlifting, Paul Anderson is widely considered by the leading authorities to be one of the strongest men who ever lived, and his unofficial lifts continue to be the source of jaw-dropping wonder. This highly acclaimed book combines a readable style with scholarly precision; it compiles the principle articles on Paul Anderson from the major periods of his life, documents and reviews his lifts - both official and unofficial - and tells the story of the man who was dubbed a wonder of nature by the awestruck Russians, who were happy to stand out in the rain just for a chance to watch him lift. 160 pp.

143 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

Reviews

[David Sneen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strength athletes like myself are in awe of Paul Anderson. Every now and then, an athlete comes along who is two steps better than his peers. Paul Anderson would be two steps better than any of today's athletes. He was two gigantic leaps better than his peers.

What a fascinating man he was. Paul designed his own training weights. Paul did not have a recommended diet to help him become stronger.

As a Christian athlete, I am most interested in Paul's ministry. I did not have the chance to see him as I was growing up. So, I can only imagine what it would be like to see Paul drive a nail into a two by four with one strike... of his fist. After that, he would have my undivided attention as he shared his Christian witness. His question, "If I am the strongest man in the world and I cannot go one minute without Jesus, then how can you? ," sticks in my memory.

It is easy to exaggerate when discussing an icon like Paul Anderson. But, that is not necessary. Paul's feats of strength are legendary! I appreciated Mr. Strossen's attention to the facts, the measurables, and not the legend.

[Gary Sites · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book about a fine man. Contains a lot of photos throughout, which is nice. My only problem was with the shape of the book. It's long and thin, in the shape of a rectangle. It's a paperback, so I found it a pain to handle due to this odd shape. It also won't fit in a book shelf in the normal fashion. It's just too long.