The Perfect Mile cover art

The Perfect Mile

Three Athletes. One Goal. And Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It

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The Perfect Mile

By: Neal Bascomb
Narrated by: Nelson Runger
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About this listen

 In the tradition of Seabiscuit, critically acclaimed author Neal Bascomb reaches back to the golden age of sport and crafts an utterly captivating narrative of what may be the most remarkable athletic feat of all time.

They said it could never be done. No human could ever run a mile in less than four minutes. In 1952, three amazing athletes begged to differ; English medical student Roger Bannister, Australian privileged son John Landy, and American farm boy Wes Santee. At a time when war raged in Korea and Edmund Hillary dared to scale Mount Everest, these three marvelous runners raced into the spotlight and stole the attention of a breathless world.

Dramatic, exciting, and gloriously reminiscent, The Perfect Mile is an endlessly fascinating tale of heroic achievement and a testament to the determination of the human spirit.

©2004 Neal Bascomb (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC Running & Jogging Sports History Track & Field Outdoor

Critic Reviews

"Bascomb's excellent account captures all of the human drama and competitive excitement of this legendary racing event." (Publishers Weekly)

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Disciplined.

A comprehensive book. The detail on how these men trained during a time with limited resources when athletics wasn't viewed as a serious sport reinforces why Western culture has become "soft". Are we losing our resilience?

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best 14hrs about 4mins

the story was well researched and felt accurate to my understanding. reading fell short of the story.

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