Andy Bull (1)

I received this as an ARC through librarything from the publisher. Wow. Just WOW. I LOVED it! It's non-fiction that reads like a novel. [a:Andy Bull|259319|Andy Bull|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] does an amazing job of bringing these Olympic bobsledders to life. The third section wasn't completely necessary as it didn't pertain to bobsledding in the least, but was utterly fascinating and wrapped everything up quite nicely.

For the most part, Billy Fiske was the main focus of the book, outside of the bobsledding, of course. The first parts mainly explored a history of the sport, predominantly in Europe and even more specifically St. Moritz. Eventually, it led into how the Winter Olympics started up in the first place, taking the place of the Nordic Games, the fiasco of the early games, and the thrill and competition of the bobsled events. Additionally, the first two sections touched on the political issues facing the world at the time, like the rise of the Nazi party. The downturn of the American economy was also brushed upon when Bull discussed the issues, political and otherwise, that almost caused the 1932, Lake Placid Olympics to be reassigned, for lack of a better term.

Of course, no account of the early Winter Olympics would be complete without a description of its cast of characters however large or small a role they played, or how "mysterious" their stories have become. Among Billy's supporting cast were the likes of Jay O'Brien, Clifford 'Tippy' Grey, David Granger, and Geoffrey Mason, to name a few.

I would recommend this to the historian, sport enthusiast, and avid reader alike. It's a great piece about a little known group of extraordinary men and, of course, the history of bobsledding.… (more)

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I've just finished the book and I feel like I want to go tell everyone about these interesting, crazy rich, dare devils. I'm glad the book sort of focused on Billy Fiske because even though slight in stature he certainly seems bigger than life. I can't imagine racing down those mountains the way he did but I'm so glad he found his calling to make the Olympic story richer and this telling such a great adventure.

I wish the book had a list of characters for reference. If you are just starting out I recommend keeping a list because it is a lot to keep up with as they meet, head in separate directions, and reconvene at other stages of their lives.

I think the author, Andy Bull, did a spectacular job of wrangling all these people, places and events into an addictive story of adventure, risk and reward.… (more)