The Wizard of Foz

Dick Fosbury's One-Man High-Jump Revolution

Nonfiction, Sports, Track & Field, Olympics
Cover of the book The Wizard of Foz by Bob Welch, Skyhorse
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Bob Welch ISBN: 9781510736252
Publisher: Skyhorse Publication: September 4, 2018
Imprint: Skyhorse Language: English
Author: Bob Welch
ISBN: 9781510736252
Publisher: Skyhorse
Publication: September 4, 2018
Imprint: Skyhorse
Language: English

Track and Field Writers of America's 2018 Book of the Year!
In 1968, a US Olympic men’s track and field team—America’s best ever—stirred the world in unprecedented ways, among them the victory stand black rights protest by Tommy Smith and John Carlos at the Games in Mexico City. But in competition, no single athlete captured the ’60s more perfectly than Dick Fosbury, a failed Oregon prep high jumper who—in the wake of his little brother being killed by a drunk driver while the two were riding bikes and the subsequent divorce of his parents—invented a high jump style as a high school sophomore that ultimately won him an Olympic gold medal and revolutionized the event. No jumpers today use any other style than his.

The Wizard of Foz is a story of innovation and imagination that blossoms 7,350 feet up in the High Sierra, where boulders and 100-foot trees festoon the interior of the Olympic Trials track. It is a story of loss, survival, and triumph, entwined in a person—Fosbury—and a time—the ’60s—clearly made for each other. And it is a story of a young man who refused to listen to those who laughed at him, those who doubted him, and those who tried to make him into someone he wasn’t.

“My experience working with Skyhorse is always a positive collaboration. The editors are first-rate professionals, and my books receive top-shelf treatment. I truly appreciate our working relationship and hope it continues for years to come.”
–David Fischer, author

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Track and Field Writers of America's 2018 Book of the Year!
In 1968, a US Olympic men’s track and field team—America’s best ever—stirred the world in unprecedented ways, among them the victory stand black rights protest by Tommy Smith and John Carlos at the Games in Mexico City. But in competition, no single athlete captured the ’60s more perfectly than Dick Fosbury, a failed Oregon prep high jumper who—in the wake of his little brother being killed by a drunk driver while the two were riding bikes and the subsequent divorce of his parents—invented a high jump style as a high school sophomore that ultimately won him an Olympic gold medal and revolutionized the event. No jumpers today use any other style than his.

The Wizard of Foz is a story of innovation and imagination that blossoms 7,350 feet up in the High Sierra, where boulders and 100-foot trees festoon the interior of the Olympic Trials track. It is a story of loss, survival, and triumph, entwined in a person—Fosbury—and a time—the ’60s—clearly made for each other. And it is a story of a young man who refused to listen to those who laughed at him, those who doubted him, and those who tried to make him into someone he wasn’t.

“My experience working with Skyhorse is always a positive collaboration. The editors are first-rate professionals, and my books receive top-shelf treatment. I truly appreciate our working relationship and hope it continues for years to come.”
–David Fischer, author

More books from Skyhorse

Cover of the book The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide by Bob Welch
Cover of the book War Is a Racket by Bob Welch
Cover of the book British English A to Zed by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Alexander Hamilton's Revolution by Bob Welch
Cover of the book The Hormone Balance Cookbook by Bob Welch
Cover of the book SAS Mountain and Arctic Survival by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Mayor Rob Ford: Uncontrollable by Bob Welch
Cover of the book High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Letters to President Obama by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Hitler's Commando by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Dos Caminos Mexican Street Food by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Darwin on Evolution by Bob Welch
Cover of the book A Basic Guide to Exporting by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Zelda Fitzgerald by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Five Fat Hens by Bob Welch
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy