«Sport book of the year… A fascinating tale, showing all sides of Zátopek, injecting humanity and humour into a dramatic life»

Matt Butler, i, Book of the Year

«A tale from athletics' age of innocence... He was a sporting hero not just for his time but for all time»

Spectator

«A wonderfully in-depth and often emotionally charged piece of writing»

Athletics Weekly

«An astonishing achievement... There are few writers as adept at capturing so lyrically the utter and incomprehensible strangeness of distance running... A joy to read»

Literary Review

«Reminds us of the pain and the glory behind every victory and the power of sport to bring people together and make history»

Martina Navratilova

«A warm, honest and moving account of one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. Richard Askwith brings to life both the epic triumphs but also the difficulties and complexities of Zatopek's role in Communist Czechoslovakia»

Adharanand Finn, author of Running with the Kenyans

«A portrait of a fine but flawed human.»

Nick Pitt, Sunday Times, Book of the Year

«A tremendous read and also a reminder of the lost purity of track and field»

Eileen Battersby, The Irish Times

«Terrific»

Huw Richards, Guardian