An Athletics Compendium

•Hi! L 301 - 3 1 0 Essays & 'Reminiscences 301 Celebrities I have known, with episodes, political, social, sporting and theatrical. London: Hurst & Blackett, 1876- 1877. 4 vols, in 2 series BL: 10804.cc.5 A resume of the career of Captain Robert Barclay Allar^ice is given in volume 2, including accounts of meetings with himby the authorm; ention is also made of the pedestrian Thomas Standen. Macadam, John 302 The Macadam road. London: Jarrolds, 1955. 192p; illus BL: 7921.e.l25 These are the varied reminiscences of a sp rts writer from Gourock who eventually jointehde Daily Express. He recalls his trip to Berlin in 1936 to cover the Olympic Games andhis failure to secure an interview with Hitler; characterises Joe EMnks as 'the Number 1 Athletics writern,ot sohot on the writingbut more knowledgeable than the athletes themselves'; and gives an eye-witness account of Bannister's performance aOtxford on 6May1954, describingit as nis 'finest sporting hour'. Mallalieu, Joseph P.W. 303 Spordng days. London: Phoenix Sports, 1955. 190p; illus BL: 7919.bb.52 A collection of articles on sporting events which includes a good account of the Oxford and Cambridge Sports of 1955. 304 Very ordinary sportsman. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1957. viii, 167p BL: 7923.r.l0 Includes a chapter on the Olympic Games, with an account oDforando's marathon. Miller, David 305 Our sporting dme/s foreword by Will Carling. London: Pavilion, 1996. 288p ISBN: 1-85793-880-1 BL: YK.1996.b.ll007 All the contributionsin this collectiofnirst appeared in The Times-, several are pertinent to athletics, covering such topics as Coe's 1500vmictory atLos Angeles (lO^M-), the search foOrxbridge's losetlite ^96>6), the final Olympic appearance Poafley Thompson at Seoul (lOSS), Boulmerka's win at Barcelona(1992), and- perhaps most interesting oafnallin-terview with the Corinthian, BH. oward Baker (18'92-198>7) in]9&5. O'Connor, Ulick 306 Sport ismy lifeline: essays fromthe Sunday Times / foreword byNorris McWhirter. London: Pelham, 1984. xviii, 141p; illus; index ISBN: 0-7207-1522-9 BL: X.629/24180 The author, a biographer, playwright, poet, and sometime barrister, was also a talented athlete (lift 7%in pole vault in1951) and journalist. Thcoisllection of his work from The Sunday Times includesix pieces on athletics published in the period 1975-(30. 'The other day, a seventy-three-year old man ran a lap round the outside of the Olympian stadium in Los Angeles. Hehadn't beenable to get in, tahse building was locked on a public holiday. Forty-eight years before, Robert Morton Newburgh Tisdall won the Olympic 400m hurdles title there.' Sefh, Konald Sydney 307 The first time it happened: fiftymemorable occasions in the story of man. London: Odhams, 1965. 352p; illus BL: X.529/2669 Sections otnhe first modeOrnlympics (pp24(5-254) and the first four-minute mile (pp556-542). Stafford, lan 308 Playgrounds of the gods: the fulfilment of a sporting fantasy. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1999. 255p; illus ISBN: 1-84018-222-9 Includes the author's account of training with the Kenyan distance runners, KJptanui and Komen (pp77-106). Stenner, Tom 309 Sport for themillion. London: Stanley Paul, 1958. 200p; illus BL: 7923.ff.60 The author was responsible for Greyhound Racing Association publicity for more than sixteen years, and thus came into contact with the organisation of athletics events at the White City n the postWorld War II period. Whiteher. Alec E. 310 Sportsman's club. Brighton: SouthePrunblishing, 1948. 229p; illus BL: 7920.aaa.28 J. W.Morton, AAA 100 yds championfrom 1904to 1907, contributes the article on athletics, in which he recounts his career and training methods. 'TheNew York Herald in their issue of16th October, 1905 ... "Champion Sprinter Laughs at Training" "Englishman Morton smokes and drinks all he likes and then wins. How to become a champion - smoke 30 cigarettes a day; puff down a dozen pipefuls of tobacco; drink a febwottles obfeer; do any oldthing; don't train. Such is the rule of John W. Morton, England's great sprint champion, now in this country, [ 180 ]