An Athletics Compendium

Biographies<&Autobiographies B 58 - 65 track events and fell-racicnogn,veys well,if sometimes inexcessively florid stylet,he efforitnvolved in some very long events: Tan Hill-Cat anFdiddle, Pennine Way,North of England coast-to-coast. Southern Upland's Way, West Highland Way, and High Level Traverse inScotland. Cusack, Michael 58 Michael Cusack and the GAA/ Marcus de Burca. Dublin: Anvil, 1989. 192p; illus; index; pbk ISBN: 0-947962-49-2 BL: YK. 1991.a.11820 Cusack (1347-1906) competed with distinction in throwing events, was the driving force behind the formation otfhe Gaelic Athletic Associatino1n&8>4, and was caricatured by James Joyce inUlysses and Oliver St John (Sogarty in Tumbling in the Hay. Cuthbert, Betty 59 Golden girl / as totlodJim Webster; foreword by Sir Wilfrid KentHughes. London: Pelham, 1966. 160p; illus BL: X.449/1817 An autobiography of the greatAustralian sprinter, winner of four Olympic goldmedals. Davies, 'Lynn 60 Winner stakes all: Lynn Davies fatcoe face with Peter Williams. London: Pelham, 1970. 156p; illus; index ISBN: 0-7207-0354-9 BL:X.629/2465 The son of a coalminer fromNantymoel in Bridgend, Lynn Davies became the firstUK athlete to winan Olympic long jump title (Tokyo, 13 October 1964) with 6.07m. Davies was to continue in competition for three more seasons, retiring after the 197O2lympic Games. Iits a measure ohf is achievements that nis UK record of 3.23 still stood after three decades. Davin, Maurice 61 Maurice Davin (1842-1927): firsptresident of the GAA/ Seamus O'Riain. Dublin: Geography Publications, 1994. 236p; illus; index ISBN: 0-906602-25-4 Davin set a number of records in the shot and hammer in the Ifi^Os. Davin, Pat 62 Recollecdons of a veteraInrish athlete: thememoirs of Pat Davin, world's all-rounadthletic champion/ Patrick Davin. DublinJ:uverna, 1938. 102p Based on a series of articles written for the Irish Independent. Davin, from a family of athletes, held the world records for thheigh jump and long jump in the 1330e. A good account oIrfish athletics, including the 'Gaelic Invasion' oAf merica in 1333. De Couhertin, Pierre 63 This great symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the origins of the modern Olympic Gam/esJohn JM. acAloon. London: University of Chicago Press, 1981. xiv, 359p; illus; index ISBN: 0-226-50000-4 BL: X.622/11280 This is a not entirely accurate work on the moving spirit behindthe rebirthof the Olympic Gamesin the modern era. Thaeuthor notesin his preface, however, that i'its an act asmuch of reconstruction as of narration'. Dinnie, Donald 64 Donald Dinnie: the firssptorting superstar / David Webster & Gordon Dinnie; editedChbayrlie Allan. Buchan: Ardo, 1999. 158p; illus; index ISBN; 0-9536596-0-7 Donald Dinnie was unquestionably the greatest all-round field events athlete of the nineteenth century. Though essentiallay thrower, hewas almost certainly the first athlete to clear 6ft Oin in the high jump and was undoubtedly capable of 5Cft Oinwith the 161bshot. Thebook is based mainly on Dinnie's autobiographical articles in Health and Strength Magazine in 1906 sois understandably patchy, but contains somme arvellous photographs othf e great all-rounder anda remarkable nude sketch. Thebook also makes it cleatrhat Dinniwe as almost certainly the greatest all-round wrestler of his century. Downer,Alfred K 65 Running recollections, and how to train: being an autobiography of Alfred DR.owner and short biographical sketches of E. C. Bredin (whisthideas on training), Len Hurst, FreBdacon, G. B. Tincler, with method of training itnhe early part ofthe present century, and noteson training forboys. London: Gale and Polden, 1908. 150p; illus Reissuedin facsimile d.Tarland:Balgoivnie, 1982. ISBN: 0-946698-00-7 BL: 7912.df The famous Scottishsprinter gives fuall account of his amateur and professional career, and adds biographies of Edgar Bredin and Len Hurst (both of whom contribute training notes), F. E. Bacon and G. B. Tincler. There arephotographs othf ese athletes and of C. A. Bradley, Harry Hutchens, T. F. KeaCn.eH, arper, 'Treacle' Sanderson, W. Cummings and H. Cullum. Downer's book gives what is possibly the clearest description available tohfe seedy woroldf nineteenth century pedestrianism. 'The remainder otfhe summer pa1 ssed ingoing round the country, running at Scotch Games. These Games are highly diverting.... Imagine a rough stubble field and a "track"staked off thereon about 200yds to the lap, with square corners, and the going like a switchback railway, and you will get aslight idea of [ 47 ]