Roger Bannister and the Four-Minute Mile

Taylor & Francis

Roger Bannister and the Four-Minute MileSports Myth and Sports History\nAuthor(s): John Bale\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge\nISBN-13: 9780415346078, 978-0415346078\nSynopsis\nRoger Bannister was the first person to run the mile in under four minutes. Fifty years on, his status, not just as a champion athlete but also as a true British hero, a gentleman and an amateur from a 'golden era' in sport, retains its unblemished appeal.\n\nUntil now there has been little criticism and even less close historical study of Bannister and his achievement. This book redresses the balance, presenting a revisionist history of Sir Roger Bannister and in doing so providing fresh insights into the making of this British 'champion'.\n\nThis book does more than detail the history of a sporting giant. It invites the reader to reconsider the very words often used to describe him - notably 'hero' and 'gentleman amateur'. Informed by contemporary sp.