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 Horseman's Guide to the Meaning of Life by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Deer Hunter's & Land Manager's Pocket Reference by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Making Inclusion Work by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Mouthwatering Vegan Burgers by Bob Welch
Cover of the book The Biggle Swine Book by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Backyard Medicine by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Tina Nordström's Recipes for Young Cooks by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Outlaw's Pursuit by Bob Welch
Cover of the book My Captivity by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Revolutionary Cooking by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Whitewash II by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Tricks That Take Fish by Bob Welch
Cover of the book Visual Impact, Visual Teaching by Bob Welch
Cover of the book The Pocket Guide to Wild Mushrooms by Bob Welch
Cover of the book The Drift Fence 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