Running My Life
Sebastian Coe
Running My Life
One second in time may separate the great athlete from the merely good. Seb Coe has made every second count. From an early age he has been driven to be the best at everything he does. Since the moment Coe stood alongside a 'scrubby' municipal running track in Sheffield, he knew that sport could change his life. It did. Breaking an incredible twelve world records and three of them in just forty-one days, Seb became the only athlete to take gold at 1500 metres in two successive Olympic Games (Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984). The same passion galvanised Coe in 2005, when he led Britain's bid to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to London. He knew that if we won it would regenerate an East London landscape and change the lives of thousands of young people. It has. Born in Hammersmith and coached by his engineer father, Coe went from a secondary modern school and Loughborough University to become the fastest middle-distance runner of his generation. His rivalry with Steve Ovett gripped a nation and made Britain feel successful at a time of widespread social discontent. From sport Coe transferred his ideals to politics, serving in John Major's Conservative government from 1992 to 1997 and developing 'sharp elbows' to become chief of staff to William Hague, leader of the Party from 1997 to 2001 and finally a member of the House of Lords.
4.3 out of 5 based on 3 reviews
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Omniscore:
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| Classification |
Non-fiction |
| Genre |
Biography, Sports, Hobbies & Games |
| Format |
Hardcover |
| Pages |
496 |
| RRP |
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| Date of Publication |
November 2012 |
| ISBN |
978-1444732528 |
| Publisher |
Hodder & Stoughton |
| |
One second in time may separate the great athlete from the merely good. Seb Coe has made every second count. From an early age he has been driven to be the best at everything he does. Since the moment Coe stood alongside a 'scrubby' municipal running track in Sheffield, he knew that sport could change his life. It did. Breaking an incredible twelve world records and three of them in just forty-one days, Seb became the only athlete to take gold at 1500 metres in two successive Olympic Games (Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984). The same passion galvanised Coe in 2005, when he led Britain's bid to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to London. He knew that if we won it would regenerate an East London landscape and change the lives of thousands of young people. It has. Born in Hammersmith and coached by his engineer father, Coe went from a secondary modern school and Loughborough University to become the fastest middle-distance runner of his generation. His rivalry with Steve Ovett gripped a nation and made Britain feel successful at a time of widespread social discontent. From sport Coe transferred his ideals to politics, serving in John Major's Conservative government from 1992 to 1997 and developing 'sharp elbows' to become chief of staff to William Hague, leader of the Party from 1997 to 2001 and finally a member of the House of Lords.
Reviews
The Daily Express
Matthew Dennison
“Fast-paced, lively and packed with anecdotes Coe’s book offers his life in the public eye rather than a window on to his soul.”
16/11/2012
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The Daily Telegraph
Paul Hayward
“A common prejudice about Seb Coe is that he was a brilliant Olympian who morphed into a Tory Boy, sucking up to power. This autobiography affirms him as a man of the people rather than a son of privilege. No living Briton has covered so much social ground, from runner-geek to Conservative apparatchik to messianic transformer of London at the triumphant 2012 Games.”
14/11/2012
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The Sunday Times
Rod Liddle
“This is a fascinating and rather uplifting autobiography of a somewhat odd chap who, in two different incarnations, brought enormous glory to his country. First the two Olympic gold medals … and then, of course, 20 years later, his brilliant stewardship of London’s bid to win the 2012 Olympic Games, achieved against the odds and against expectation. In between times he was a Conservative MP and junior whip — but not too much of this book is dedicated to that period of his life. Coe does not dwell too long on defeats … [he] concentrates on his performances, which are beautifully described — this is a singularly well-written sporting autobiography.”
18/11/2012
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