Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Co-founder 
asked by siriusfanboy on November 3, 2006 9:15 AM
During his tenure as track coach at the University of Oregon from 1949 through 1972, Bill Bowerman won 4 national team titles, trained dozens of milers to break the 4-minute barrier, and his athletes set 13 world and 22 American records. Single-handedly he helped turn the college town of Eugene, Oregon, into the running capital of the world. In Bowerman: The Wings of Nike, Kenny Moore, a world-class marathon runner and one of Bowermans Oregon men, tells the story of his mentor and hero, drawing on years of taped interviews and the full cooperation of the Bowerman family and Nike, the company that Bowerman helped to found through his invention of the waffle-soled running shoe. Whether providing a fresh look at the tragic siege at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, where Bowerman coached the track and field team; offering a close-up view of the coachs relationship with runner Steve Prefontaine (subject of the movie Without Limits, co-written and co-produced by Moore); or exploring Bowermans role as a Nike innovator, this illuminating portrait is compelling reading throughoutample evidence of why Bowermans widow, noting how well the author understood her husband, said: If anyone should write Bills life story, its Kenny Moore.
Reviews
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Thank you and kudos to Kenny Moore. Simply stated, this book is fantastic story telling by various characters during Bowerman's lifetime. Although I was born (1964) and raised in the Pacific Nothwest, I was a bit young to know about what was going on in Eugene during the late 60's and early 70's.
I'm grateful for the book. Not only was Bill an incredible track coach, he lived an incredible life. I loved the family stories of coming to Oregon via the Oregon Trail, his 70 plus year love story with Barbara, and his leadership in dealing with Rajneeshpuram.
I'm grateful for the book. Not only was Bill an incredible track coach, he lived an incredible life. I loved the family stories of coming to Oregon via the Oregon Trail, his 70 plus year love story with Barbara, and his leadership in dealing with Rajneeshpuram.
reviewed by titanium7 on November 12, 2006 4:00 AM
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Kenny Moore has done a fantastic job covering so many divergent and interesting topics. In particular, his account of the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, with the protest and the terrorists - and Bowerman in the thick of it all - was excellent. Everything about Prefontaine is fascinating and quite revealing. The story about the beginnings of Nike and Phil Knight's intriguing personality were riveting. It brings to mind another fantastic book - "Swoosh" about the history and growth of the Nike. He even covers Bowerman's encounters with the notorious Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, famous for his controversial central Oregon commune and the 80 Rolls Royce's he acquired in the course of his operations.
The little training anecdotes that Moore sprinkles in are more valuable for the endurance athlete than many volumes of today's fluffy training books. Moore mentions how he was getting beaten up by the Oregon team training program, so Bowerman altered his regimen such that he would take a long run every two weeks (a really long run as in 30 miles) and moderate his training the rest of the time. In contrast, Prefonataine followed, and obviously thrived, on a killer schedule that included him running 10 miles each morning. Bowerman was close with the great New Zealand innovator Arthur Lydiard, making for more enjoyable passages. All current coaches of distance running would be well-served to model Bowerman's concern for individual runners.
Even the somewhat tedious content about Bowerman's early days was so well written and researched it was pleasant to read. Moore obviously spent a lot of time and energy researching this book and playing a central role in the story as one of Oregon's great runners, and greatest writer! He does an especially great job of delving into the extremely complex psyche of Bowerman, sharing many entertaining stories of eccentric, and often purposeful (when it came to dealing with bureaucrats, coaching athletes or trying to raise money for a cause).
The only critique I would offer is that Moore must be careful that his comments and speculations about Prefontaine's tragic auto accident do not discount or excuse the fact that he drove impaired and without a seatbelt. Sure maybe he theoretically had to swerve to avoid some kid driving across the center line, and maybe Frank Shorter's "he seemed fine to drive" comment are accurate, but this idle speculation does nothing productive except maybe ease the pain of those closely involved. Similarly unproductive commentary appeared in Runner's World article in 2005 or early 2006.
I think a better legacy to share about Prefontaine, perhaps for today's young runners looking for a role model, is his awesome athletic feats, competitive spirit and his passionate, fearless and individualistic personality. Perhaps the mistake he made at the end of his life can simply serve to educate others about the importance of safe driving and leave it at that.
The little training anecdotes that Moore sprinkles in are more valuable for the endurance athlete than many volumes of today's fluffy training books. Moore mentions how he was getting beaten up by the Oregon team training program, so Bowerman altered his regimen such that he would take a long run every two weeks (a really long run as in 30 miles) and moderate his training the rest of the time. In contrast, Prefonataine followed, and obviously thrived, on a killer schedule that included him running 10 miles each morning. Bowerman was close with the great New Zealand innovator Arthur Lydiard, making for more enjoyable passages. All current coaches of distance running would be well-served to model Bowerman's concern for individual runners.
Even the somewhat tedious content about Bowerman's early days was so well written and researched it was pleasant to read. Moore obviously spent a lot of time and energy researching this book and playing a central role in the story as one of Oregon's great runners, and greatest writer! He does an especially great job of delving into the extremely complex psyche of Bowerman, sharing many entertaining stories of eccentric, and often purposeful (when it came to dealing with bureaucrats, coaching athletes or trying to raise money for a cause).
The only critique I would offer is that Moore must be careful that his comments and speculations about Prefontaine's tragic auto accident do not discount or excuse the fact that he drove impaired and without a seatbelt. Sure maybe he theoretically had to swerve to avoid some kid driving across the center line, and maybe Frank Shorter's "he seemed fine to drive" comment are accurate, but this idle speculation does nothing productive except maybe ease the pain of those closely involved. Similarly unproductive commentary appeared in Runner's World article in 2005 or early 2006.
I think a better legacy to share about Prefontaine, perhaps for today's young runners looking for a role model, is his awesome athletic feats, competitive spirit and his passionate, fearless and individualistic personality. Perhaps the mistake he made at the end of his life can simply serve to educate others about the importance of safe driving and leave it at that.
reviewed by waltersmith on November 24, 2006 2:27 PM
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As an avid recreational runner (Multiple marathoner) and fan of the Steve Prefontaine legend, I had a keen interest in this biography and pre-ordered it long before publication. I was not disappointed when it finally arrived on my doorstep.
It is a long, exhaustively researched and beautifully written, juicy read...expertly crafted by one of Bowerman's own "Men of Oregon:" Kenny Moore. His first-hand expertise and insight into the complex gentleman gves a special glow to a helluva good story. Bowerman's history, from his ancestry to his legacy, is a real craggy chunk of Americana and serves better to define the patriotic spirit than any flag-waving propaganda could ever do.
A man of principle, unafraid of hard work and able to still appreciate an off color joke, Bowerman's story will appeal to readers beyond the world of athletics...it is a story of American history...of grit..of entrepreneur and political savvy...of leadership and responsibility.
The physical aspects of the book itself are as beautifully presented as author Moore's writing. A fitting tribute to an incredible man (and his devoted wife, too!).
It is a long, exhaustively researched and beautifully written, juicy read...expertly crafted by one of Bowerman's own "Men of Oregon:" Kenny Moore. His first-hand expertise and insight into the complex gentleman gves a special glow to a helluva good story. Bowerman's history, from his ancestry to his legacy, is a real craggy chunk of Americana and serves better to define the patriotic spirit than any flag-waving propaganda could ever do.
A man of principle, unafraid of hard work and able to still appreciate an off color joke, Bowerman's story will appeal to readers beyond the world of athletics...it is a story of American history...of grit..of entrepreneur and political savvy...of leadership and responsibility.
The physical aspects of the book itself are as beautifully presented as author Moore's writing. A fitting tribute to an incredible man (and his devoted wife, too!).
reviewed by dannyboy on November 28, 2006 11:46 PM
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As a former track and cross country athlete, I found this to be an interesting book. I ran for Stanford in the 1970s, so I knew who Coach Bowerman was. It made for good reading and I'll pass it along.
reviewed by crafty1 on November 29, 2006 9:44 AM
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Excellent track and field history book. Insight into the close relationship between Nike founder Phil Knight and his college coach Bill Bowerman. Should be required reading for college athletics, not just those in cross country or track.
reviewed by rafit on November 29, 2006 5:32 PM