Little Friedrich Müller was a puny weakling who longed to be athletic and strong like the ancient Roman gladiators.Inspired by his own experiences body-building, Don Tate tells the story of how Eugen Sandow changed the way people think about strength and exercise. Afterword. Exercise suggestions. Author's note. Bibliography. Quotation sources. Photographs. Full-color illustrations, created digitally.
Format
Page Count
Trim Size
Dewey
AR
Lexile
Genre
Scholastic Reading Counts
JLG Release
Book Genres
Topics
Standard MARC Records
Cover Art
[STARRED REVIEW]
The life of Eugen Sandow (1867–1925), a Victorian-era bodybuilding superstar
dubbed “the Modern Hercules,” is rife with mystery. Not only did his family
destroy his belongings after his death, but articles and books on Sandow are often
contradictory. Tate (a former bodybuilder himself ) reconciles these challenges by
telling the story as “Sandow would have wanted it told”—with drama and flair.
This decision could have easily resulted in an over-the-top portrayal of the subject;
instead, Tate’s chronological narrative portrays an ambitious, hardworking showman
with a drive for excellence—from “feeble” boy to acrobat, strongman, fitness
guru, and creator of the first organized bodybuilding contest. And although
admiring of Sandow’s impressive physique and strength, Tate is skeptical of the
man’s purported antics (such as defeating a lion). Tate argues that Sandow was
more than just a strongman; that his attention to both mind and body inspired
the people of his time—and can inspire people today—to devote “more attention
to their own health.” The digital illustrations—rendered in a gentle, textured
black outline housing a warm color palette—show an approachable version of the
athlete. Additionally, decorative caption boxes and some stylized lettering (seen on
marquees and banners) help develop a period feel. Back matter includes an afterword,
exercise techniques, a bibliography, an author’s note, and quotation sources.
A powerful pairing with Meghan McCarthy’s Strong Man (rev. 9/07) and Nicolas
Debon’s The Strongest Man in the World (rev. 5/07). patrick gall