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Natural born heroes
428 pages
An adrenaline-fueled blend of forgotten WWII history and primal fitness that makes you want to sprint up a mountain.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like embarking on a sun-drenched, kinetic adventure across the rugged mountains of Crete. It is an invigorating blend of forgotten World War II history and modern fitness philosophy, delivered with an infectious, awe-struck enthusiasm. The narrative moves at a brisk, propulsive clip, effortlessly leaping between the daring exploits of resistance fighters and the gritty world of parkour athletes and ultra-runners. The prose is conversational yet deeply researched, making complex historical and biomechanical concepts feel accessible and thrilling. It is a triumphant exploration of human endurance that will delight armchair historians and weekend warriors alike, leaving you with a sudden, undeniable urge to ditch the gym and go scramble over some rocks.
- Mood
- invigorating
- sun-drenched
- triumphant
- kinetic
- Tone
- enthusiastic
- inquisitive
- awe-struck
- conversational
- adventurous
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the limits of human endurance · reclaiming primal movement · ordinary people doing extraordinary things · the intersection of myth and history · unconventional heroism
- The writing
- Energetic, journalistic, and highly readable, blending historical narrative with immersive, first-person reportage.
- The arc
- Moves from curious historical investigation to a thrilling, adrenaline-fueled realization of human potential.
- Who it's for
- Fitness enthusiasts, history buffs, and armchair adventurers looking for inspiration to push their physical boundaries.
Content notes
- war themes
- descriptions of combat
- kidnapping
About the book
"Author of the phenomenal national best seller, Born to Run, Christopher McDougall now travels to the Mediterranean where he discovers that the secrets of ancient Greek heroes are still alive and well on the island of Crete and in the muscles and minds of fitness enthusiasts everywhere. While researching Born to Run, Chris McDougall encountered the story of Pheidippides, the legendary ancient Greek 'all-day runner.' Later, when McDougall met a dedicated amateur historian, he saw a connection to one of the most fascinating mysteries of World War II: How did a small band of Resistance fighters surrounded by German troops kidnap a top German general? What he discovered is that ancestral techniques for extraordinary endurance, natural movement, and nutrition allowed ancient Greek soldiers and Cretan shepherds to race across mountains on all-night missions. Inspired by their heroic acts, McDougall sets off to discover the lost art of the hero, both throughout history and across the world. Just as Born to Run inspired casual runners to get off the treadmill, out of their shoes, and into nature, Natural-Born Heroes will inspire casual athletes to leave the gym and take their fitness to nature doing cross-training, mud runs, parkour and free-running to bound--and climb, swim, skip, wade, and jump--their way to heroic feats"--
The author of the best-selling Born to Run describes his investigation into ancestral training techniques that have enabled Mediterranean athletes to achieve extraordinary levels of strength and fitness.
Description from Open Library.
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