Quicksilver: The Mercurial Emil Zátopek

by Pat Butcher

The life and times of Emil Ztopek, often described as the greatest long distance runner in history; winner of four Olympic golds, including the unrepeatable treble of 5000/10000 metres and Marathon in Helsinki 1952. He also set 18 world records, and dominated distance running for a decade.Yet joining the liberalising Prague Spring movement in 1968, suppressed by the Russians, would see him exiled from Prague to work as a labourer, including in a uranium mine (at 46 years of age) for six years. Pat Butcher, who knew Ztopek tells the incredible story.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Brad Fawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat Butcher’s Quicksilver – the Mercurial Emil Zatopek is a scholarly, well written, and thoroughly researched study of the life of a man who many rank as the best distance runner in history. But this is not just the story of an athlete who revolutionized training and accomplished incredible feats in the days of cinder tracks. Unlike other books I have read about Zatopek, Butcher’s book dives deep into the struggles Zatopek had to navigate when he was thrust into the tumultuous politics of the Cold War in Eastern Europe. In addition, Butcher’s also book brings more to the table than simple facts. Through personal interviews and anecdotes, he reveals the heart of Emil Zatopek. Not just the heart of the athlete that powered him to world records and gold medals, but the heart of a man who loved his wife Dana and his country. I highly recommend Quicksilver to any reader interested in Zatopek, post-WWII athletics, and the very real struggles faced by an international sports celebrity whose spirit could not be broken.

[Nick Slenning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A personal look at Zatopek from people that knew him well. Enjoyable mix of history and running.