Harry Jerome
International Track Classic July 1, 2011 - Classique Internationale D’Athlétisme Juillet 1, 2011
I Just Ran, Percy Williams, World’s Fastest Human
March 18, 2012 By harryjerome
Percy Williams
I Just Ran, Percy Williams, World’s Fastest Man
by Samuel Hawley
This narrative, non fiction book captures the essence of the world of athletics in the period surrounding the 1928 and 1932 Olympic Games as well as the 1930 British Empire Games. Samuel Hawley brings alive the experiences in the sport through the events surrounding Percy Williams’ rise from a high school beginner to the title of the World’s Fastest Man. The fastidious and personal details of the athlete’s perspective on training and competing are uncannily accurate. You can share the agony and ecstasy that every competitor ultimately experiences in their athletic career. Hawley has produced an outstanding re-creation of the complexities of his life by an exhaustive use of every personal and media reference.
I was riveted by this story, as much of the narrative is so familiar to me. I graduated from the same high school as Percy Williams, all be it 24 years later. I too represented Canada the year after I graduated in the 4x400m relay at the 1952 Olympic Games. Our 4th place in the final was a disappointment as I had felt the King Edward High tradition had not been preserved. The halls of the school featured photos of Olympic gold medalists, Percy Williams, 1928 100m & 200m and Duncan McNaughton, 1932 high jump.
Hawley’s description of Brockton Oval and the Vancouver and District Inter High track championships, the Police Sports and Caledonian Games were central to my experiences in the 1947 to 1958.
Everyone involved in the sport of track and field should run, not walk to their computer and order the new book on Percy Williams.
Doug Clement
Available at Amazon for $17.29