Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion

Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion
by Bob Schaller

Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion
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Book Summary Information

Author: Bob Schaller
Introduction: Rowdy Gaines
Foreword: Jason Lezak
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-10-21
ISBN: 0312573812
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Book Reviews of Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion

Book Review: Plus and minus
Summary: 3 Stars

I find myself disappointed in this book. I've read Phelps' books that he's written, and I enjoyed those much more. For a book claiming to be an untold story of one man, this book seems to focus a lot on other swimmers. In fact, I'd say half the book is stories about Phelps' teammates, both male and female. The stories are interesting, and as a fan of swimming in general, I didn't mind them, but I think it's a bit of false advertising to produce a book claiming to be about one person when there's so much about other swimmers (and I'm not talking about swimmers' opinions of Phelps, rather stories of Lezak, Vanderkaay, Thorpe, Torres, etc., beginnings in swimming and things about their personalities, and training schedules.)

That said, there's a lot in this book that is new, at least for me. Schaller interviewed a lot of people and the stories, especially from Phelps' sisters, are interesting.

My other main gripe with this is that it has a meandering style that is sometimes hard to follow. A chapter will start with Phelps and 2008 and then suddenly be talking about Athens or the 2007 Worlds. It can be hard to follow.

My advice is to read Phelps' own books, Beneath the Surface and No limits, if you want to know about him. If you're interested in him and swimming in general, this book might be worth picking up.

Summary of Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion

Michael Phelps is an American sports hero, perhaps the greatest Olympic athlete the world has ever known. His unprecedented eight gold medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics have made him a superstar. But his journey to Olympic immortality is every bit as compelling as his achievements in the pool. From learning to cope with ADHD to the story of how Phelps became the greatest swimmer ever, Phelps' tale?is told in full detail here for the first time.

The author, Bob Schaller, has known Phelps and his coach for more than eight years, and has extensively interviewed him, along with his mother, sisters, coach, and teammates. Filled with revelations, career statistics, photographs, and insightful analysis of how Phelps achieved the seemingly?impossible, this is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn the complete story behind the legend.

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