So, Jeff Benjamin is on summer break and he gets busy! He’s working on columns for RunBlogRun on the World Champs plus Summer book reviews, this is his first of the summer. Enjoy!
Jeff Benjamin’s Summer Book Review
First In A Series
Following Pre By Don Chadez
Since his tragic death in 1975, there have been quite a few books, bios, websites, and 2(!) major Hollywood films on the life of the legendary Steve Prefontaine. All of the above can, one might say, be open to historical interpretations, prejudices, and revisionist sides of the story which, for better or for worse, fluctuate on to this day.
Battling for the true interpretation and accuracy of Pre’s life and legacy will always go on in different paths for sure.
But, there’s only been one book that captures Pre’s life in action with none of those issues above.
Don Chadez’s “Following Pre” is a photographic essay spanning over Prefontaine’s racing career from 1969 to 1975. In this book, Chadez, who took all of these photos of the Oregon legend, has let his photos speak for itself, and boy, they sure do!
One cannot help but be motivated by many of these pictures of Pre alongside other contemporaries of his times. Frank Shorter, Rod Dixon, John Walker, Filbert Bayi, Gerry Lindgren, and of course Lasse Viren are all portrayed here, notably with the Chadez pics from the 1972 Munich Olympics, where the photographer looks like he had front-row seating to one of the greatest races of all-time!
“My hope is that this pictorial will bring Pre yet even closer to the fans of American Distance Running.”
It certainly has!
To purchase “Chasing Pre” go to – http://www.blurb.com/
