The Perfect Mile

Three Athletes. One Goal. And Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It

By: Neal Bascomb

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

In the tradition of Seabiscuit, critically acclaimed author Neal Bascomb reaches back to the golden age of sport and crafts an utterly captivating narrative of what may be the most remarkable athletic feat of all time.

They said it could never be done. No human could ever run a mile in less than four minutes. In 1952, three amazing athletes begged to differ; English medical student Roger Bannister, Australian privileged son John Landy, and American farm boy Wes Santee. At a time when war raged in Korea and Edmund Hillary dared to scale Mount Everest, these three marvelous runners raced into the spotlight and stole the attention of a breathless world.

Dramatic, exciting, and gloriously reminiscent, The Perfect Mile is an endlessly fascinating tale of heroic achievement and a testament to the determination of the human spirit.

Critic reviews

"Bascomb's excellent account captures all of the human drama and competitive excitement of this legendary racing event." (Publishers Weekly)

run with the wind

This book is about how Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile. Although the story is only about 50 years old, the author does a great job of illustrating how different "running" was looked at back then. Of course, the story is really about the athletisism, politics, social conscious and global competitive environment in the post World War II era.

Great book Great race

Get ready for a terrific walk down athletic memory lane.
Makes me wish I was born twenty years earlier!!!

The 4 min mile!

This book reminded me what sports is truly all about. It’s the journey as in life that leads you to greatness. It’s the struggle on and off the track. Pro sports particularly in 2020 have lost that. I long for the days when sport was a sport.

Super book on real life

If you enjoy reading about the personal achievements of people in their striving to reach goals - this is a good story that tells how several people chasing the 4 minute mile pursue the goal in their lives. Great stuff

Inspirational!

I loved the way the stories of these three runners were woven together. The presentation was damaging and inspiring.