Ellison "Tarzan" Brown: The Narragansett Indian Who Twice Won the Boston MarathonEllison "Tarzan" Brown was one of America's premier marathon runners during the 1930s and 1940s. This volume tells the story of his life from the beginning of his budding career in the early 1930s through his untimely death in 1975. With his unorthodox approach to the sport and his spectacular finishes, Tarzan Brown quickly became something of a legend in racing. Inevitably, he became the subject of stories that were not always entirely factual--and sometimes not very flattering. This biography seeks to present an accurate, unbiased account of Brown's life. The reminiscences of his close friends, family and even his rivals paint a vivid picture of the man and his career. The book covers in considerable depth events such as Brown's trip to the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany and his role in the naming of the infamous Heartbreak Hill on the course of the Boston Marathon. Completing the picture is a look at the more personal aspects of Brown's life, such as his struggle to support his young family, and an examination of his Narragansett Indian heritage. The final chapter discusses the misconceptions surrounding Brown's accidental death outside a bar in 1975. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 5 | |
| 7 | |
| 11 | |
| 13 | |
Two of Them Trying to Run with One Pair of Legs934 | 20 |
Even Without Shoes935 | 24 |
Two National Titles in a Fortnight935 | 33 |
This Marathon Business Is Okay But You Cant Support a Family on It939 | 200 |
A Question of Fairness939 | 220 |
The Greatest Attraction in New England939 | 233 |
Tarzan Browns Thunder 1939 | 247 |
The Fastest Thing in Floating Foot Power | 260 |
Bad Cramps Bad Socks1940 | 271 |
Three Races to Every Two1940 | 288 |
Winning Most of the Silverware 1940 | 299 |
This Human Powerhouse936 | 44 |
ThePreMarathonBuzz936 | 52 |
A Pat on the Back936 | 62 |
Nason and the Hill936 | 81 |
Marathon Aftermath936 | 85 |
Olympic Team Selection936 | 95 |
Even Better Than Running936 | 103 |
Running for Uncle Sam936 | 112 |
Tarzan Browns October Feat and Feet936 | 129 |
Full of Real Heart937 | 146 |
A Running Enigma938 | 159 |
I Give Him a Ride and He Gives Me a Beating939 | 177 |
To the Welcome Relief of the Finish Line in Record Time939 | 184 |
He Has Everybody Guessing 1941 | 312 |
Injury1941 | 323 |
Indian Comet Along the Comeback Trail 1942 | 335 |
The Prettiest Thing I Ever Saw in Action1943 | 346 |
An Ungovernable Tear19441945 | 356 |
Surprises by Finishing 12th in Final Comeback 1946 | 363 |
Time and Marathoners FlyThe Postwar Years | 370 |
The Final Years | 377 |
A Final Look | 388 |
Notes | 395 |
Bibliography | 419 |