American Fencers: Modern Lessons from an Ancient Sport (edition 2012)

I love the Olympics! I especially love the small niche sports that are only on the international stage once every four years. I love to hear commentators explain arcane rules and byzantine competitive strategies. OK, I know, the Games don’t always fully live up to their own ideals. But for the most part, it’s sport at its most glorious and inspiring. No surprise, I’m a sucker for an autobiography from an Olympic fencer.

Tim Morehouse was a member of the US Olympic men’s saber team that won silver in Beijing. Now he’s on the road to the London games and sharing a quirky life-so-far story. And so far it’s been a life of odd contrasts and juxtapositions. Tim’s a world-class elite athlete who started his sport of fencing to avoid gym class. His schooling began in an inner-city public school but he graduated from a suburban private academy. He trained and traveled all over the world to compete in a sport that evolved from ancient combat training while earning a meager living as a public school teacher, almost like a super hero with a secret identity.

Published just in time for the London 2012 summer Olympics, American Fencer is the best kind of sports autobiography. There are enough of the worst kinds—recitations of achievement to boost the author’s great ego or unfocused rambles though unexamined young lives. American Fencers is neither of those. This is a coming-of-age story crossed with a quest tale—the quest of an underdog for achievement and respect and for the rarest reward in all sports—Olympic gold.

Sports fans and Olympic fans, here’s the book to read this Olympic summer. And, we’re rooting for you, Tim. Go get that gold medal in London! ( )