Four Days to Glory: Wrestling with the Soul of the American Heartland

I am a fan of wrestling. Not the so-called "professional" wrestling, but freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, i.e., REAL wrestling. Accordingly, I loved this book. It is a raw, unflinching examination of a sport that many people do not understand or care about. However, as the author points out, being fully engaged in and committed to an unappreciated sport is a point of pride for many wrestlers.

Kreidler takes you into the world of high school wrestling in Iowa by focusing on two high school wrestling programs, and the two star wrestlers on each team - Jay Borschel and Dan LeClere. Although one reviewer disparages Kreidler's attention on the coaches and families and the college recruiting drama that occurred, these things are important show more parts of the story, providing the crucial context that allows the reader to gain a full understanding of the athletes and the sport. Congratulations to Kreidler for such a phenomenal job. show less

What might have been interesting and fun to read turns out to be labored and scattered. I didn't even finish this, but gave up when I became too frustrated with wanting to get to actually know the two wrestlers, rather than everyone and everything that surrounds them.

U have to like wrestling to like this book. And i happen to wrestle it is really hard to understand what a wrestler goes through and how you coep with the making weight stress. when a little sundae sounds like a million dollars to a wrestler wen all u eat is gum and a little salad