What do you think?
Rate this book
Eddie the Eagle: My Story
This is the autobiography of Eddie the Eagle, whose incredible life inspired the hit film starring Hugh Jackman, Taron Egerton, and Christopher Walken. Short and stocky, sporting thick glasses prone to fogging, Eddie was nobody’s athletic ideal. Through struggle, sacrifice, even near-starvation—this British plasterer made his dream a competing in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary. Here, in his own words, is Eddie’s story—from the schoolboy stunts that developed his physical courage, to the menial labor that paid for training, to the qualifying jumps that had millions around the world glued to their television sets to watch him.
Eddie the Eagle is the tale of an ordinary man’s extraordinary journey above and beyond expectations . . . a journey that rocketed this ultimate underdog to an Olympic legend.
Eddie the Eagle is the tale of an ordinary man’s extraordinary journey above and beyond expectations . . . a journey that rocketed this ultimate underdog to an Olympic legend.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
134 pages, ebook
First published October 20, 1988
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 6, 2016
The important thing in the Olympic Games :
Is not winning but the taking part .
The important thing in life :
Is not triumph but the struggle .
* short book but carry a lot of feeling and experiences i really really enjoyed and totally loved it and just one word ( always fight for the thing you love )
Is not winning but the taking part .
The important thing in life :
Is not triumph but the struggle .
* short book but carry a lot of feeling and experiences i really really enjoyed and totally loved it and just one word ( always fight for the thing you love )
June 4, 2018
I've never read a book so poorly written, but the story kept me going. I like the movie better, which I rarely say.
August 16, 2019
Ever wonder how Eddie the Eagle got to the Calgary Olympics, or what happened to him afterwards? I did, and found the answers I was looking for in this enjoyable book. I found myself impatiently waiting until it was time to turn in every night, so that I could read the next chapter before sleeping.
November 2, 2020
This story is nothing like the movie. Although the movie is really fun to watch. Plus, Taron Egerton!!
Anyways, where was I? Oh, yeah, Eddie tells his story about how he bumbled and fumbled and preserved his way into the Olympics. He is a VERY determined person. This is not always a good thing and you can see that in this book.
Anyways, where was I? Oh, yeah, Eddie tells his story about how he bumbled and fumbled and preserved his way into the Olympics. He is a VERY determined person. This is not always a good thing and you can see that in this book.
May 15, 2018
Inspirational & uplifting
Very well written. Very interesting. Takes you from local plasterer to ordinary bloke Olympic hero in the blink of an eye.
Very well written. Very interesting. Takes you from local plasterer to ordinary bloke Olympic hero in the blink of an eye.
June 27, 2016
Tenacity
All the world loves an underdog who refuses to throw in the towel. We want to be cheered and congratulated but really, how often does that happen?
When we read the actual account of cool running after watching the movie and saw how far it was from the truth, we also wanted to check out the truth about Eddie the Eagle compared to the movie. What a travesty to trade a great true story for the lesser watered down one.
Read the story....the movie isn't bad. In his interview on YouTube, Eddie gave the movie a thumbs up. Probably because it does show how hopeless his chance of ever getting to the Olympics was.
You have to love this guy & his story.
All the world loves an underdog who refuses to throw in the towel. We want to be cheered and congratulated but really, how often does that happen?
When we read the actual account of cool running after watching the movie and saw how far it was from the truth, we also wanted to check out the truth about Eddie the Eagle compared to the movie. What a travesty to trade a great true story for the lesser watered down one.
Read the story....the movie isn't bad. In his interview on YouTube, Eddie gave the movie a thumbs up. Probably because it does show how hopeless his chance of ever getting to the Olympics was.
You have to love this guy & his story.
January 2, 2018
This book is a story which is easy to follow and what moves all the lines is the ambition of the character. For him there isn't any stop he will continue over and over and over... tripping and falling over and over and what really for little moment stops the line is the moment when he needs arm (in other words it means that he needs somebody to tell him that "he can").
May 5, 2016
the most inspirational book i've read and much better than the movie, even though i liked it enough to read the book.
anyway I am always more interested in personalities and circumstances than results in any competition. I would have been such an Eddie fan if I was born earlier.
anyway I am always more interested in personalities and circumstances than results in any competition. I would have been such an Eddie fan if I was born earlier.
April 16, 2016
Soarong
Having just seen the. Eddie the Eagle film. I wanted to learn the true story. I didn't know much at all. Eddie you are a true legend .
Having just seen the. Eddie the Eagle film. I wanted to learn the true story. I didn't know much at all. Eddie you are a true legend .
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews