Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance

Well-written and researched. Truly inspirational story about the everyday heroes found on the small island of Crete. Like Chris' other book Born To Run, the story-telling is spellbinding and facts behind natural fitness are revealing. Another tour de force!

While Natural Born Heroes has some interesting anecdotes, the majority of the book (middle 2/3rds) is an overly drawn out historical account of various WWII war stories around the battle for Crete and barely relates to human performance. Most of this book is based around the story of kidnapping a German general not on the origins, maintenance, or development of our "lost secrets of strength and endurance," which is the subject matter I am most interested in. Buy this book if you're looking history and historical narratives. I loved Born to Run but am sad to say I had to force my way through reading most of this book.

I thouroughly en joyed this book with its switchbacks through time present, past and forgotten. The weaving of the tale is done masterfully and combines very interesting history about Crete in World War 2 with real life heroic healthy living strategies.

This book is really about the proper way to approach nutrition and exercise in order to accomplish what good nutrition and exercise are intended to accomplish--a strong body and mind capable of performing great feats of action. It is so readable because it is told against the backdrop of the fascinating story of the Cretan resistance and that movement's great feat--the capture of a German general. I highly recommend this book. It is inspirational.
The reason I cannot give it 5 stars is that the author dismisses things that he has not looked into. An example of such would be Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Also, while he is right to trace the rise of high carb, junk diets to post WWII, he doesn't really examine why people started eating Carbohydrates in the first place. Obviously, a hero like Patrick Leigh Fermour would never turn down a bowl of rice or pasta if offered, as a lot of paleo fanatics probably would. Still the book is a great introduction to heroes and heroism, and makes a valid case that to become an everyday hero is not far from reach.

I an a coach and a Professor Emeriti Physical Education. Book contains some interesting strength and fitness thoughts. Provoking , leading to further investigation. The first half of the book presents an interesting story as well.

This is a very intriguing book, especially for those who have an interest in both history and physical fitness. Some of the critics here have noted that the reader can get confused because the story jumps from past to present: from a rather interesting event on Crete in World War II to Mcdougall's investigation of various cross fit training and dietary questions. When I first started reading the book, this bothered me to, but by the end I was completely won over. My first priority with any book is that it is well-written -- bad writing is bad for people; my second priority is information, and my third is I want the book to make me think, and this book does all of that.

This book was recommended to me by an associate. I can't say I was impressed by its content.

While the book presents itself as historical non-fiction, there are significant discrepancies in the author's treatment of S.O.E. history in particular. The sections covering the development and advancements of physical fitness during the 1970s,80s and 90s offer much opinion, hyperbole, innuendo and limited, one assumes edited for effect, fact.

I will say that the author is enthusiastic about his subject. I will say that there is some good material in this book. I will say that there is real value in some of the training methods described - that much is evident by the remarkable fitness and abilities of "Cross-training" and "Ninja Fitness" athletes.

That said, would I buy this book again? No, and I doubt I would recommend it to anyone.

Christopher McDougal writes great narratives and gives you well researched fitness and endurance information. I loved the story line and the characters. This book made me rethink my exercise and nutrition regimen.

Very good book that explores some interesting ideas about endurance and fueling your body. The story is a little hard to follow at times because of how much bouncing around you seem to do from chapter to chapter but a good read non the less.

McDougall weaves a number of investigations together into a surprising and interesting nexus. What was the Greek ideal of a hero? How did the Cretians tie down 80,000 crack German troops for month after month? What role did the Cretian diet play in their survival? How did bookworm Oxford Brits secret agents manage to fare in the inhospitable mountainous environment? Was the myth of King Minos and the the Minotaur a true story and did their attributes survive to today? And Parkour? Not the greatest literary achievement of our age, but this book is well worth an effortless read.

The author has the power to keep the reader enthralled, especially near the end. I've read Born to Run and it's characteristic of his style to go on seeming tangents to bring in a related story.

The style might not suit those who prefer to skim and quickly read their non-fiction. I love it because I love stories, drama, and life altering perspectives.

The author compiles research that would have been challenging for the ordinary reader to find out themselves. The best part about this book is that he tried to experience himself. The story evolves from an old war tale into a challenge to surmount, here in the present.

Read it for the inspiration. Born to Run convinced us of our primal potential to run and endure. Natural Born Heroes will show us that whatever it takes to be a hero, we were born as humans with the potential for it. It's up to us to cultivate it to help our fellow human.

He's got a lot of heroic stories to tell along the way. Why were a band of amateurs able to kidnap a general behind enemy lines? Why do people become heroes? How do you make one? Why were dorks and eccentrics sent to turn the tides of war? Who are these people rediscovering ancient secrets? There's a lot of adventure to experience.

Riveting read. Especially because the WWII story is a familiar one for me, it was good fun reading it, That tale interspersed with running, strength training etc. - superb timing for this book to come out - one more voice in favour of functional fitness!

Another ripper from Chris McDougall. His writing takes you into the mountains and villages like you are actually there. I did not think Born to Run could be beat. This is right up there or even surpasses it. Please write more of Chris McDougall......

Editors perform many valuable services; Christopher McDougall needed help here. He has, by his own admission, ideas for two good books. One book was the fascinating story of the resistance movement on the Island of Crete in WWII, which, by some accounts so slowed Nazi advances to the east and drained sufficient troops to impact the ultimate outcome. This was a good adventure yarn with stories of farmers and villagers using primitive weapons against German paratroopers, a priest confounding a firing squad and escaping naked down village streets, and a band of british odd-balls kidnapping the German general from the midst of his troops. Another might have been a detailed, well researched study of the dietary and physical regime that allowed the islanders to survive and perform heroic feats on scant rations. Instead, McDougall chose to try to mash the adventure yarn in with a fairly thin and unfocused description of some factors that may contribute to the island life style. The result is very unsatisfying.

Decent book although the author tries far too hard to draw parallels between the main story ( which is a fascinating true life story of WW 2 in Crete) and the various training methods he wishes to espouse. It's a bit of a reach and in my view detracts from the main story. I'm sure just about everyone is reading this after having read the great born to run and while the story of the British and Greek resistance fighters is fascinating, the discussion on various training methods is a bit more random and made me wish he devoted more time to the main story. Still well worth a read though.