HOT CORNER

What: “The Bob Mathias Story”

Author: Bob Mathias, with Bert Mendes

Publisher: Sports Publishing L.L.C.

Price: $16.95

There was a movie titled “The Bob Mathias Story,” which starred Mathias as himself and came out not long after he won his second consecutive Olympic decathlon gold medal in 1952. Now, there is this 217-page book about one of the 20th century’s greatest athletes.

The book takes the reader through Mathias’ childhood in Tulare, Calif., his Olympic triumphs, his days as a two-sport star at Stanford, and his four terms in Congress. Mathias explains he was inspired to write the book after undergoing successful treatment for cancer a few years ago.

The book is an easy read, filled with plenty of anecdotes. Mathias devotes much of the book to his days in Tulare and his lifelong friends, including Sim Innes, a high school teammate who won the gold medal in the discus at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Yes, two gold medal winners from one small town. Another Olympic decathlon champion--Rafer Johnson, 1960--is from nearby Kingsburg.

After winning his first decathlon gold medal at 17 in 1948 in London, he received many congratulatory notes and telegrams, including two he cherishes. One came from President Truman, the other from the student body at Porterville High.

“Porterville was our archrival,” Mathias writes, “and we had been through some ask-no-quarter, give-no-quarter knock-down battles with them on the athletic field. Reading that telegram meant as much to me as any accolades I had received anywhere, from anyone.”