- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Atria Books (Oct 1 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0671038877
- ISBN-13: 978-0671038878
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 13.5 x 1.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 304 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#911,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #65 in Books > Sports > Winter Sports > Ice Skating & Figure Skating
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Fleming has been in the public eye for some 30 years since she won the Olympic Gold Medal for figure skating in 1968. She went on to perform in the Ice Capades and also became a television commentator. More recently, Fleming's appearances have been for a very different purpose: she's become a spokeswoman for cancer survivors. Here, Fleming discusses her entire life from her first skating lessons at age nine, touching on her disciplinarian father and domineering mother, her long marriage, her skating career and her treatment for breast cancer. Fleming sees herself as competitive but very shy, and recognizes that it took years for her to stand up for herself. She's quite honest, even when discussing painful subjects. About letting her mother take charge of her wedding, Fleming recalls: "As with most things, she took the reins and produced the whole thing down to the last detail. I just let her do it. It was the price of peace.... Looking back though, I wish I had the self-assurance then that I have now, I wouldn't have let Mom totally run the show." Fleming describes her father: "My dad's way of dealing with this was to be as happy-go-lucky as possibleAwith plenty of help from his buddies and the bottle." Unfortunately, the book proceeds not chronologically but by random recollections. Readers will learn about Fleming personally, but this autobiography offers few substantial insights into the competitive world of figure skating. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
Fleming's career was the beginning of the modern era in figure skating: as the 1968 Olympic champion, she was the first in a string of American ice princesses to capture the public's attention. Television coverage brought her wide public recognition not only as a skater but also, later (with Dick Button), as a television commentator for the major skating competitions. Now at 50, she reflects on both her accomplishments as a skater and on her recent bout with breast cancer. She dutifully recounts the events of her life, but although some amusing episodes are sprinkled here and there, this is basically a flat story without detail or depth. Gliding across the surface, this book lacks the emotion and drama that must certainly have been central to such a dedicated and successful life in the limelight. Still, until a better biography appears, this is recommended for larger public libraries.
-ABonnie Collier, Yale Law Lib., New Haven, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
-ABonnie Collier, Yale Law Lib., New Haven, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Last year I turned fifty, became a grandmother, fought breast cancer, and remodeled my kitchen. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Last year I turned fifty, became a grandmother, fought breast cancer, and remodeled my kitchen. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Fleming's lack of depth is disappointing,
By "princessdi46" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Long Program: Skating Toward Life's Victories (Paperback)
Fleming's autobiography, The Long Program, does a poor and inadequate job of telling a potentially profound story. Fleming's words and descriptions do not give justice to the depth of many of the stories told throughout the novel. Tragedies such as the unexpected death of her coach in a plane crash, and the deaths of her parents are stated in a sentence or two, never getting into the emotions that surely surrounded the experiences. Readers looking for a first-hand recount of Fleming's experience with competitive skating should also beware. She just barely skims the surface of the pressures and glory of being an Olympic medal winner and World Championship title holder. Humorous and detailed stories that often liven up autobiographies are also few and far between. Due to the shallowness and straightforwardness of this book, I would not recommend it for anything higher than purely recreational reading when a few hours can be spared.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful But Not Fascinating,
By Rosa "Bookworm" (Detroit,MichiganUSA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Long Program: Skating Toward Life's Victories (Paperback)
When I first started reading this novel. I wasn't keen about reading it because The book seemed to be like A How to Skate book. Who is her favorite skaters and me this and me that. Until I read the chapter about Being Mom and the chapter about her fighting breast cancer. Those chapters were truly inspirational. Then I felt I knew the Real Peggy Fleming. So I'm giving it three stars.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peggy wrote an excellent book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Long Program: Skating Toward Life's Victories (Hardcover)
A truly great book--I could hear Peggy's voice in her words as I read each page! Peggy not only goes through her personal history but the last chapters are devoted to her cancer struggles, and her advice on fitness/health. She wants to help us all get through our own "long programs" in the healthiest ways possible. Peggy is very candid and open in her narrative and keeps your interest, even if you don't know much about the sport. Buy this book!
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