"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by David McCasland
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Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by David McCasland, Discovery House, Michigan 2001 ISBN 0-57293-051-9 (332 pages)
Without question the best of the modern biographies of Liddell. The book contains 21 chapters in three sections:The making of a champion 1902-1924, The greatest race 1925-1942 and The finish line 1943-45.A list of Eric races, maps of China and a bibliography are among the appendices. There are 16 pages of photographs.
McCasland's evaluation of DP Thompson, Eric's mentor is interesting. The author states that in January 1924 "two things were clear to Eric: (1) God loved him; and (2) DP Thompson had a wonderful plan for his life" (Page 80). When Eric broke the British record, DP Thompson saw the potential "That night he began to ponder the possibility of going on a world evangelistic tour with Eric" (Page 73).
Of his decision not to run in the 100 metres in the 1924 Olympics because it was on a Sunday, McCausland says, "it was not an arrogant refusal; not a stubborn 'I will not',but rather a heartfelt, 'I can not'...Eric believed the Christian Sabbath belonged to God and was to be kept as a day of worship and rest. Many devout Scots of the day held the same non-negotiable conviction about Sunday" (Page 77).
The book also reports that The British Olympic Association Council sought a change to the dates of the 100 metres requesting that athletes who had an issue of conscience with competing on a Sunday, be given a chance to have their race or event arranged on another day. (Page 81)
The book includes an interesting comment by Eric on the famous note handed to him on the day of the Olympic 400 metres final. "It was perhaps the finest thing I experienced in Paris, a great surprise and a great pleasure to know there were others who shared my sentiments about the Lord". [At a dinner with more than a hundred Edinburgh civic leaders and churchmen at Mackie's Dining Saloon] (Page 103)
As to why Eric was not selected for the 1928 Olympics, the book suggests that "Eric made no overtures to the Olympic officials and they seemed to think he was either uninterested or unavailable". Page 139
The acknowledgements section in the book, the list of archives used and of personal interviews conducted indicates the thorough manner in which the author has researched this excellent book.