AtatimewhencyclingintheUnitedStatesrivaledbaseballasthenation’smostpopularprofessionalsport,alongcameReggieMcNamara,afarmer’ssonfromAustralia.WithinamonthofhisarrivalintheUnitedStatesin1913,hehadearnedthemoniker“IronMan“forhishightoleranceofpainandhisremarkableabilitytorecoverfromseeminglycatastrophicinjury.Thenicknameprovedjustified.Notonlywashetough,hewasalsooneofthebestandhighest-paidathletesintheworld.Duringhisthirty-yearcareer,McNamarawonseventeenpunishingsix-dayracesalongwithaninestimablenumberofshorterdistanceraces,includinghigh-profileeventsonthreedifferentcontinents,peakingin1926-27attheageofthirty-nine.Thefans,media,andhisfellowprofessionalsallidolizedhimasanexampleofthetruegritneededtosucceedinthisgruelinganddangeroussport.Lateinhiscareer,however,harddrinkingandinjuriestooktheirtoll,andMcNamarabecameestrangedfromhiswifeandchildren.Hefoughtbackjustashealwayshadontheracecourse,conqueringhisaddictiontoalcoholandbecomingoneoftheearliestsuccessstoriesofAlcoholicsAnonymous.InthishumorousandexcitingbiographyoftheoriginalIronMan,AndrewM.HomanpullsMcNamarabackintothespotlight,depictingaflawedbutbelovedmanwhosesuccessinthoseunrelentingsix-dayracescameataprice.
