Natural Born Heroes
How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.22
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Nicholas Guy Smith
-
Written by:
-
Christopher McDougall
About this listen
The best-selling author of Born to Run now travels to the Mediterranean, where he discovers that the secrets of ancient Greek heroes are still alive and well on the island of Crete, and ready to be unleashed in the muscles and minds of casual athletes and aspiring heroes everywhere.
After running an ultramarathon through the Copper Canyons of Mexico, Christopher McDougall finds his next great adventure on the razor-sharp mountains of Crete, where a band of Resistance fighters in World War II plotted the daring abduction of a German general from the heart of the Nazi occupation. How did a penniless artist, a young shepherd, and a playboy poet believe they could carry out such a remarkable feat of strength and endurance, smuggling the general past thousands of Nazi pursuers, with little more than their own wits and courage to guide them?
McDougall makes his way to the island to find the answer and retrace their steps, experiencing firsthand the extreme physical challenges the Resistance fighters and their local allies faced. On Crete, the birthplace of the classical Greek heroism that spawned the likes of Herakles and Odysseus, McDougall discovers the tools of the hero—natural movement, extraordinary endurance, and efficient nutrition. All of these skills, McDougall learns, are still practiced in far-flung pockets throughout the world today.
More than a mystery of remarkable people and cunning schemes, Natural Born Heroes is a fascinating investigation into the lost art of the hero, taking us from the streets of London at midnight to the beaches of Brazil at dawn, from the mountains of Colorado to McDougall’s own backyard in Pennsylvania, all places where modern-day athletes are honing ancient skills so they’re ready for anything.
Just as Born to Run inspired listeners to get off the treadmill, out of their shoes, and into the natural world, Natural Born Heroes will inspire them to leave the gym and take their fitness routine to nature—to climb, swim, skip, throw, and jump their way to their own heroic feats.
©2015 Christopher McDougall (P)2015 Random House AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
Born to Run
- A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
- Written by: Christopher McDougall
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit.
-
-
Fantastic story!
- By Annalise M Bekkering on 2019-04-04
Written by: Christopher McDougall
-
Born to Run 2
- The Ultimate Training Guide
- Written by: Christopher McDougall, Eric Orton
- Narrated by: Mark Arnold
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author and renowned coach duo from Born to Run, a practical guide to running for everyone from amateurs to seasoned runners, about how to eat, race, and train like the world's best. Whether you're ramping up for a race or recuperating from an injury, Born to Run 2 is a holistic program for runners of every stripe that centers on seven key themes: food, fitness, form, footwear, focus, fun, and family.
-
-
Transformative?
- By WTL on 2024-04-01
Written by: Christopher McDougall, and others
-
The Impossible Climb
- Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the Climbing Life
- Written by: Mark Synnott
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Impossible Climb is an emotional drama driven by people exploring the limits of human potential and seeking a perfect, choreographed dance with nature. Honnold dared far beyond the ordinary, beyond any climber in history. But this story of sublime heights is really about all of us. Who doesn’t need to face fear down fear and make the most of the time we have?
-
-
Great look into Alex and climbing
- By Rodd on 2022-03-28
Written by: Mark Synnott
-
Endure
- Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
- Written by: Alexander Hutchinson, Malcolm Gladwell - foreword
- Narrated by: Robert G. Slade
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing from both the cutting edge of scientific discovery and the front-lines of elite athletic performance, National Magazine Award-winning science journalist Alex Hutchinson presents a revolutionary account of the dynamic and controversial new science of endurance.
-
-
Not an endurance guide
- By Maurmesa on 2020-05-07
Written by: Alexander Hutchinson, and others
-
Eat and Run
- My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Steve Friedman
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Eat and Run, Scott Jurek opens up about his life and career - as an elite athlete and a vegan - and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family, to his early beginnings in running (he hated it), to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, to his world-spanning, record-breaking races, Scott's story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart all the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance.
-
-
ultrarunning memoir and intriguing recipes
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-11-06
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow)
- Elite Tools and Tips for Runners at Every Level
- Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, Ben Rosario
- Narrated by: Ryan Lee Dunlap, Chris Berger
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 80/20 Running, respected running and fitness expert Matt Fitzgerald introduced his revolutionary training program and explained why doing 80 percent of runs at a lower intensity and just 20 percent at a higher intensity is the best way for runners at all levels - as well as cyclists, triathletes, and even weight-loss seekers - to improve their performance. Now, in this eye-opening follow-up, Fitzgerald teams with Olympic coach Ben Rosario to expand and update the 80/20 program to include ultramarathon training and such popular developments as the use of power meters.
-
-
Hard to listen to this technical book
- By Anonymous User on 2023-06-05
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, and others
-
Born to Run
- A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
- Written by: Christopher McDougall
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit.
-
-
Fantastic story!
- By Annalise M Bekkering on 2019-04-04
Written by: Christopher McDougall
-
Born to Run 2
- The Ultimate Training Guide
- Written by: Christopher McDougall, Eric Orton
- Narrated by: Mark Arnold
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author and renowned coach duo from Born to Run, a practical guide to running for everyone from amateurs to seasoned runners, about how to eat, race, and train like the world's best. Whether you're ramping up for a race or recuperating from an injury, Born to Run 2 is a holistic program for runners of every stripe that centers on seven key themes: food, fitness, form, footwear, focus, fun, and family.
-
-
Transformative?
- By WTL on 2024-04-01
Written by: Christopher McDougall, and others
-
The Impossible Climb
- Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the Climbing Life
- Written by: Mark Synnott
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Impossible Climb is an emotional drama driven by people exploring the limits of human potential and seeking a perfect, choreographed dance with nature. Honnold dared far beyond the ordinary, beyond any climber in history. But this story of sublime heights is really about all of us. Who doesn’t need to face fear down fear and make the most of the time we have?
-
-
Great look into Alex and climbing
- By Rodd on 2022-03-28
Written by: Mark Synnott
-
Endure
- Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
- Written by: Alexander Hutchinson, Malcolm Gladwell - foreword
- Narrated by: Robert G. Slade
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Writing from both the cutting edge of scientific discovery and the front-lines of elite athletic performance, National Magazine Award-winning science journalist Alex Hutchinson presents a revolutionary account of the dynamic and controversial new science of endurance.
-
-
Not an endurance guide
- By Maurmesa on 2020-05-07
Written by: Alexander Hutchinson, and others
-
Eat and Run
- My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Steve Friedman
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Eat and Run, Scott Jurek opens up about his life and career - as an elite athlete and a vegan - and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family, to his early beginnings in running (he hated it), to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, to his world-spanning, record-breaking races, Scott's story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart all the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance.
-
-
ultrarunning memoir and intriguing recipes
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-11-06
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow)
- Elite Tools and Tips for Runners at Every Level
- Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, Ben Rosario
- Narrated by: Ryan Lee Dunlap, Chris Berger
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 80/20 Running, respected running and fitness expert Matt Fitzgerald introduced his revolutionary training program and explained why doing 80 percent of runs at a lower intensity and just 20 percent at a higher intensity is the best way for runners at all levels - as well as cyclists, triathletes, and even weight-loss seekers - to improve their performance. Now, in this eye-opening follow-up, Fitzgerald teams with Olympic coach Ben Rosario to expand and update the 80/20 program to include ultramarathon training and such popular developments as the use of power meters.
-
-
Hard to listen to this technical book
- By Anonymous User on 2023-06-05
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald, and others
-
Running Man
- A Memoir
- Written by: Charlie Engle
- Narrated by: Charlie Engle
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a decade-long addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, Charlie Engle hit bottom with a near-fatal six-day binge that ended in a hail of bullets. As Engle got sober, he turned to running, which became his lifeline, his pastime, and his salvation. He began with marathons, and when marathons weren't far enough he began to take on ultramarathons, races that went for 35, 50, and sometimes hundreds of miles, traveling to some of the most unforgiving places on earth to race.
-
-
Perfect
- By jason harrison on 2019-12-31
Written by: Charlie Engle
-
Above the Clouds
- How I Carved My Own Path to the Top of the World
- Written by: Kilian Jornet
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The most accomplished mountain runner of all time contemplates his record-breaking climbs of Mount Everest in this profound memoir - an intellectual and spiritual journey that moves from the earth’s highest peak to the soul’s deepest reaches.
-
-
No real story or narrative.
- By Anonymous User on 2020-09-14
Written by: Kilian Jornet
-
The Comfort Crisis
- Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self
- Written by: Michael Easter
- Narrated by: Michael Easter
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.
-
-
Interesting
- By JoeCar on 2021-12-08
Written by: Michael Easter
-
North
- Written by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
- Narrated by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scott Jurek is one of the world's best known and most beloved ultrarunners. Renowned for his remarkable endurance and speed, accomplished on a vegan diet, he's finished first in nearly all of ultrarunning's elite events over the course of his career. But after two decades of racing, training, speaking, and touring, Jurek felt an urgent need to discover something new about himself. He embarked on a wholly unique challenge, one that would force him to grow as a person and as an athlete: breaking the speed record for the Appalachian Trail.
-
-
Hated it
- By oliver on 2019-11-27
Written by: Scott Jurek, and others
-
The Longest Race
- Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team
- Written by: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Narrated by: Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime. Kara was soon winning a World Championship medal, going to the Olympics, and standing on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach. But behind the scenes, Salazar was hiding dark secrets.
-
-
Kara’s Brave, Vulnerable telling of her experience is a Gold Medal in my humble opinion!
- By kelly on 2023-03-17
Written by: Kara Goucher, and others
-
A Runner’s High
- My Life in Motion
- Written by: Dean Karnazes
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author and ultramarathoning legend Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, from running in the shoe-melting heat of Death Valley to the lung-freezing cold of the South Pole. He’s raced and competed across the globe and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days.
-
-
Just what you'd expect
- By Shaun Sanders on 2021-05-28
Written by: Dean Karnazes
What the critics say
“A mash note to physical endurance. . . . McDougall redefines the heroic ideal, establishing heroism as a skill set rather than a virtue. . . . [And] schools the reader in the art of the champion. . . . The essential narrative here, the twisty tale of a kidnapping that incredibly goes right, is exciting. It is balanced out with the journalistic account of McDougall’s entry into the world of the hero. His personal quest to ‘rewild the psyche’ might seem an awkward fit with war storytelling. But under McDougall’s sure hand the combination improbably works. Kind of like kidnapping a German general on an island swarming with Nazi troops.” —NPR Books
“A heady confection that encompasses, among other subjects, military history, archaeology, Greek mythology, neat ways to kill a man and ideas on health and fitness that might just change your life. . . . [McDougall] constructs a fascinating edifice of ideas . . . and eventually finds a modern-day hero of his own. But the pleasures of the book are as much to do with the fascinating panoply of characters, war heroes all, British, Commonwealth and Cretan, whose exploits contributed so much to Hitler's downfall.” —The Independent (London)
“In the thoroughly absorbing Natural Born Heroes, which tracks heroism from the times of Zeus and Odysseus to the World War II bravery of a motley crew of fighters, Christopher McDougall makes it clear that . . . heroes, both ancient and modern, are not somehow supernaturally endowed after all. Indeed, they may come by their skills quite naturally. . . . His extensive knowledge of fitness training, nutrition and physiology winds artfully around a tale of superhuman resistance during the Nazi occupation of the Greek island of Crete. . . . [McDougall] solves this mystery with a witty eye for every detail, inspiring his own captive audience along the way.” — BookPage (The Top Pick of the Month: Nonfiction)
What listeners say about Natural Born Heroes
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-18
Fantastic.
Picked up this book after hearing Laird Hamilton talk about this as one of his favourites.
Listened to it, started it again and listened all over.
A lot going on 2 stories in one. Book a trip to Crete!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dylan
- 2018-09-13
Well read and highly entertaining!
Well read and highly entertaining! Chris's relationship with factual accuracy remains... Fluid... But well worth the read
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steven Brooks
- 2019-07-02
it was a cluster****
Hard to follow. Too many side stories leading to strange statements backed only by thin evidence.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2019-11-04
I wish I would have liked it more
Just like he did in Born to Run, Chris does a great job hooking you within the first few chapters with the storyline. Unlike Born to Run however, the flow of the story in support of his fat adjusted diet claims and the evolution of the natural movement feel forced and somehow anecdotal. The lead-up of the heist also felt rushed, which is unfortunate given the author’s storytelling abilities.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!