Carl Lewis: Sprinting in Reagan's America

Carl Lewis was more than a record-breaking sprinter and long jumper-he was a defining figure in a decade shaped by nationalism, image, and the politics of sport. In Carl Lewis: Sprinting in Reagan's America, the reader follows Lewis from his formative years in Willingboro, New Jersey, through five Olympic Games, dozens of world titles, and an unmatched reign over track and field. But this is not simply the story of medals and milestones. It is a deep, fact-based chronicle of how Lewis's career mirrored the contradictions of 1980s America-a country obsessed with success, divided by perception, and caught in the tensions of race, patriotism, and performance.

With no speculation or sensationalism, the book traces Lewis's rise in parallel with the Reagan presidency, a time when athletic excellence became a symbol of national identity and Cold War messaging. It examines his rivalries, media battles, and legacy-building in the face of skepticism and controversy. From the Olympic boycotts to the Ben Johnson scandal, from accusations of arrogance to the reality of doping politics, Lewis remained both dominant and divisive-a figure who demanded to be understood on his own terms.

Comprehensive, unvarnished, and anchored in the cultural pulse of its time, this book offers the definitive account of one of America's greatest athletes and the transformative era in which he ran, jumped, and stood apart.