THREE KINGS

A sprawling, well-researched account of diverse proto-superstars who popularized swimming in the early 20th century.

Balf, author of The Darkest Jungle and The Last River, reconnected with swimming while recuperating from cancer, and his enthusiasm led him to “the origin stories of several of the best swimmers of that time—Americans Duke Kahanamoku and Johnny Weissmuller, and Japan’s Katsuo Takaishi.” The author chronicles the dramatic contests at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, meandering through multiple societies and a generous time frame. “Anything was possible in the record-setting age,” he writes, “and pools were where some of it happened.” Balf convincingly argues that the Jazz Age suited the “emergence of a sport that produced larger-than-life creatures who embodied innovation, physical perfection, and, above all, speed.” At the same time, due to debates regarding speed and technique, “the clash between white and nonwhite athletes was surprisingly prevalent.” The taciturn yet “quietly fierce” Kahanamoku serves as the narrative’s moral core. Startling early accomplishments made him a vessel for Hawaiian cultural fascination, as such athletes “were aware that their athleticism was prized, but not their heritage.” Meanwhile, “Chicago golden boy” Weissmuller was presented as a “great white hope,” even as he concealed his birth in Hungary. As Olympic teammates, “Weissmuller and Kahanamoku were increasingly characterized as championship prizefighters,” and they both performed impressively during the 1924 Games, while “Takaishi led his team to do what no Asian swimmers had done before: perform competitively at the Olympics.” Balf’s storytelling highlights the racist absurdities and media frenzies of the age, and he ably captures the urban details and antic competitive spirit. The detailed focus on individual sporting contests, and the evolution of crawls and strokes, may seem repetitive to readers without a prior interest in the mechanics of swimming.

A worthwhile re-creation of a fast-fading athletic epoch.