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| Dutton Publishing |
There have been a number of books and even more articles written
about the murder of Olympic gold medalist Dave Schultz by millionaire John du Pont, and a new book by Schultz’s brother is another one added to the pile.
Mark Schultz’s “Foxcatcher: The True Story of My
Brother’s Murder, John Du Pont’s Madness, and the Quest for Olympic
Gold,” co-written by David Thomas, tells his side of what happened until
that fatal day in January 1996 when his brother was killed. The sad
part is, this simply-written book shows that Mark’s story doesn’t live
up to the meticulously researched stories about du Pont written before
now.
Schultz’s book is a breezy 300 pages that spends the first
half recalling his growing up with Dave and the strain of having
divorced parents and moving frequently. Into his high school and college
years we’re treated to a lot of rapid fire passages on his matches,
including his first NCAA Championship, and, later, his 1984 Olympic gold
medal win and 1985 World Championship.
What I’m sure most
readers will be interested in is the book’s second half, which focuses
on working with du Pont. This part served as the basis for the upcoming
film “Foxcatcher.” The biggest disappointment is that even though du
Pont’s “madness” is part of the book’s title, it encompasses only about
60 pages worth of personal encounters with the eventual murderer. Asked
by du Pont to be an assistant coach for Villanova University’s new
wrestling program, Schultz frequently mentions his boss’s ways of using
his money to buy people, and how manipulative he is. He was one of those
people.
There are few stories that truly show the
madness the title claims, and what is seen in the film - based on Mark's story/book - shows even more
of the bizarre behavior than what is in these pages. The madness we read
about is how mentally damaging du Pont was to Schultz, making him lose
his passion for wrestling and even giving up in the 1988 Olympic Games
in Seoul so as not to give du Pont the pleasure of success by “coaching”
a two-time gold medalist.
“Foxcatcher” is more an autobiography
than a tale of a man grieving for his brother. The last line of the book
reads “I miss you, Dave” and it’s an emotional moment, probably the
most emotional in the book. In a book dominated with pages of wrestling
recaps and the struggles of being an amateur wrestler, the last line
makes up for the lack of sibling love and rivalry you would expect.
For
those who are somewhat familiar with the story will find “Foxcatcher”
an interesting view on a person who lived under the shadow of his
brother, and under the manic aura of an eccentric millionaire. This book
seems like another attempt for Mark to climb out from under the
dominant figures in his life and stand proudly on his own, I just wish
he had a better story to tell.
“Foxcatcher,” by Mark Schultz and
David Thomas, will be released by Dutton on Nov. 18. 320 pages, $26.95
hardcover, $12.99 e-book.
