[In Search of Al Howie]...reveals the relationships, personal demons, and twists of fate that shaped Howie, rendering the legend fully human—fearful and driven, flawed but likable.
"In Search of Al Howie will leave you yearning for a recent yet distant unplugged era in human-powered adventure, when a free spirit kindled righteous pursuits of endurance as a way of life."
"[
In Search of Al Howie] is recommended, not just for runners, but for anyone who may be fascinated by the stories of the lives of people who accomplish unbelievable feats. Al Howie’s life story as chronicled by Beasley is a legend of incomprehensible focus and determination."
"Howie excelled at exploits bordering on the preposterous. He had an appetite for adventure that proved insatiable, and he spent his life running away from his demons and towards an elusive dream."
"An in-depth exploration of surely [Canada's] most perplexing sports hero."
"Al Howie came to Canada in the early 1970s on the run from Interpol, with a three-packs-a-day cigarette habit, a thirst for drugs and booze, and a son he brought across the Atlantic during a custody dispute. His story so fascinated New York author Jared Beasley, who stumbled upon it by accident, that he put it all down in his new book, In Search of Al Howie."
"Jared Beasley sketches a soulful portrait of an embattled figure who, fueled by fish n' chips and beer and instinct, won dozens of mega-distance races in the 1980s and '90s, inspiring many with his working-class heroism and singular devotion to mileage."
"Solid research and entertaining from a non-runner perspective... character, persona and what the 70s, 80s and 90s represented in many ways."
- Joe Fejes, American 6-day record-holder
"A quirky, captivating biography. If the author described a smoke-filled bar, they'd smell it... the pages fly by, like the miles beneath Howie's feet."
"Probably the most accomplished ultrarunner Canada has ever seen."
"It's a crazy ride, and one well worth reading." – Outer Edge Magazine
"This book is one of those "can't put down" reads." – Outer Edge Magazine
"Al Howie is a Canadian ultrarunner who ran really, really far. Like Prince George to Boston far. Like Winnipeg to Ottawa and back to Winnipeg far. He ran across Canada in record time and won more than 50 ultramarathons and multiday races in his lifetime." - Run the North
"Al Howie's story is one that richly deserved telling, and Jared Beasley does a commendable job in bringing it back to public attention." - Ormsby Review
"He was maniacally obsessed to the detriment of all those who loved him, but there is no doubt, that this myopic disposition is what made him one of the greatest mega distance runners of all time." - Treeline Journal
