Landing It: My Life on and Off the Ice

Readers seeking a peek at the world of competitive figure skating will be more than satisfied with Hamilton's book. Like Peggy Fleming (see above), Hamilton is a cancer survivor. He opens his story with the diagnosis of his testicular cancer, but the illness is just one aspect of Hamilton's difficult but ultimately satisfying life. An adopted child, Hamilton was quite ill as a child and spent much of his early years in and out of hospitals, on intravenous feedings, weak and falling behind in school. Gradually, as Hamilton gained strength, his mother suggested he try to ice skate. Whether Hamilton's various illnesses had run their course or the skating cured him, Hamilton was healthy enough to pursue skating. His route to the Olympics is familiar to skating fans--living away from home with other families, constant practice sessions and the nervous tension and rivalries. Hamilton is far more willing than Fleming to write about his relationships with other skaters and his feelings about the skating world. He addresses the confusion over his sexuality: ""Frankly I was sick of people constantly assuming I was gay because I was a figure skater."" Hamilton also writes about how critical reviewers were of his early appearances as a skating commentator and how he finally had to do the best he could rather than try to measure up to one of his idols, Dick Button. A little more brassy than Fleming, Hamilton strikes a nice balance between the personal and the professional. (Oct.)