WL Rating

I had been looking for a reasonably priced copy of this book for more than two years before I managed to barter one from an avid collector who had two copies. Originally priced at $6 in 1967, Phil Edwards’ biography is now trading at about $450 for a decent copy--not a bad return if you managed to track one down 40+ years ago. The book is an interesting, one-sided history of the sport from Edward’s point of view. Co-written with Sports Illustrated writer Bob Ottum, the book is well-crafted and intelligently written. Edwards, like Gerry Lopez and Greg Noll, has a way with words and can carry the reader along with little effort. The book chronicles Edwards‘ introduction to the sport, his increased stoke, the inevitable pilgrimage to Hawaii, and his struggles to make a living doing the thing that he loves. The tone is light and Edwards has a nice knack for self-deprecating humor. Some of the historical references he makes are questionable (he claims to have named the Banzai Pipeline for example), but most of the anecdotes ring true and add a lot of color to an already rich story.  Endless Summer filmmaker Bruce Brown also contributed a very nice assortment of black and white surf shots of Edwards, providing some refreshing breaks throughout the text. Fans of surfing history will really enjoy this book, and surf book collectors could do far worse than owning a copy of this little gem. If you can find/afford a copy, consider it a WL Essential. (February 2011)

Review

You Should Have Been Here an Hour Ago - Phil Edwards

Details

Category: Non-Fiction

Reading Style: Easy

Pages: 175

Pub Date: 1967

Tags: Bio, Surfing