Dr. John A. KingIndigenous Australian. 100% Human. Neo-Noir Novelist. Poet. Speaker. Performance coach. More than a Survivor. Terrible Golfer, Awkward Dancer🕺

Book Review: Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall

13 Sept 2026 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:31

In this brief, conversational YouTube review, Dr. John A. King recommends Christopher McDougall’s Natural Born Heroes, highlighting its focus on the “lost secrets” of strength, endurance, and flexibility, especially for older adults. He recounts the book’s WWII‑era anecdotes about veteran soldiers on Crete who, even in their 70s and 80s, could run hills and maintain high physical performance, using these stories to illustrate how age‑defying fitness is possible. King praises the book’s nuanced, research‑backed approach, noting that it avoids hype and offers practical, actionable advice for maintaining long‑term strength and mobility. He directs viewers to a link in his bio for the book, encourages comments and likes, and signs off with a friendly “cheerio.”

Chapters

Hey, g'day again. So you like health and fitness and stuff like that? Well, this will, this will throw a cog in the work. Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDowell. Bought it years ago. Says on the COVID so it must be true. Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance. And it does that. It starts looking in World War II at a bunch of soldiers that went to Crete. And these young fellas are trying to keep up with these old fellas running up and down the hills. So it made the story, made this guy think about it. What was it about these 70 and 80-year-old men that they were so fit and so flexible and so able to just to do life at full throttle as a bunch of old fells? He talks all about it. I think it's just a brilliant book. I think it's challenging. I think it's nuanced. I don't think it gets into the hype stuff. I think he's done his research and he talks about the things, practical things that you can do that help with your flexibility, long-term strength, particularly if you're older in life and you just want to be able to get on with it. So, got to do the review or people get ticked off at me. Full brilliant. Natural Born Heroes. Christopher McDowell. Link is in the bio. Cheerio. Drop a comment, tell me what you think. Like the bloody thing, whatever. All right, and, um, we're out.