"This is a quite extraordinary book which tells, graphically, the story of a quite extraordinary achievement. Nick Baldock, in support of the Josie Russell fund, actually did just what the title says: he ran across America.

"This is an almost unimaginable feat of courage and endurance, and only a handful of people have achieved it. To put it in its proper perspective, more people have probably climbed Mount Everest than have run across America.

"Baldock's account does not make light of the hardship and difficulty he encountered - but, somehow, we share his absolute faith in his own possibilities. He is an observant traveller - if something so gruelling can be considered travelling - and his comments are trenchant and not without humour.

Besides being the story of this extraordinary run, and an unforgettable window into the mind of an extreme athlete, this is a story of love: Baldock's for his daughter Lauren and,through her, for Josie. It is inspiring and also witty, personal and highly readable."