Sports Books

This book chronicles one of the most beloved sports figures the Boston area will ever know. Johnny Most is one of the most beloved Celtic legends and the ultimate homer. His love for his children and each individual Celtic player is evident in this easy-flowing, fascinating book.

Johnny narrates most of the book (with editor contributions and special sections authored by Red and Larry) in a well-versed, fun-to-read style which brings us more insight into the man's early days and career. The laugh-out-loud stories were priceless. His inspirational return after health issues and fatherly counseling of Celtic players add insight into the man's legendary character.

I highly recommend this book for to all New England sports fans.

JK

Overall, this is a worthwhile book for Celtics fans to buy. The epilog from Larry Bird alone makes it that.
Overall, Johnny told a lot of good stories and had good detail on his years with Boston. There were a couple of problems I had, however:
Namely, there were a lot of long quotes by players allegedly "told" to Johnny, and it was clear that they almost certainly never said them. I mean, was Johnny's memory that good, where he could recite word-for-word long passages said to him 20 years earlier?
It would have been a better book if he had just paraphrased what he thought they told him, instead of long, ridiculously formalized passages.
I'm a professional sports writer, and I can tell you athletes don't normally talk the way they are quoted in Johnny's book.
But still, there are a lot of good inside stories for C's fans. The back-and-forth ribbing between Bird and Rick Robey was something I didn't know, and there are a lot of good insights from players about Johnny himself. Robert Parish recouting Johnny's penchant for call girls, for instance.
I went to Johnny's basketball camp as a 12-year-old in Nashua, N.H., and he was very nice to all us kids. In fact, he did something nice for me; for some reason, I was getting picked on severely by a couple of older kids, to the point where I was crying and afraid to go anywhere. It was brutal. I mean, just out of the blue, these guys were making my life miserable.
So, I went to Johnny about it. I felt like a wuss in some ways, but they were a lot bigger and older than I was, and I just felt scared. I went to Johnny one night as he was sitting alone in the kitchen watching a rerun of "Hawaii 5-O" on a little black and white TV set.
I explained my problem, and was very concerned and sincere. A few minutes later, Johnny came into the room where all the boys had bunks and addressed it only for a minute. I can't remember the exact words he said, but it was something about how he can't stand an unfair fight, which was something he learned in the military.
And that was it. But it was enough to get the bullies off my ass, and I was grateful to him.
So, here's to you Johnny. Rest in peace, high above courtside.

HE MAKES HIS MEMOIRS COME ALIVE. HE WAS A FANTASTIC PERSONALITY AND THE GREATEST BASKETBALL ANNOUNCER EVER. LOOK WHAT HE HAD TO WORK WITH. THE CELTICS AND ALL THOSE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
I WISH HE WERE STILL ALIVE. THIS BOOK IS GREAT. BUY IT FOR YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY.

In the early 80's, all my friends had state-of-the-art electronic equipment for their listening pleasure. My friend Ty had a boom-box the size of a suitcase. Scott had the first walkman of our group. Dave had a massive stereo system in his bedroom, much to the dismay of the rest of his neighborhood and, later on in the 80's, Joe's family bought a CD player.

I personally could have cared less about music in those days. My "entertainment system" was a chocolate brown clock radio which the time was illuminated by an orange hue and the minute tiles flipped down every 60 seconds.

I don't even remember if the radio had an FM dial. I am, however, quite certain that WBZ 1030, the flagship station of the Boston Celtics, could be heard.

And the voice of the Celtics, Johnny Most, put me to sleep 82 times a year.

"High Above Courtside: The Lost Memoirs of Johnny Most" is a treasure for anyone else who grew up a basketball fan in New England. Published over 10 years after his death, Most chronologically recounts his early days in broadcasting and ultimately his personal experiences with the 16 NBA championships he called throughout the years.

Since his death in 1993, the Celtic organization, and the scope of the NBA has changed dramatically. Most's writing brings the reader back to the days when basketball was played the right way. He tells inside stories of every Celtic legend. There are lockerroom, hotel and plane ride adventures that only Most would know and find humorous enough to write about. And every one of the stories are terrific.

Johnny Most was clearly a talented man. His writing is spectacular. I laughed out loud many times the way he recounted stories, like the day his pants caught fire from a lit cigarette...while he was on air.

Most was a smart, witty, "homer" whose us-against-the-world attitude had millions of Celtic fans fired up to listen to him. His use of the English language was flawless. And his cantankerous demeanor toward referees and opposing players was priceless. Because of Johnny Most, I still call Isiah Thomas "Little Lord Fauntleroy". When Rick Mahorn flew into the stands during the Pistons/Pacer brawl, New Englanders immediately found the irony in "McNasty" being the peacemaker.

The book is a time capsule. Why it was not published before his death or sometime in the last ten years is beyond me. True, "High Above Courtside: The Lost Memoirs of Johnny Most", is an autobiography, but it's also a biography of the greatest franchise in professional sports history: the Boston Celtics.

It is a perfect Christmas gift for anyone who fell asleep to the scratchy, cigarette damaged, loud, surly, obnoxious yet soothing voice of New England legend Johnny Most.

No one ever cared as much about the Boston Celtics as did Johnny Most, the radio voice of the Celtics for 37 years including their 16 championship seasons. To him, no one in the green and white ever made a mistake. No opposing player failed to be a "bum" who was "mugging" the Celtics. The referees were all suspect . . . especially Jake O'Donnell. His rants anticipated the development of that form of entertainment, and came equipped in four different voices . . . depending on how outraged he was. Humor was always interceding as Johnny was known to get into brawls with fans, light himself on fire while smoking, insult the security guards who tried to get him to stop smoking, and told one revealing personal story after another that would leave us in stitches. But we never laughed at the man . . . but with him . . . because we knew he loved the Celtics.

Like almost everyone who loved the Celtics, I usually listened to his broadcasts on the radio even when watching the games on television (with the sound off). I would turn on the radio to hear the post-game show whenever I left a home game. My eye would often sweep up to see what antics he was up to while attending a game.

Basketball broadcasting hasn't been the same since Johnny left the field. Tommy Heinsohn is the closest we have now, but he's not the total fan (atic) that Johnny was.

The book is remarkable in many ways. It fills in the gaps in Johnny's story -- as a World War II hero, as someone learning to be a broadcaster in New York, as a New York-born Jew suffering from discrimination, as a loving father of four, a good friend to everyone on the Celtics, a hilarious (but challenging) companion during road trips, a patient recovering from a stroke, and a man keeping his dignity during his final illnesses.

Almost every page has an insider's story about one or more of the Celtics or other basketball insiders which I had never heard or read before. The stories are mostly heart-warming and are often quite funny as we find out more about the pranks that were pulled and by whom. Within those stories are subtle observations about why the various Celtics teams prospered or did not. Former owner John Y. Brown (who was widely despised in Boston) would do well to avoid this book.

While most autobiographies build the person up at the expense of others, the comments by many of the Celtics greats at the end seem to suggest that Johnny's comments actually understate his significance to the team, the franchise and to them personally.

One of the most fun parts of the book is where Johnny picks his top 15 opposing players (done before the full development of Michael Jordan because this book was begun many years ago while Johnny's health began to fail).

The only thing missing from this book is a CD of Johnny calling some of the most famous moments in Celtics history. But if you've ever heard his voice, you can hear him as you read his words.

Johnny may be famous for screaming, "Havlicek stole the ball," but in this autobiography "Most stole the scene."

Keep cheering, Johnny, wherever you are!

I can admit it now, but for a long period of my life, it was quite painful: I'm an Angels fan. Have been since the days of Bo Belinski. That's why I was delighted to see Bucky Fox's addition to the history, lore and trivia of my beloved Angels -- be they of Anaheim or Los Angeles. His book is crammed with stuff I didn't know or, in many cases, had forgotten. Like "Adam Kennedy's Reggie Moment," when Kennedy hit three dingers in Game 5 of the ALC championship series to beat the Twins. Or the key role played by the relatively unknown pitcher John Lackey in a number of major Angel wins (Game 7 of 2002 World Series, Game 4 of 2002 ALC championship, Game 2 of 2005 AL Division series). Bucky's book is filled with this stuff.

For a demented Angel fan, it's all pure gold.

Bucky Fox has done a terrific job of highlighting the top players, moments and memories of the Angels' storied past. This book is written in a short, punchy style that makes it a quick, easy read. It brings back memories for any Angels fan of the great moments in franchise history, and it reminds you that the Angels have a lot more high points in their history than you might think.

I'm not an Angels fan. I'm a Yankees fan and what I want to know is why MY team doesn't have a kickass book like this. With his fast-paced, tightly-written countdown to victory, Fox does the seemingly impossible. He makes the Angels look like the Yankees. And for that, I tip my pro cap to him.

Great introduction for new fans to the history of the Angels and a great rememberance for long time Angel Fans. It was a fun read because you could just tell that the Author is an Angels fan.

As an Angel fan I think this book makes a delightful quick read and scores consistently with interesting tidbits of Angel player triva. Should be in any Angel fan's collection.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. I did find some of the details a bit tedious & boring...BUT the details really made the story SO realistic! I'll finish Breakers (#2 sequel) tonight & start Raiders (#3 sequel) immediately after. It is hard to believe that Hank & company are fictitious. If you enjoy watching "Deadliest Catch", (on the Discovery Channel), you'll love his books.

If you have watched and enjoyed the Discovery Channel series "The Deadliest Catch", this book is a must read.
William McCloskey uses the hero, Hank Crawford as a vehicle for telling the story of commercial fishing in Alaska. The author alternates chapters of fiction with chapters of fact.
If Hank Crawford goes `crabbing', the next chapter is filled with facts concerning the various species of crabs, their life cycle and of gear used to catch them. This is typical of Hank's work in a cannery, and fishing for various species of fish. These chapters are not dull, but just as well written as the fictional parts.
Did you know that one of a Halibut's eye moves from one side of the head to the other, and how this fish can wreck havoc on deck? It's just one of the many facts covered in this book.
Going back to the "Deadliest Catch" series; McCloskey's description of the Russian Orthodox Church, with its twin domes comes alive when you see it in the video. It's like this book was the screenplay for the series.

This is a great work of fiction by the author that follows the main character Hank Crawford who comes from college to go to work at a salmon cannery for Swede Scorden in kodiak with the story following along as hank moves from opportunity to opportunity on fishing boats that catch salmon king crab shrimp and hailbut this describes also many of the characters he works with and comes in contact with and even though this is fiction seems to be right with all info about commerical fishing compared to books i have read on the real thing. This is a great book and i definitely recommend its sequel Breakers.

A great novel written by someone who has been there. The reader can feel and smell the Alaskan fishing industry as the writer takes you from 'greenhorn' to 'highliner'.

I make my living teaching about commercial fishing. I am glad to see this book still in print so I can continue to recommend it to my students. It is, by far, the most entertaining and historically accurate account of Southwest Alaska and fishing from the 50's to the 70's. It should be required reading for anyone who fishes crab, salmon, and groundfish out there. Bill is a great writer, and this book is more or less his own experience. It is good for both its historical accuracy and the personal story of what is was like to see our fisheries develop to what they are today. He continues to come here and go out on boats to learn and write more. There is no else one who has the combination of great writing skill and experience in these fisheries, and this book is well worth reading. You will enjoy the story, you will learn something, and you will want to be Bill McCloskey (and live through it, like he did).

this book gave me the understanding on how to take it to the next step. currently I climb 5.10 but I am ready for the next step and I feel this book gave it to me.

I bought this and the "Training for Climbing: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Climbing Performance" from the same author and I think it is a lot better than how to climb 5.12 beacause it has everything and a lot more things. I don't regret buying both, but If I knew It maybe I would just buy one of them. But both are excelent.

This is a great book. Just a heads-up though.

The book "Training for Climbing" is an equally excellent reference - it contains much the same information as this book, only in more detail, with sections on anatomy, physiology etc. If you want to dispense with those discussions, buy this book. But I'd say buy one or the other, and save your extra money for another reference.

This the authoratative text for the advanced climber who wishes to boost his/her skills to the maximum potential.

Explaining the basics of medical knowledge the author lucidly shows how to apply this to climbing.

The book is rife with plenty of exercises and routines to keep even the most experienced climber busy.

By applying the principles in this book and training consistently you should see your climbing level jump by at least 4 grades within a few months ( eg - 5.10a - 5.11a ).

Be sure to mix your routines and not overtrain.

This is definitely not a book for beginner rock climbers.

If you're getting into climbing and getting into it fast, there are about five books to get, and this is one. Eric Horst gives a solid overview about how to speed progress and avoid typical mistakes such as overtraining, a common problem that kept me in 5.9 longer than I needed. The progression from grade to grade is more a mental one than a physical one, as my weeklong slothfest followed by a near full number jump in climbing ability will attest. Buy this, Performance Rock Climbing by Dale Goddard, the Heather Sagar book, and as much John Long as you can afford, and you will move more quickly up the ladder. Or, you can lift and jog yourself to death and spend your money on fingerboards, supplements, and other dubious methods, and hang out at your current level for a few more months or years like the other groundlings. Success requires effort; efficient effort requires knowledge. Get some.

"...a high-quality, hard-cover, beautifully crafted book, which could be a gift, a prize possession of a golfing fan or player-or to anyone who enjoys a little humor."

"The Humorous Golf Poetry of Tom Edwards is quite a good read. I got a kick out of it and I'm a pretty tough critic."

"...a delightful new book...Although I'd rather be beaten with sticks as play golf, I thoroughly enjoyed reading his [Edwards'] witticisms. Edwards may not have mastered the game itself, but he is a gifted wordsmith when it comes to describing his sport in verse."

I got this book as a gift. Being an avid golfer I thought it was a hoot. I'm getting more for gifts. Great illustrations too.

Tom Edwards slim book is packed with whimsey and verse so charming that every golfer needs one in his bag. Clever drawings only amplify the twists of rhyme that lead one down the fairway between sand trap and trees. Fresh, quotable lines for venting the frustration only the game of golf can create. This book was more refreshing to read than eighteen holes on an empty green.

Genre: Non Fiction/Biography
Title: If This is Heaven, I Am Going to Be a Good Boy.
The Tommy Leonard Story
AUTHOR: Kathleen Cleary

Tommy Leonard was and still is an outstanding character, well know by many. He began life in a poor family. His parents finally had to send he and his sister to Shurtleff Mission, a home with the sole purpose helping children of destitute families while teaching the gospel. Tommy was determined to leave the mission, but each time he ran away, he was caught, returned and punished. He was finally freed of his mission experience and lived with several different families during his youth. As he grew into his teens and young adulthood, he became known for drinking and partying and having a way with the girls but Tommy was also a runner. He loved to run and after a stint in the Marine Corp, he continued running in marathons, becoming known for his promotion of health and fitness. He founded the Falmouth Road Race.
Kathleen Cleary has captured the personality and warmth of this man. He is truly loved by so many. Even those who have never had the pleasure of making his acquaintance, can sit back and chuckle at many of the events of Tommy's life, or share in the heartfelt love that Tommy has for his fellow man. The reader will also find a selection of pictures dating back to his life in the mission and forward to 2004 where he is seen with Edie Doyle in front of the Boston Red Sox World Series trophy. So many years with so much to tell, and Kathleen Cleary has been able to share these years, giving us a view of an extraordinary man.



Reviewer: Elaine Fuhr, Allbooks Reviews

I am not an avid runner. Nor have I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Leonard. Readers may not know the people or recognize the local names in this book, but the Kathleen Cleary's message is unmistakably universal: Tommy Leonard touched the lives of many and made his and our world a better place. Read this book and learn how and why he did it. The title alone is worth the price of admission into Leonard's remarkable life.
Mike Considine, Lenox, MA

This book is a true delight from start to finish. In this day and age where we hear so many stories of people doing bad things, it is so uplifting to read about a man who is such a good person through and through. Kathleen Cleary has captured the spirit of Tommy Leonard for everyone. I highly recommend this book and I promise it will bring tears to your eyes, a smile to your face and probably quite a few belly laughs. Enjoy!

This book is very interesting and well-written and is not just for running fans. The life of Tommy Leonard serves as an example of how enthusiasm and a positive attitude can prevail over almost any difficulty life may throw at you. If you want to read an uplifting book, this is the one!

Joe Concannon, Boston Globe sportswriter and chronicler of the Boston Marathon, tabbed Tommy "The Guru" as every runner of note made their way to the Eliot Lounge, from all corners of the planet so that they could counsel with the great one: Thomas Francis Leonard!

Read this book and find out why, or read this book and feel all warm & fuzzy like. The man has had quite a life.

The quotable Tommy:

". . . Tommy Leonard, the running guru at the Eliot Lounge talking in a TV interview about the particular appeal of the Boston Marathon: "It's better than sex."

Tommy got some strange looks from folk's after that one.

A great book to enjoy over the Holidays!

I've been coaching youth football for several years. Many coaches have styles and techniques - some good, many bad.

This book gets right to the point and offers an all around complete coaching program.

I don't know Derek Wade personally, but several years ago I first "met" him through an Amazon book review. I was so impressed with his review that I did a search on his name and found out that he had a web site. At the time I was not coaching, but I was closely following my older son's progress in Youth football. I was trying to fill in the holes in my son's skill set, that his coaches were not able to cover because of their restrictions of practice time and ability to spend one on one time with the players. I soon realized I had good tactical knowledge of the skills required for individual football positions, but hardly any strategic knowledge of a football team from a coaches view. Derek's website http://www.fbforyouth.com/ contained tons of the knowledge he had gathered and shifted through on his similar quest for a strategic knowledge. His writing style was written in "Conversational" manner, where the emphasis is on communicating ideas in an understandable manner, as if having a conversation with an acquaintance, as opposed to trying to sound like an expert.

Chapter 1 History: This really filled in a lot of the holes in my knowledge. In other writings (or in my son's Madden Football) I would read references to offensive systems or defenses systems and I could only guess about them (ie. West Coast offense, 4-3 defense, etc.). Coach Wade explains these system with just enough detail and history to understand them from a 10,000 foot view. I couldn't put the book down while reading this. Then Coach Wade goes into a 5,000 foot view on the rules of football. This is an easy read as the entire section is labeled with bold headings so a person can skip what they don't want to read, and not worry about missing something they want to read.

Chapters 2 & 3 Video & book Reviews: There are a lot of coaching videos on the market. They are expensive. Most of them seem to be "Garage Projects". I agonize when I am trying to find the right video to fit my present need because it will cost a person tens of dollars to find out what you bought is not what you wanted. There needs to be more video & book reviews from trusted sources, so I was thankful for Coach Wade's insight. Coach Wade also has a few more book reviews on his web site.

Chapter 4 Film Study: Coach Wade makes it clear this is time intensive, but has big payback. I have been doing this for several years and I very much agree. As a dad, I would film a close up of the line where my son was, then slow it down to about 0.4 speed. That is VERY entertaining to watch as it emphasizes the hand to hand combat of the front line and has been VERY helpful to my son. Lots of good lessons learned in this section. Coaches should measure their resources and allocate them to film study accordingly.

Chapter 5 Dealing with Parents: Good philosophy and "lessons learned" in this chapter.

Chapter 6 Selecting Staff: Good philosophy and "lessons learned" in this chapter.

Chapter 7 Practice Preparation: Good philosophy and "lessons learned" in this chapter.

Chapter 8 Practice Plan: This chapter is the biggest in the book. Coach Wade takes a person through weeks of individual practices. I had to keep in mind that Coach Wade talks from his present coaching assignment at the Jr. high level, but I felt there was lots of good philosophy and lessons learned to help me at the K-4th level. I just finished coaching K-2 graders, all first time players, and my team would not have been able to progress as fast as the outline, but my older son's 5-6th grade team would have been able too. I will be coaching 3-4 graders and I plan on incorporating a lot of Coach Wade's practice philosophy here. I am presently rewriting my future practice plan accordingly.

Appendix 1 Misc Drills: Having this many drills laid out by subject area, with diagrams, and field tested is really really nice.

Appendix 2 Practice Plan: This is what I am referencing while I rewrite my future practice plan.

Appendix 3 Helpful Charts: If you are a visual person like I am, having things laid out in forms and organized into relationships is very helpful, but it takes time and a good form evolves from its initial concept to its working state. This section allows a person to skip the evolution stage and get right to the working stage.

Appendix 4 Letter to Parents: Interesting.

Appendix 5 The Black Lion Award: Interesting.

Appendix 6 Concussions: Very helpful. I plan on taking this seriously.

Appendix 7 Football Terms: Very helpful and interesting to read.

Index: Even this shows that some time was put into it.

Impact is a great book for the new or old Head Coach and assistants. The book gives a head coach everything they need to start off the season on the right foot with parents, assistant coaches and kids. The detailed practice plans were exactly what I had been looking for. The offensive examples describe in the book are the double wing, with which Coach Wade has had a lot of success. This book is not an offensive or defensive play book and it was not the intent of the author to be one. You will have to get this in his other future books or from other sources. Coach Wade does point to a lot of great resources where these can be found and to ones that should be avoided. If you're new to coaching youth football and searching for the right plan or if you have a team but you need a better system, this is the book for you!!

This book by far was the best football coaching related book i've read by far. Coach Wade was very informing and intoned to what new coaches need to be successful.

If you are a rookie Coach (like me), and don't want to look like one this is a great book. It is very informative and gives you a step by step plan on how to organize your team. Includes Practice plans, Scheduals..everything you need. I am only halfway through the book and what I have read so far is worth more than I paid for the book. Highly Recomended...Thanks Coach Wade, for the great book.

-Rookie Coach Case

Truly a great book. Tales of epic adventures and misadventures from around the globe. I recommend Quigley's book, "In the Company of Rivers". It's the ideal paperback to take with you on your next fishing trip.

An eloquent work...destined to be a classic. Those who cherish the outdoors will relish every word.Ed Quigley has given us a magnificant gift. Thank you Ed.

I shelled out good money for this book - and thoroughly enjoyed it. Quigley is a masterful storyteller. While I am not a fisherman, the word pictures painted by the author really made me feel as if I were there with him. I particularly liked "The Legend" and "Painted Ladies."

I enjoyed it. Don't care much for fishing stories, but I like good writing. Nice tales, well told.

This book contains a great collection of stories which will stimulate an outdoorsman's desire to escape to a better place. A must for any fly fisherman's library.

This is a classic look at one of the greatest football teams of all time, headed by one of the greatest coaches of all time: the incomparable Vince Lombardi.

The book started out with a desire to keep a journal of a year in football from training camp through the end. Serendipitously, this particular year turned out to be the third straight (and unprecented) championship year for the Green Bay Packers -- and featured a spectacular end-of-the-game play by the author.

I wouldn't call myself a rabid football fan (that would be my husband), but this was an excellent book for anyone with a passing interest in football.

I am not a Packers fan, yet I found this book fascinating. Jerry Kramer has opened up the mystique of America's favorite spectator sport to the public in "Instant Replay." And what a cast of characters! So many legendary figures of the game participated in this single season: Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, and Ray Nitschke, to name a few. After the fabled "ice bowl" league championship game against the Cowboys, the Super Bowl vs the Raiders was almost anticlimactic. Football fans of any age would truly enjoy this personal account of a remarkable team in their most memorable season.

I read this book twice: once when I was a kid shortly after it was initially released, and again several years ago. It was just as interesting a read the second time as it was the first. I recently bought a copy of this re-released version for a friend. I thumbed through it and noticed some additional photo's have been added since the release of the paperback edition that I own.
Anyone who has an interest in football will want to read this book, despite the fact that it relates to events that took place 30 years ago. If you're my age, it will bring back memories of the glory days of the Packers (back when a water bucket was a tin pail with a ladle on the sidelines). If you aren't old enough to remember those days, the names in the book will most likely be familiar to you as great characters in football history.

Instant Replay is an essential book for every football fan. The tradition of the NFL and the inside story of the Green Bay Packers in the Vince Lombardi era come to life with a wonderful blend of humor and pro football detail in this great book.

There will never be another great team like the Packers of the 1960's for a number of reasons. The only way to relive this era is through the numerous books that rehash the Lombardi dynasty. This book has to be one of the cornerstones of reliving that era with its candid yet humble prose giving an inside view of the Packer locker room. Jerry Kramer, who resents the 'dumb jock' stereotype of football player, composed a well written memior of football in "Instant Replay".

From the days after Superbowl I to Lombardi's retirement after Superbowl II, this book takes readers through the entire 1967 season. Lombardi is known for the grind players were made to endure in his training camps. Kramer tells what the players are feeling as speculation begins that this would be Lombardi's final season coaching in Green Bay. Being the number one target of the NFL after being champion for the last two years makes the regular season a grind. While the Packers did not play their best in the regular season, they turn their game up a notch in the playoffs. Often voted the greatest game in NFL history, Kramer devotes significant time to the Ice Bowl. This is significant because Kramer had a key role in the game and this book marks an early admission that he may have moved a little prematurely. After the Ice Bowl, the Superbowl almost seemed anticlimactic.

Two years after the 1967 season, Vince Lombardi died of cancer and many of the pieces of the Packer dynasty were in retirement. This book is a great way to relive the magic of the Packer dynasty.

Great book about a super guy! Easy to read & very inspirational. I highly recommend this book for anyone intersted in the human struggle to be on top - it's not just about the money or the fame, it's about life & winning as a human being, not a sports super star.

Pick this book up over the movie, it is much better. The movie didn't cover the entire story. Mr. Papale tells his story in the way it should. He is very upfront and totally honest with his entire story. I've recommended this book to so many. It is definitely an inspiring story full of determination that will have you looking at your own life. A great hometown hero story.

I enjoyed reading Invincible and thought the book was great. I watched the movie when it came out and as usual the book was alot better than the movie. I would recommend this book to any football fans.

I certainly enjoyed reading Invincible. However, my opinion may be bias. You see, I grew up with Vince Papale in Glenolden, PA. We lived about three blocks apart and went to the same schools. I was two years ahead of Vince. My sister and Vince's sister were best friends. I knew almost everyone and everyplace mentioned in the book. Although I didn't see Vince after high school, I followed his career with the Philadelphia Bell, Philadelphia Eagles, and TV sport casting years. Interestingly enough, the owner of the Philadelphia Bell was the star halfback on our high school football team. If you are looking for an inspirational story about a local boy overcoming many obstacles to become a professional football player, this book is for you. Unlike some similar stories (Rocky), this one is true!

Vincee and I first got together at the end of my right knee. We were on opposite sides in Pee Wee football. This story is in the book. The only thing faster than this read is Vincee on the football field or on the track. If you don't come away with a tear in your eye, your not normal. I've know Vincee since we were 11 or 12. But this book reveals the inner guy I never knew. I saw the Movie in Philly and we all stood and clapped. It's been 30 years since that great summer of '76 and it feels like yesterday that I watched Vincee play his first Pre-Season game as an Eagle. To top off that great event it was right here in Canton Ohio (my new adopted town). I just about had a heart attack when I read the program and found the name Vince Papale. Now go out and get this great book. Mike Paynter