Review of “The Long Run”

 Most of my reading lately has been books about running.This one covered some topics I have read about before, but even so, it’s a well crafted book on the premier marathons for runners. 

Title/Author: “The Long Run: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Join Benoit, Greta Waitz and the Decade That Made Running Cool” by Martin Dugard

Rating:  5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Running as a sport has had a long and interesting history. The marathon event is the premier race, testing an athlete’s endurance and mental fitness. This book by Martin Duggar’s, a marathon runner himself, tells the interesting period from the 1970s where the marathon became more popular for both runners and spectators.

The story actually starts in ancient Greece. The legend of Pheidippides running to tell the people of Athens about the victory at the battlefield of Marathon is a great story, but Dugard shows why that myth doesn’t hold up. The story of why the length of a marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards also is questioned as Dugard explains that the legend of the extra 385 yards being added so the finish line is directly in front of Queen Mary’s box doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. These stories along with others make this early part of the book very interesting.

However, it gets even better when Dugard starts writing about the great runners named in the subtitle of the book. Steve Prefontaine was THE MAN for running in the early and mid-70s as his popularity soared before his tragic death in 1975. Frank Shorter’s gold medal for the marathon brought that race home to millions of American viewers. Joan Benoit Samuelson and Greta Waitz were early pioneers in breaking the glass ceiling (wrongly constructed by the AAU and officials of the Boston and New York City Marathons) for women running long distances. Each of these athletes’ stories are fascinating and make for great reading.  It should also be noted that Dugard writes about those two marathons and important milestones for them such as when the New York City Marathon became a run through all five boroughs.

Whether you’re an experienced marathon runner, a runner who settles for shorter distances or even a non-runner, this book is sure to be one that a reader will want to add to their shelves. 

I wish to thank Dutton for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/738256 

Review of "Hammered"

While the reading volume has slowed down as I get busy with the holiday season and work at my full time job picking up, that doesn't mean that the books I do get to read are any less interesting.  This one is a good example - the memoir of former hockey enforcer Dave Schultz. 

Title/Author:

“Hammered: The Fight of My Life” by Dave Schultz with Dan Robson

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Hockey fans will recognize the name Dave Schultz, even if they were not around to witness his legendary fights on the ice. He was one of the early “enforcers” in hockey, who would often fight or cause other ruckus on the ice. This was usually done to protect star players or to send a message to the other team that our team will not back down. His record of 472 penalty minutes in the 1974-75 season still stands. He tells his story in this memoir written with Dan Robson.

The book starts off very dark, with Schultz sharing a scenario where he is in a fight – but it is not on the ice.  Instead, he talks about provoking a fight with a bartender.  That was an attention grabber, and it worked to grab the attention of this reader. It was a good metaphor about his fight against his alcoholism.  He would fight (argue and resist, not with fists like the metaphor) those who tried to help him such as ex-teammate Bill Clement.  He would fight while in treatment.  Once done, he would fight (and still is fighting) to try to stay clean.

There are other fights he talks about, such as trying to suppress the memory of being sexually assaulted when he was a child.  He never shared that with family, his wife nor others until recently.  He was also fighting off depression over his losses, especially those of his brother and father, as well as his divorce. 

While this sounds like an unhappy book, it really isn’t as bad as this description sounds.  It is clear that he is working his way through them.  He talks about many happy memories with family and especially while in hockey.  His best days in the NHL were with the Philadelphia Flyers and he shares excellent accounts of not only his play, but that of his team when the Flyers won consecutive Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. What is also notable about this part of the book is how he recalls the Flyers and himself in particular drawing the ire of NHL President Clarence Campbell for the rough style of play that helped the Flyers win. 

Schultz did not end his career with the Flyers, as he also played for the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.  He did not find the same joy with those teams like he did with the Flyers and like his other battles mentioned above, he was fighting off bouts of anger when playing for those teams.  While the book overall is not a happy one nor is it one where Schultz comes off as looking for sympathy or redemption, I found it an interesting read as someone who is realizing what life has thrown at him and his way of addressing it as he enters the latter stages of life.  It made for an interesting read.

I wish to thank Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: Hammered: The Fight of My Life: 9780735247017: Schultz, Dave, Robson, Dan, Parent, Bernie: Books

Review of "Race Across America:

This book was a little different than other running books I have read - mainly because of the endurance that these athletes had to have in order to complete a transcontinental journey.  Here is my review of "Race Across America." 

Title/Author:

“Race Across America: Eddie Gardner and the Great Bunion Derbie” by Charles B. Kastner

Rating: 

3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:

It’s hard to imagine this today, but there was a time in the early 20^th century when athletes would compete in ultramarathons and other endurance running events with footwear such as working boots or shoes more fit for suits. One such event, that took place in 1928 and 1929, was a transcontinental run from Los Angeles to New York, commonly called the Bunion Derby. This book by Charles B. Kastner looks at one runner who entered both years, Eddie Gardner. 

Gardner was one of a handful of Black runners who ran the race and endured harsh racism when the race ran through southern states where Jim Crow laws were in effect, most notably Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri.  Kastner does a good job of describing what Gardner and his fellow Black runners faced during that stretch of the run.  It should be noted that the organizers of the race did what they could and when they became aware of discrimination when it came to lodging and meals, they did step up and provide these items, but often it wasn’t enough to offset the emotional toll this would take.

The book also portrays Gardner well, especially when he would show off his “Shiek” outfit while running.  That was simply a towel around his head but his fans, especially those in the Black community, loved it.  It felt like Kastner was trying to elevate Gardner into the same level of importance to the legacy of Black athletes like Jack Johnson, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali.  While certainly not in the same level of importance to the acceptance of the Black athlete, Gardner’s story is still one that should be told, finishing 8^th in the 1928 race and was a leading contender in 1929.

While this book told a story that needed to be told, the description of the races repetitive in nature by giving updates on who was in what place at the end of each day’s events.  This was the only part that I didn’t enjoy reading – which is a rarity for me with a sports book.  I usually love the description of the actual action, but in this case, the stories of the runners – Gardner, the Black runners and other contenders – were much better and made the book a good one overall.  

Link: Race across America: Eddie Gardner and the Great Bunion Derbies (Sports and Entertainment): Kastner, Charles B.: 9780815635772: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “Sitting Bull Run”

As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend comes to an end, I hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed the food, family, friendship and football. This also marks the end of November, a fairly slow sports reading month for me, but I did find time for this great novel.

Title/Author:

“Sitting Bull Run” by Pat J. Daly

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: It isn’t often a reader can find a book about a high school cross country team, whether fiction or nonfiction. However, author Pat J. Daly has penned an excellent novel about a team on Long Island, New York in the mid-1970’s. It’s a great mix of sport (with great explanations of the scoring, the grueling runs that the athletes endure and even some coaching strategies), coming of age for the young runners, some mystery and even a glimpse at some issues of that time such as the winding down of the Vietnam War.

What makes this novel such an enjoyable read is Daly’s character development, especially of three main characters. A reader will certainly understand the pain that the captain of the team, Dennis Hurley, has been facing. This is true for the physical pain he’s facing during several meets and the manual anguish he has over maintaining silence about a terrible incident over the summer when he and two teammates, the “core” of the team, witnessed a death on parish grounds.

The leader of the Catholic school, Monsignor Cassidy, is also portrayed well, but as the antagonist as he is in line to be named a Bishop and will do anything to keep any bad publicity about the school away from Rome. His means of trying to do so are great reading but maddening at the same time.

The other character that a reader will enjoy is the cross country coach, Jack Hogan. His methods are unconventional, he can be downright cruel to his team and he seems downright maniacal when it comes to fitness and selecting a captain. It’s a good thing that his current captain, Dennis, takes his role seriously.

While these are not the only important characters for the story, they are good examples of how the author took complex characters and the setting of a Catholic school and made a gripping novel that will grab the reader and not let go. This is true whether the book is being read for the sport of cross country, whether the reader likes young adult books about coming of age or just wants to read a good mystery. This novel has it all. 

I wish to thank Mr. Daly for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Bull-Run-Jack-Hogan/dp/0996045392/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Tb8k488bc7bhVHKWUnx1vX69xvL9tKqPBx_PodXgEKL5Kl9mUJRU2P4dTn8gdgi5bMlwI_RL1RKwYBxxrQ2iRRpF_mtph4-jPBavr66NAkf3X_QVJs8p6HHxjmntge979BppCTkoGkwHhftRitP4IVwz0_PJzEpVC8zQq1gTWqWPdbUh8UulMJtt6uFQA9LYeVlWjtUn_2BeurJZxHh508Nrq8_sp10SVC3CYrbVfwE.EqNDppw7p-ibDKM9UpJH84B70-ErCc5SlKdQM0i3p9Y&qid=1764550087&sr=8-1 

Review of "Madden & Summerall"

For years, if one wanted to watch the most intriguing match-up of that Sunday's NFL schedule, the viewer would be hearing Pat Summerall and John Madden on the telecast.  This is a very good book on the success of that duo. 

Title/Author:

“Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting” by Rich Podolsky

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

For football fans who watched games on TV in the 1980’s and 1990’s, there were a pair of broadcasters who were assigned to the biggest game played on Sunday: Pat Summerally with the play by play and John Madden as the color commentator.  Their chemistry in the booth was fantastic and made the games must-see TV.  This book by Rich Podolsky offers an in-depth look at both men during their partnership in the booth.

Both of them became well known before pursuing broadcasting.  Summerall had a successful playing career as a kicker, mostly for the New York Giants.  Madden had ten highly successful years as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, capping it off with a victory in Super Bowl XI.  Their pre-broadcasting days are covered quite well by Podolsky.

Their paths to becoming the most popular and successful broadcasting team took different paths and the book takes the reader onto both trails in a very informative and entertaining manner. Summerall was much more comfortable with the transition to the role of broadcaster and had several successful years with his first partner, Tom Brookshire. 

That changed after Madden was hired to do commentary full time after a 4 game audition, one of which was with Summerall.  Madden always expressed his gratitude toward Summerall for helping him through those early days.  When CBS, the network the two worked for at the time, made the decision to replace Brookshire with Madden, it was like a match made in heaven.  Fans, critics and nearly everyone associated with football loved the pairing.

The book doesn’t just talk about the games and broadcasts as many other topics that affected the pair are discussed, for both their professional and personal lives.  On the former, that included when Fox outbid CBS for NFL games in 1994 and the pair went to that network where they remained until Summerall’s last game in Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.  There’s also Madden’s “turducken” (always mentioned on their Thanksgiving Day game), the telestrator and the All-Madden team.

As for their personal stories, those are covered thoroughly as well. From Summerall’s alcoholism and health issues to Madden’s fear of flying and closed spaces, just about everything you want to know about their personal lives (not all of it bad, despite these examples) is covered in the book.  It’s a fun, entertaining and informative read on this iconic broadcasting team.

I wish to thank The Globe Pequot Publishing Group for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting eBook : Podolsky, Rich, Aikman, Troy, Buck, Joe: Kindle Store

Review of "A Hollywood Ending"

It might come as a surprise that I was interested in a book that concentrated on a player AND a team where neither rank high on my favorites of their sport.  But...glad I read it because it was quite interesting.  Here's my review of "A Hollywood Ending"

Title/Author:

“A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers” by Yaron Weitzman

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most prominent sports franchises, have never had an issue to attract star players who want to add an NBA championship to their resumes (additional if they already have one or more) and LeBron James is one of those players.  His time with the Lakers, as well as some of the lead-up to his signing, is well-documented in this book by Yaron Weitzman.

As a basketball fan who is not a big fan of either James (although I do acknowledge he is one of the best players ever) or the Lakers, I expected this to be very critical of both parties.  It wasn’t – I was impressed with how fair Weitzman presented his information. This doesn’t mean everyone is off the hook – especially the children of Dr. Jerry Buss that inherited the team after his death.  There are plenty of critical pieces of both the family, James and other parties such as Klutch, the sports agent conglomeration who represented most notably Anthony Davis. 

There are plenty of complimentary stories about the Lakers and James as well, and together they paint a great picture of how this chapter of Laker history has its ups and downs. The best of the positive pieces is how the team handled themselves in the “bubble” during the pandemic of 2020, when they won their only championship during the LeBron James era.  There’s also the feel-good (to some) story of LeBron playing alongside his son Bronny.  The only downside to the entire book I would say is that the ending feels too abrupt, especially after the trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers – unless there’s another book in the plan for a new “era” in Laker history.

I wish to thank Doubleday for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers: 9780385550222: Weitzman, Yaron: Books

Review of "The Team That History Forgot"

As I continue my work on catching up on reviews, I dug out this book sent by one of the publishers who have supported me throughout most of my time writing reviews, University of Nebraska Press.  This one was a very good book on the Kansas City Chiefs - and no, not the current version with Pat Mahomes and Travis Kelce.  This one goes back further when the Chiefs had other star players. 

Title/Author:

“The Team That History Forgot: The 1960’s Kansas City Chiefs” by Rick Gosselin

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

In the 1960’s, pro football had two leagues, the established National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League (AFL). The NFL had a more conservative style of play while the AFL had much more wide-open offense and also paid its players higher salaries while engaging in a bidding war with the NFL. One AFL team stood out during the decade, the Kansas City Chiefs.  This book by Rick Gosselin tells the story of the Chiefs, which was not necessarily all successful.

The team was owned by Lamar Hunt, the founder of the AFL and got its start in Dallas as the Dallas Texans.  The same year the AFL started play, the NFL awarded a franchise to Dallas as well, the Cowboys.  Neither team had much success at the gate, which was disheartening to Hunt, as his team had much better success on the field than their NFL counterparts.  Hunt, who is portrayed in a brief biography in the book, then decided to move his team to Kansas City where they became the Chiefs.

Along with Hunt, the book portrays many players who made the Chiefs the most successful AFL team.  This includes Len Dawson, Otis Taylor, Buck Buchanan and Bobby Bell.  They also were more integrated along racial lines than most other teams and they played in two of the first four Super Bowls.  These are also covered thoroughly in the book.  Their second Super Bowl, a victory over the Minnesota Vikings, was especially gratifying to Hunt.  The reason for this was that Minnesota was supposed to be one of the charter franchises in the AFL, but owner Max Winter instead accepted an offer to join the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1961.  Hunt never forgot that.

In addition to these items, Gosselin does a commendable job of writing about the Chiefs’ exploits on the field aside from Super Bowls and gives the reader a brief history of the AFL, leading up to the merger with the NFL in 1970.  The book ends with an exhibition game that year between the Chiefs and Cowboys, the first time the two teams who originally called Dallas home met. That ended with a Chiefs win and solidified their spot as one of the best professional football teams in the 1960’s.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The Team That History Forgot: The 1960s Kansas City Chiefs: Gosselin, Rick, Reid, Andy: 9781496243102: Amazon.com: Books