Review of "88 and 1"

The timing for this review is perfect - it was exactly 50 years ago today that a historic winning streak ended.  This book tells the story of not only that thrilling basketball game but the inside stories of the two teams involved.  Here is my review of "88 and 1"

 

Title/Author:

“88 and 1: UCLA, Notre Dame and the Game That Ended the Longest Winning Streak in Men’s College Basketball History” by Timothy Bourret

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  

One of the longest winning streaks in all of sports occurred between 1971 and 1974 when the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) men’s basketball team won 88 consecutive games.  That streak ended on January 19, 1974 when Notre Dame upset the Bruins 71-70.  While this book about the game and the streak by Timothy Bourret is not meant to be a means to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of that historic game, it is nonetheless timed well to be published when that game will be talked about on sports media.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how Bourret brings fascinating tidbits into the dialogue that centers around the two schools’ basketball teams during that era.  The first, and a fact that is fairly well known, is that the streak started in 1971 when UCLA defeated Notre Dame.  One fact that might not be as well known is that in January 1974, Notre Dame became the first school to have three of its sports teams defeat the number one ranked team in that sport.  In addition to breaking UCLA’s streak in men’s basketball, the Fighting Irish defeated #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and the hockey team, in only it’s third season of existence, defeated #1 Denver.  Items like this, which are interspersed throughout the book, make it one that a reader will absorb cover to cover so that they will not miss any more interesting items like this.

Both schools’ basketball seasons between 1971 and 1975 are covered extensively throughout the book as Bourret does a good job of not only writing about the historic game, but the ups and downs (in UCLA’s case, almost all “ups”) of the two basketball teams.  However, there are not a lot of player profiles in the book.  There are brief write ups of star players from both sides such as Bill Walton for UCLA and Adrian Dantley for Notre Dame but there is not a lot of human interest material.  The best profiles for that aspect are for the two coaches, John Wooden (UCLA) and Digger Phelps (Notre Dame).

But if a reader is looking for factual reporting on games, plays and seasons, then this book is a treasure trove of valuable information on these two programs during that time period.  Bourret also highlights many of the differences between that era and today and often will note how something that happened during that time would not occur today or vice versa.  Rule changes such as allowing freshmen to play on the varsity team and dunking are among the changes that are discussed and fans who have followed the sport over the decades will nod in agreement about how different the game was then compared to now.

I wish to thank Lyons Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link: 88 and 1: UCLA, Notre Dame, and the Game That Ended the Longest Winning Streak in Men's College Basketball History: Bourret, Timothy: 9781493081219: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "26 In a Row"

Reading this book was a lesson - not only about this team about which I had previously known nothing, but also a little bit about the times during which this winning streak took place.  Here is my review of "26 In a Row."

Title/Author:

“26 In a Row: The 1916 New York Giants and Baseball’s Longest Winning Streak” by Alex Drude

Tags:

Baseball, Giants, history, streak

Publish date:

September 22, 2016

Length:

275 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Winning streaks are memorable and many people can recite the famous ones.  However, the longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history is one that many do not know about.  There are several reasons for this, but the biggest one is that the 1916 New York Giants were composed of mostly unknown and unaccomplished players.  Their story is captured in this book by Alex Drude.

Like many fans, Drude states that he was fascinated with winning streaks and he set out to tell the story of this team in the introduction to this book.  He then does so by introducing the position players who were the starters for each game during this streak.  Seven of the nine positions had the same man in each game, with the only changes occurring for pitchers and catchers.  Their stories are varied and interesting and the reader will gain a good understanding of each one, including both catchers and the pitchers in the starting rotation.

The book then reads like a diary as it tells the happenings of each calendar day during the streak.  These are not only about the Giants and the recaps of their win (or wins if there was a doubleheader) that day, but also about the major events of the day, such as what was going on in Europe as the Great War was going on.

An interesting book on the longest winning streak in baseball history, this is one that all baseball fans, especially Giants fans, will enjoy to learn more about this fascinating team and its unmatched success.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LY9HNNJ/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01LY9HNNJ&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

Review of "Running With Raven"

Have you ever picked up a book that ended up being so captivating that you didn't put it down until you finished?  That was the case for me with this book as the story of this man who has run eight miles on the sandy beach every single day for over 40 years was fascinating.  The title includes the word "amazing" - probably the best one-word description of this book.  Here is my review of "Running with Raven."

Title/Author:

“Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion and the Community He Inspired” by Laura Lee Huttenbach

Tags:

Running, biography, inspiration, streak

Publish date:

April 25, 2017

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

It can be difficult to make a resolution to do anything every day as unforeseen circumstances may force one to miss a day. Now imagine trying to do an eight-mile run on the beach every day – for 40 years!  Believe it or not, that has been accomplished by Robert “Raven” Kraft, a resident of Miami Beach. That accomplishment and his story is captured in this outstanding book by Laura Lee Huttenbach.

The streak, while a wonderful accomplishment, is only part of the story. Raven’s personality and perseverance has grown into a running community that is like no other. Thousands of people have made the run alongside Raven over the decades and they share a common bond of not only running, but also being honored with a nickname given by Raven. Raven not only remembers nicknames, but also personal details of nearly every single running in this community. It has grown to have its own set of awards and an annual dinner since 1996.  Raven’s steak also has been the subject of numerous news segments and an ESPN segment on the weekly show “Outside the Lines.

Huttenbach, who has many runs with Raven and the nickname “White Lightning” writes the book from an intimate view that most would not be able to see. Because of her membership in the community, she is able to share details about Raven’s life that many other authors could not obtain about their subjects.  Such as the self-described hoarding that Raven does, the pain he felt for many years over the estrangement of his father and his belief that a country music song he wrote was plagiarized.  By deciding to channel these emotions into an eight-mile run along the sandy beach, he not only changed his own life, but the lives of many others as well.

The reader will enjoy the many stories about Raven’s runs and some of the other members of this running family.  Whether it was running through Hurricane Gilbert with “Springman”, running when Hurricane Andrew was arriving, or going on runs with others who have been there many times like “Taxman”, “Copy Man” and “Sailor” or even some who have only done it once, there isn’t a word wasted as the reader will be enthralled and want to know even more about the legendary runner.  It may even inspire one to start his or her own running streak or just try to make a difference. It is a book that should be read by anyone who wants an uplifting and inspiring story.

I wish to thank Kensington Publishing Corporation for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Running-Raven-Amazing-Community-Inspired/dp/0806538422/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485482956&sr=1-1&keywords=running+with+raven

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/running-with-raven-laura-lee-huttenbach/1124230254?ean=9780806538426