When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss
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Book Reviews of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi
Book Review: When Pride Still Mattered
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoyed the book immensely. By showing all the best that Vince Lombardi brought to life and the game of football, and not being hesitant to show some of the darker sides of this football giant, it held my interest from cover to cover.Book Review: A Compelling Read
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Maraniss' Clemente book a few months ago, which was unbelievable. Looking for more I picked up this book and have yet to be disappointed.Book Review: Great book, maybe a little long......
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the complete Vince Lombardi book. The author has left no stone unturned it seems and goes into great depth in looking at what made Lombardi tick.
It is not a shrine to the greatness of Lombardi book, the author does write about the Coach's flaws (lack of attention to family) but it is so engrossing that I was upset when the final chapters on Lombardi's death were being read.
Maybe the book is a smidgen too long, there were times that it seemed to drag a little but all in all, a great book.
Book Review: Great Title
Summary: 4 Stars
Tremendous Book on a Great Coach. I live in Milwaukee and Coach Lombardi is still venerated up here.
I especially enjoyed the sequence about the West Point Days. I was unaware, until reading this book, that Lombardi was at Army during the cheating scandal. But unlike Murray Warmath he didn't resign immediately. Maybe that's why Lombardi became a great coach and Warmath didn't.
I have no real reason for not giving the book 5 stars except it did not excite me the way That "Pistol" did.
Book Review: Average
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a fairly encompassing attempt at Lombardi in whole. On the positive side, the author breaks down the "innocent" or "golden" age of football to show that all periods have their fair share of cheaters and crooks, some of which Lombardi witnessed, but was immune to, at West Point. He gives a lot of detail to Lombardi's early life at Fordham, and his coaching development at West Point. Lombardi's own weaknesses, whether it be his poor relations within his family, or his inabilities as an athlete, help to explain his ability to drive the best out of those he coached. His perfectionist attitute and ability to motivate come across in the stories of former players. On the negative side, there isn't a lot of explanation of the game itself. How did his sweep play vary from the other teams' versions? Apart from being a great motivator, what drills or tactics did he use that made his teams so much better? The author does little to compare Lombardi with others as a means of explaining his success. The length of the book is simply too long. For me, too many details are devoted to minor episodes, too much time is spent on background information. It's a fair account of the paradoxical nature of Lombardi, and attempts to reconcile his personal failures with his public success. If you are very interested in the subject, I think all of the details and stories are easier to endure.