5 comments about Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero.

1. THIS BOOK BY MIKE FREEMAN IS A VERY GOOD BIO ON A VERY INTERESTING PERSON IN JIM BROWN. HE CAPTURES BROWN AS A VERY COMPLICATED PERSON WITH MANY SIDES. I AM FROM CLEVELAND AND SAW MANY OF HIS GAMES AS A CHILD AND ARE STILL ETCHED IN MY MIND FOR THE GREAT PLAYS HE MADE. OFF THE FIELD IT WAS A DIFFERENT STORY. JIM WAS ARROGANT, ALOOF AND A MAJOR WOMANIZER. HE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF PHYSICAL ABUSE MORE THAN A FEW TIMES OVER THE YEARS. HE ALSO WAS A MAJOR MOTIVATOR IN TRYING TO HELP BLACK BUSINESS PEOPLE ESTABLISH THEMSELVES BACK IN THE 1960'S AND 1970'S. ALONG WITH ALL THIS, HE MADE SEVERAL MOVIES AND HAD A SOLID CAREER FOR AWHILE. THE ONE COMPLAINT I HAVE WITH THIS BOOK IS A LACK OF TIME SPENT ON HIS FOOTBALL CAREER. OTHER THAN THAT I REALLY ENJOYED AND ALSO FOUND THE PART ABOUT THE FBI KEEPING AN EYE ON BROWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO BE VERY INTERESTING. ALL IN ALL I LIKE IT AND SUGGEST FOR ALL JIM BROWN FANS.



2. It was so bad I went through it in a short evening. It covers Brown's entire life, but I wouldn't call it a biography. It didn't go into enough depth in really any area of his life. Brown is a fastinating personality, but the author didn't do a very good job. I would never be inclined to read another book written by the author. Jim Brown is a subject that David Mariness should write about. Now there's an author!



3. I read "Jim Brown" a few weeks after finishing Mike Callahan's "Johnny U". Like "Johnny U", I gave this 3 stars, partly out of nostalgia. Both books have gaping flaws and those probably are even more apparent to someone who hadn't lived through these players' glory years. Unitas, in many ways, was the last of a certain kind of player--one who said little, played hard, and seemd to go along with management. These were the guys who lived next door to their fans and had off season jobs (usually in some sort of sales), because they and their families needed the money. Brown was the beginning of very different era. He left the game at his prime and spent his career being very outspoken about football, and was willingly to confront Coach Paul Brown. The elder Brown was instrumental in developing the modern game of football--he approached the game in a studied, almost academic manner and developed the foundations of the modern playbook. He also was rigid and authoritarian and by Jim Brown's time, his competitors were catching up with him. Although the racial integration of football had begun before Jim Brown's time, he was the first player to speak out about racial issues and he did it in a way that didn't necessarily resonate with white fans. Brown was arguably the best running back of his time and, perhaps, of all time. He was a gifted athlete who lettered in lacrosse (and considered his lacrosse coach to be his real mentor) and easily mastered new sports like golf. Brown left football for Hollywood and after a short but lucrative career in movies, it appears that he's continued to prosper. Going back to his football days, Brown has gotten in trouble with the law, mostly because of violent acts against other people. He's also had a long-term interest in troubled youth and has been involved in numerous civil rights and community based works since his football days.
   
   Brown's life has had many contradictions--he was a civil rights advocate, but supported Nixon (who famously exploited racial divisions) for president. He has worked to be a constructive figure in public life, but has had repeated scandals involving women in his private life. He was the prototype for many modern professional football players, yet he has been bitterly critical of the way in which later players have played the game and participated in society. Freeman attempts to address Brown's character flaws and contradictions, as well as his accomplishments, both in football and away from the game. The result is mixed, at best. The book suffers from rather superficial research and a tendency toward pedantic and shallow attempts at sociological and psychological explanations for Brown's behavior. Freeman brings in "experts" on violence and sport psychology whose expertise mostly consists of boilerplate soundbites. There are any number of people who have more expertise with regard to these topics and many of them are well known to the media. Freeman's explorations of Cleveland media seem limited and he appears not to have contacted any of Cleveland's sports writing/media figures and apparently ignored the morgue of Cleveland's afternoon paper, which was the dominant newspaper in Brown's time. The book also relies on very few of Brown's contemporaries. Despite access to federal records of Brown's economic development program from the 1960s, Freeman has little to say about how well it worked or what it did. The writing isn't as cliche-ridden as Callahan's Johnny U, but even for this genre, it's not very inspiring. Freeman tends to talks at us about Brown's motives and his life,rather than just letting the story tell itself. It's clear in the afterward that Brown was unresponsive to Freeman's requests to be interviewed and may have kept others away from Freeman. On the other hand, it's clear that he could have dug deeper with the material that was available. Some of his observations are simply laughable--Frank Ryan, the famously indecisive (and poorly protected) quarterback gets the kind of laudatory treatment that few Cleveland fans of the era would have given Ryan. The book also has sloppy errors, such as giving an incorrect history of the name of Miami University, the "mother of coaches" and a school that should be well known to sportswriters. Freeman opens by characterizing Brown as the greatest football player of all time, something even a native Clevelander would hesitate to say. Later, he describes Bill Belichick as the greatest coach of all time--a point that Cleveland fans, in particular, would dispute. Comments like these are made with little justification. There are other comparisons which attempt to compare Brown with other Black actors of his generation that fall flat in terms of knowing those actors' work and their appeal to different audiences. The book could have used a decent editor, particularly someone who knows football and Brown's era.
   
   Jim Brown was a towering figure in his time. Football was gaining ground in popularity and the decline of Cleveland's once great baseball team created an opening that Brown easily filled. Fans were disappointed with his sudden departure from the game and his abandonment of an otherwise lackluster team. There's much drama in his story and the book will bring back memories for people who will tolerate its shortcomings. The story of Brown's life after football tends to meander and it's never really clear how managed to get along after the film roles ended. Freeman also takes a lot of Brown's community work at face value and makes claims about Brown's role in dealing with urban problems in L.A. that seem overly generous and which lack any real documentation. I don't doubt Brown's intentions or his willingness to do things that other people might not consider. I just don't think Freeman really gives us a full picture. Given the dearth of written material on Brown's life and his importance to the "modern" game of football, this is better than nothing, but hopefully, someone will do another book that truly does justice to this great football player and interesting, controversial man.



4. I just finished reading this book and although it slowed at times it was worth the read. Jim Brown probably the greatest running back to play football in any era is laid out warts and all in this bio.I believe the book reveals alot in regards to how Brown evolved into the person he is now. The social and racial prejudice he encountered early in life chiseled not only his body but personality into a hard edged, tough to get close to icon.



5. Just old enough to have seen Jim Brown in his prime I therefore read this out of respect for the football player, activist, and occasional jail occupant. The author clearly has great respect for Brown and details the steps he took to be granted interviews from this controlling, contentious man. This book is a great summation but really without any revelations. Brown was a great football player from a broken home in Georgia whose mother brings him to New York and works as a domestic to raise him. High school coaches guide him to a great Syracuse career while he experiences racism and events that will shape his life.
   
   Brown left the NFL at the top of his game for a career in movies. The book seems to glorify the Jim Brown acting career which seems to me to be quite a stretch. Whether it compensated Brown better than staying in football is never made clear. After acting and football we are left with Jim Brown the activist and possible abuser. I applaud Brown for his long history of effective activism but am conflicted on how to balance this with the domestic violence incidents which he continually tries to explain away. This is for the reader to decide but it is apparent that the author also has this same conflict.
   
   Overall, this is a fine book. But does it really add new ground? Not really. Does it give great insight into a unique period America? Probably, in my opinion this is the book's greatest failure. While he touches on what is happening in America during this period, particularly the support for Mohammed Ali as he objects Vietnam duty, there is no great reflection to open this historical period to the reader. Therefore I was left with a biography of maybe the greatest football player who is now an activist and who doesn't want anything written about him. There is just not enough insight or reflection to call this an exceptional book. But if you have a specific interest in knowing of Jim Brown, this book will serve that purpose.

3 comments about Ernie Davis : The Elmira Express, the Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner.

1. The Elmira Express
   
   I love the Twin Tiers in the autumn. The days are still warm; the nights cool, giving birth to vibrant fall colors. The hills seem almost alive, and the threat of colder weather is a promise on the wind. Fall in the Twin Tiers ushers in a revered tradition. When it's autumn in America, it's time for football. Across the land, in big cities and small towns, in large stadiums and rural high schools--the sights, sounds, and colors of the game are all around us. The common thread is the game, and the athletes that practice and play it with heart and determination to the very best of their abilities.
   
   Few players have shown more heart or determination than Ernie Davis. Davis was born on Dec. 14, 1939, in New Salem, Pa. His parents separated shortly after his birth, and his father was soon killed in an accident. He grew up in poverty in Uniontown, a coal-mining town 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, where caring grandparents raised him.
   
   At 12, Davis moved to live with his mother and stepfather in Elmira. He went on to become Elmira's favorite son, both as an outstanding athlete and as a respected and well-loved citizen. Ernie's talent bloomed, and the honors came early and often. He led Elmira Free Academy to a 52-game winning streak in basketball and as a Syracuse sophomore helped the Orangemen gain their only national football championship.
   
   As a senior in 1961, he became the first African American athlete to win the Heisman trophy and was the number one pick in the 1962 NFL draft. And then, suddenly, he was gone. He was diagnosed with leukemia the summer before his rookie season. He never played in the NFL, but succumbed to the disease less than a year later. Though Ernie never played a game for the Cleveland Browns, they retired his number 45, worn only in practice.
   Davis was easily recognized as a great athlete, but his high school coach, Marty Harrigan, summed up what many felt for Ernie Davis when he said, "Everyone knew Ernie's athletic greatness, but few realized what a great human he was. His concern for his fellow man, and his affection for children, was sincere."
   
   I think this is what moved me the most when I read The Express, The Ernie Davis Story by Robert C. Gallagher. There are lots of talented professional athletes today, and most of them are more than willing to inform you just how gifted they are, but the media exposure never changed him. "Ernie was the same kid at the end as he was at the start," said Jim Flynn, his high school basketball coach.
   Ernie believed he was fortunate to be so gifted and never took his ability for granted. He worked hard both on the field and in the classroom. "Ernie was always the first one on the practice field and the last to leave." Many athletes, assured of a college scholarship, would have coasted in class, but "Ernie worked hard when it wasn't popular to get good grades. The teachers loved him. He never would excuse himself from work and say he had too many outside activities." Ernie intended to play professional football, but he knew that career expectancy in the NFL was only a few seasons, so he wanted to be prepared for another career when he retired from football. He believed that education would lead to social and economic success.
   
   Syracuse University experienced its greatest football success during Ernie's career. The Orangemen became the national champions and winners of the Cotton Bowl. Four days before the game, Ernie pulled a hamstring while practicing place kicks. It was doubtful right up until game time whether he could play. Before leaving the game in the fourth quarter, he scored two touchdowns, including a then Bowl-record pass play, scored twice on two-point conversions, and intercepted a pass that led to Syracuse's final touchdown.
   
   He was voted the game's Most Valuable Player. Davis was to have received his MVP award at the awards banquet that night. But when bowl officials said that only white players were invited to the dinner and that Davis would have to leave after picking up his trophy, the Syracuse team refused to attend.
   
   It was Ernie's performance against the University of Pittsburgh that same year which inspired the nickname "The Elmira Express." Elmira Star-Gazette sports writer Al Mallette coined the phrase. Penn State coach Joe Paterno had this to say about Ernie Davis: "He's the kind of runner you hate to coach against; you can't instruct a boy to tackle a man if he can't catch him."
   
   It was December 1961 when Ernie won the Heisman trophy. Winning the Heisman is a significant accomplishment regardless of the year or player, but it was a significant racial breakthrough at a time with segregation was just beginning to become a social issue. Today, black players often win the award, and it might be hard for his contemporaries to appreciate his achievement.
   
   When he was in New York to receive the Heisman, Davis was treated with media coverage usually reserved for national heroes. President John Kennedy was in the city at the time and asked to see Ernie, a visit that thrilled him. "Imagine," Davis said, "a president wanting to shake hands with me."
   
   Ernie was the number one pick for the 1962 National Football League draft following his senior year. The Washington Redskins had the initial selection, but soon traded him to the Cleveland Browns, who signed him to a three-year no-cut, no-trade $65,000 contract with a $15,000 signing bonus, a new record for a rookie.
   
   The next summer while training for the upcoming All-Star game, Ernie awoke with swelling in his neck. A trainer sent him to the hospital, and doctors soon discovered the leukemia. At the time, Ernie and the public were told only that he had a "blood disorder". He wasn't told it was leukemia until October, after he had been in and out of the hospital. "Either you fight or you give up," Davis said in remembering how he felt when told the news.
   
   The disease went into remission, and Davis kept planning on pro football. He practiced with the Browns. Coach Paul Brown, heeding the advice of medical people who warned him of the risks, did not play Davis. The next spring, Davis noticed more swelling and entered the hospital again. Two days later, on May 18, he died in his sleep. In Elmira, more than 10,000 citizens passed the Neighborhood House on May 21 where Ernie lay in state. Flags in the city were flown at half-mast. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, also the burial place of Mark Twain.
   
   Universal Pictures has finished production on the film adaptation of Davis's life. The movie is slated for release Oct. 10. The book is available now. Stop by your local bookstore or library and check it out. You can catch Kevin tailgating at From My Shelf Books in Wellsboro. Stop by or tackle it online at [...]



2. The Elmira Express (on which the movie, The Express, is based) may not be the most literary piece of work ever written, but it the real story of Ernie Davis' legacy. The movie may make for good "family viewing", but this book explains the TRUE story of just how brave, unselfish and caring this young man was, right up until his death. The book explains the indepth accounts of not only Ernie Davis' plight, but also of those who coached him, loved him, and experienced his untimely death. If you have a teen-ager, please try to get him (or her) to read this book. It may just change your child's view of the world. Well... OK...Just maybe.



3. This isn't the greatest book, but a very good and emotional read about a guy that a lot of people should strive to be. Hopefully the movie coming out next year will capture the true heart of Ernie Davis.

1 comments about Sir Bobby Charlton: The Autobiography: My Manchester United Years.

1. for any football fan, but especially fans of the english game and united, this book is a must read. charlton is gripping in his prose, and the thoughtful, well-versed ambassador of united does not disappoint through the book.
   
   i bought it as a united fan wanting to know more about the clubs greatest ever player. i would reccomend it to anyone who wants to know about the life of a footballer in that time period.
   
   Gripping prose, an excellent story, and an easy flow make this an easy read. Buy the book. Read it. And then sit in anticipation of Charlton's next autobiography My England Years.
   
   I for one, can't wait.

No comments about Jim Clark: A photographic portrait.

No comments about Babe Ruth: Remembering the Bambino in Stories, Photos & Memorabilia.

5 comments about The Player: The Autobiography.

1. I was a major Becker fan back in my teens, so it was great to hear his story in his words. I tend to read autobiographies as opposed to biographies. I think it's usually more fun to read what a person has to say about themselves as opposed to what others have to say about them. A person writing about their own life has an agenda, of course, just like any biographer but this just tells you even more about them, and that's what I wanted to read. If you are a fan, you should definitely take a look.



2. It's much more about his personal life and business pursuits than tennis. The extent to which he has burned out on the game really comes through in the lack of interest he seems to have in writing about it. Few matches get any more than a sentence or two. Pretty disappointing.



3. I found the book pretty interesting. I was a major Becker fan back in my teens & as such I've heard so many stories about him over the years. Problem was none of the stories involved his side or his view of the events. So I enjoyed learning about the events from the major player's point of view. He is a gentlemen about his relationships with women, including the mother of his daughter out of wedlock. I respect that, in today's "Jerry Spring" environment it would have been easy for him to get too personal or [...] to try & increase sales & he refrained from that. I hope Becker finds the happiness that seems to have eluded him all these years. (But if your looking for pictures the only ones in the book are on the front & back cover)Good book overall.



4. This is an excellent autobiography about one of my favorite tennis stars of the Open era. His book compares favorably to Mac's "You Can't Be Serious." Although both personalities are equally intriguing, Becker opens up more. Mac remains more focused on the tennis. Becker engages in depth into all his demons, the tax evasion scandal, the wrenching divorce, and the sleeping pill addiction.
   
   With Becker you feel the heights and lows of fame. It is an extremely charged bipolar life. You also feel that Becker found it physically and emotionally exhausting. His body was crippled with tendon injuries resulting in several surgeries. His lingering tax evasion case lasting years took a heavy toll on his tennis career. His marriage to Barbara was a casualty of fame.
   
   Many relationships he experienced have gone through Faustian dramas. This is true with his coaches and his women. He always seems to share a very strong bond and trust at the onset. Invariably, they don't meet expectations (his or theirs). Then, things fall apart. But, somehow they often recover and end up as mature friends. This was the case with both Ion Tiriac and Barbara (his former wife).
   
   Becker is full of contradictions. For instance, when he is in court to fight over the terms of a bitter divorce he states that he lived all his life in Germany. This was in an effort to transfer the divorce case from the U.S. where his wife filed the divorce paper to Germany where he would benefit from more lenient financial disclosure. But, when the German government goes after him for back taxes. All of a sudden, he has supposedly not set foot in Germany for decades. What gives?
   
   The description of life on the tour and the limelight seems really existential at best. Becker suffered from the inability to make genuine friends with fellow tennis players. He found the resulting social isolation difficult. But, how could you be close friends when your livelihood depended on your killer instinct ability to beat your fellow pros.
   
   The richness of the book is generated by all the chapters dedicated to other stars than Becker. One of them is by Ion Tiriac who describes his side of the story, including the fall out with Becker, and the eventual reconciliation. Another chapter is about Ali, another one consists of a fascinating interview with McEnroe, another one is an ode to Steffi Graf, finally another is an ode to Mandela. So, this biography is not just about Becker or tennis.
   
   If you like this book, I strongly recommend McEnroe's "You Can't Be Serious" and Bill Scanlon's "Bad News for McEnroe." Both those books stick more to tennis. Nevertheless, they are fascinating as they are written by two of the most talented players and incisive minds in tennis.



5. I would imagine that most of the autobiographies of sports personalities (and perhaps movie stars) in todays day and age are ghost-written. This book doesn't seem to be an exception.
   
   Being a great fan of Becker, I picked up the book as soon as I saw it in a bookshop. However, I was reasonably disappointed. The book talks very little about his tennis (which is what a fan would like to read about). I wanted to read about his epic matches, and his wimbledon wins.
   
   Instead of writing about tennis in this book, Becker writes more about the off-the-court aspects of his life (his misunderstandings with his coaches, with other players on the circuit). He seems to be making a point that he was never in the wrong but that he was misunderstood. The book seems to be his attempt to set the record straight.

5 comments about Hands of Stone: The Life and Legend of Roberto Duran.

1. This is an outstanding biography about arguably, one of the best boxers to ever walk the planet. Author Christian Giudice did his homework and presents an amazing story of the mythical character, the legendary persona and ultimately, the man, Roberto Duran who held championship titles in four different weight classes. The book includes many black and white photographs taken from different periods in his career as well as rare family photos. Included are the classic match ups featuring him and his foes in action and some just mugging for the camera. Let me say, right away, that I was a big Roberto Duran fan. This book appeals on many fronts though even if I was just a casual boxing fan. Having seen him box in person(Leonard vs.Duran III)and followed his career it was a walk down memory lane but with new insights into the ins and outs of the fights. I was pleased to find out that the infamous "no mas" is probably nothing more than a sound bite taken out of cotext. The full sentence reveals that he didn't want to fight with the clown Leonard anymore, (hence the "no mas"). At the time I thought that he was just frustrated and didn't want to chase him around anymore;in other words, he felt like fight or go to dancing with the stars. There was also more to this story, cocerning his health, his diet and his preparation that shined more light on what was a confusing situation. It seems Duran was never one to shy away from controversy. He lived extravagantly between fights, balloned in weight and fought some of the best world class fighters and some real bums. Waht cannot be denied was his ability and his charisma, especially amongst the Latino community. The book begins with his early years, his trials and tribulations. The poverty rags to riches story is detailed, the colorful characters that influenced him,as well as his protagonists and allies in his rise to fame and fortune. He was flamboyant to the max, he wrestled with a pet lion, knocked out a horse with a punch in his youth(supposedly) and was a womanizer. In spite of all his shortcomings he rose to top of the boxing world and won titles in numerous weight classes. There will probably never be another Roberto Duran. In this book it is all told, the good and the bad. If you were a boxing fan during the eighties you gotta have this book. If you're new to boxing check him out on classic fights. He was an amazing boxer who was vicious yet loveable. If it sounds like I have or had a man crush on Duran, you're probably right. I loved the man, he was the ultimate macho boxer. Highly recommended for all boxing aficionados.



2. Teachers of fiction often make the point that contradiction makes for colorful, rich characters. Christian Giudice's biography of Panamanian boxing champion Roberto Duran in Hands of Stone certainly validates this claim in the realm of reality too. Duran won world titles in four different weight divisions and fought in five decades with a record of 104 wins in 120 fights and 69 knockouts. He is regarded by almost all boxing writers and insiders as one of boxing's all-time great champions. But Duran is still best remembered for his "no mas" welterweight title rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard in the New Orleans Superdome in November, 1980, when he quit at the end of the eighth round. The boxing world has since tried to make sense of Duran's smoldering macho persona, juxtaposed with the unthinkable act of quitting in the middle of a championship fight.
   
   To Giudice's credit, he doesn't over-psychologize, and lets those closest to Duran and the fight itself do the explaining. In fact, Giudice lays out his motivation to write the book in a thoughtful introduction - the book evolved as a matter of his own personal pursuit to answer the question of how and why "no mas" happened. What follows is the biography of a man who is not so much complex as he is certainly contradictory.
   
   Duran's early days are fascinating. From relatives with colorful classical Greek family names like Socrates (an uncle who had uncommon punching power) and Alcibiades (Duran's younger brother whose tragic death he claims his mother never got over), to stories about his early Dickensian street-mentor Chaflan, and the three different versions of his reputed knockout of a horse at the age of sixteen, Duran's early days in the slums of Chorrillo in Panama City make for great reading. Indeed, Giudice's biography is foremost a book for rabid fight fans who revel in boxing's rich trove of gritty stories about survival in and out of the ring.
   
   Giudice describes how enigmatic international businessman Carlos Eleta, from whose property Duran used to steal coconuts, saw Duran fight and became his financial backer. Duran ultimately ascended to the lightweight championship by defeating Scotsman Kenny Buchanan in 1972, despite a controversial foul by Duran. By the beginning of 1980, only Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard had more boxing star-power in terms of persona and charisma - Duran's snarling coal-eyed machismo was unparalleled. With a record of 72-1, he had mopped up the lightweight division and was a tremendous crowd pleaser, staging fierce and unprecedented training sessions with rope-skipping artistry and powerful hitting and had unsurpassed killer instinct in the ring.
   
   Giudice then tells of Duran's greatest triumph, a masterful fifteen round unanimous decision over former Olympic superstar and undefeated welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard in their bout in June, 1980, in Montreal. Following this are the details of the infamous "no mas" rematch with Leonard in November of the same year in the New Orleans Superdome, and, finally, his path to redemption in the latter half of his career where he fought brutal battles with some of boxing toughest warriors, including Wilfredo Benitez, Carlos Palomino, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Pipino Cuevas and Iran Barkley.
   
   "No mas?" Guidice lets boxing writers, other fighters, boxing trainers reactions to and/or explanations of Duran's "no mas" debacle. The list includes, among others, boxing trainers Manny Steward, Angie Dundee, Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown; writers Budd Schulberg and Bert Sugar; boxers Jose Torres and Carlos Palomino and Sugar Ray himself and many others. Duran, while never hurt during the fight, was clearly being humiliated by Leonard, who had changed his "stand-and fight" tactics from the first fight, having admitted that Duran's insults to him and his family got to him mentally. Duran's drinking, eating and conqueror's victory parties went on for weeks after the first fight and he had ballooned to at least forty pounds, maybe more, over the welterweight limit. Leonard, after serious soul-searching about losing the first fight, stayed focused and trained hard, believing, unlike almost everyone in his own training camp, that he could defeat Duran in a rematch. Duran, nowhere near the shape he was in for their Montreal brawl, had to lose twenty pounds in the last two weeks before the fight to meet weight. Unable to cut off the ring on the skillfully adept and supremely conditioned Leonard who would stick and move, Duran became more and more frustrated. Worse still, Leonard began to taunt Duran, stuck his head out, wound his right hand around like a pinwheel, and then snapped a jab in Duran's face. An impulsive act of abject frustration and most likely self-acknowledgment that he couldn't win and with the possibility of being knocked out by his hated rival, Duran said to referee Octavio Meyran in Spanish, "I'm not going to fight this clown anymore." The ref, not comprehending that Duran was actually quitting, allowed the fight to continue. When the ref signaled the two fighters to continue after Duran had turned his back, Duran, according to the referee, then uttered "no mas." Leonard, at first confused, then realizing Duran had quit, celebrated. When American broadcaster Howard Cosell, who was announcing the fight, heard only "no mas," these two words were forever engraved into the lexicon of Duran's legacy.
   
   There were claims by Duran and others of stomach cramps as the reason for Duran's quitting. Panamanian journalist Juan Carlos Tapia commented: "He was simply not prepared for the fight. Leonard was beating him bad and Duran said that nobody will knock me out." According to Giudice, Duran seemed in denial of the gravity of his quitting, celebrating with friends and Panamanian military groupies that night. He didn't return to Panama for several weeks but on returning, he found his national hero's status suddenly turned to national scorn with his fans throwing rocks at his home and defacing his mural on Avenida Balboa in Panama City. Duran, who thrived on his connection to the people of Panama, went into a huge depression before he soldiered on for twenty more years in the fight game, not retiring until 2002.
   
   Giudice describes Duran outside the ring as a man who genuinely loved his family and friends, salsa music, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and a good time, just as he loved a good fight. A man of great courage and self-discipline, he could also let himself go to excess eating, drinking, partying with friends and women late into the night. His wife, Felicidad, and his soulful identification with the people of Panama were the constants in his life. Though he made and lost millions, Duran, according to Giudice, never forgot his roots in the slums of Chorrillo. And, in a strange twist of irony, the U.S. military was responsible for destroying his old neighborhood as result of a fire caused in the 1989 military operation to depose Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
   
   Giudice's writing reveals his own affection for the people of Panama, the tough characters in the boxing world and Duran himself. I was frustrated for lack of an index, and imagine other readers would be too, particularly since this biography will appeal foremost to ardent boxing fans who love insider's trivia. For those aficionados, however, Giudice has presented the first comprehensive biography in English of one of boxing's and the sports world's most dynamic figures as well as pulled together the most comprehensive commentaries by authorities regarding Duran's "no mas" fight. There are other great tidbits including Panama's colorful boxing history, intrigue surrounding Carlos Eleta's role in the United States, Panamanian politics surrounding the 1989 invasion, and much more. For all of Giudice's exhaustive research, interviews, anecdotes and information, I found his first chapter and the latter part of the last chapter the most compelling. Like many who are enamored of and write about the world of boxing, the collision of realism with the Cervanteseque romantic in the author is ever present throughout the biography. He writes in the latter part of the last chapter about Roberto Duran today:
   
   Roberto Duran's hands are soft, fleshy maps of a life of fighting in streets and rings. His knuckles are ghastly bumps, narratives of the men who confronted him. The man- father fiend and son - has lived in extremes. He has stood with presidents dined with world figures, danced with goddesses, defeated poverty, partied with celebrities, sipped the worlds best champagne, driven expensive cars. Draped himself in rare jewelry, and brawled and bested the world's toughest men. He thrived among crowds. When his people turned away, he turned inward; when the world called out, he soaked in its luxuries, still hear its additive call. All fighters do. As his skills reflexes and skills slowly left him he tilted at ghosts that no longer existed.
   
   We impose narrative on events to make sense, often elevating single moments as "defining," as the words "no mas" have become indelibly identified with Duran. Giudice's biography challenges the reader to say "no mas" to "no mas" and "mas" to allowing icons to become once again the contradictory flesh-and-blood human beings we all are.



3. My sons and I have had the honor of meeting Mr. Duran in person, in Prescott AZ and he is truly a legend inside and outside the ring. His kindness to my sons, who are amature boxers themselves, is without words. I remember as a young boy seeing him fight and any man who stood toe to toe with him was in for a short night. The book gives the reader the insight of a man who transended boxing, who cared for all the men he faced in the ring and never forgot where he came from. He was fearless in the ring yet wrongly protraded as a villian, his story is a must read and I feel privilaged to say that I have met the hands of stone!!



4. IF you wnat to know learn about a great Boxer this is for you!



5. This book is riveting, especially if you are big fan of Roberto Duran like I was growing up. The author does a great job in filling in all the details of Duran's childhood and entire boxing career. From fight to fight, you feel that you are actually inside the trainning camp with Duran while he prepares for his next big fight! - you really get a sense of the true Duran, the boxing world and the business of the sport. If you love boxing like I do and Roberto Duran - you will not be able to put this book down.

5 comments about Butkus: Flesh and Blood.

1. "Flesh and Blood" is Dick Butkus' autobiography from birth to 1997.
   He begins by telling about his family and some of the mischief he perpetrated as a youth. He tells of his early love for the game of football and an older brother that pursued a career as a player.
   
   He writes with a lot of admiration about fellow Bears rookie Gale Sayers and his appreciation for the talents of the great running backs. He also explains his respect for George Allen and his disappointment when George Halas let Allen leave the Bears' staff as a defensive coordinator. Allen had a big impact on the rookie Linebacker and he maintained a friendship after that. George Allen even contemplated a trade for Butkus shortly before the Linebacker retired.
   
   Dick Butkus elaborates on the adjustments to college football and academics. He didn't get to play as a freshman for the Illini and schoolwork was more challenging.
   
   He tackles some of the false legends regarding his actions on the field.
   
   "Flesh and Blood" gives you a look at the NFL of old from a player's point of view. Like other hall-of-famers of his period, he loved the game and often-times unselfishly played when he shouldn't have.
   He sued the Bears to get paid after he had to retire because of his knee injuries. The knee surgeries before the 1971 season were brutal and you have to wonder if they weren't more damaging than helpful.
   
   Dick Butkus covers his post-football life at the end of the book. While he played like a monster, he shows a human side as a husband and father.
   
   There may never be another Middle LineBacker that intimidates opponents and disrupts a game the way that # 51 did during his short career. This is his story and I enjoyed reading it.



2. My first word as a child was: Butkus. There was a football game on TV at the hospital where I was born. The Bears were playing the Lions. Butkus had five sacks and an interception. I like cookies and milk.



3. This book is the best book I ever read. Dick Butkus is the greatest human being who ever bit of a refs ear. I would recommend anyone thinking of becoming a serial killer read this book. I like cookies and , milk.



4. A very comprehensive study of each and every season Butkus played with the Bears. But I was hoping for much more about Butkus's life off the football field. I would have liked to have heard more anecdotes about players he played with and against. Also would have been interesting to hear personal insights from Dick regarding what he felt about the awe-like reputation he inspired on the field from fans and players alike.
   
   This reads too much as a season-by-season and game-by-game account of his career. Interesting at first but repetitive and dry over time. I was hoping for more.



5. I loved it!

   But then again I am a huge Bears fan and a huge Butkus fan,good ol 51 played the game like nobody ever did and I enjoyed reading about how he grewup and about the Bears on and off the field and its mangement,I always thought Bears mangement has always been skummy and this book proved me right,I loved this book though as it was great to hear stories about the players and how they spent there time and about picciolo and sayers etc,
   I met Butkus about 4months ago and he looks great and seams to be doing well.

5 comments about The Four-Minute Mile, Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition.

1. It is amazing how vivid it all came back to me, since I was about 8 years old and the name Bannister became passed around. What is exceptional about this account, is how chosen pivotal athletes seem to be in their respective sports, so that when we read their stories there is much to be mined. After reading this offhand, medical student's on-the-run account of those heady days, I am even more convinced how special he was to the sport and the discipline of life. Like Ray Berry, Johnny Unitas's wide receiver on the Baltimore Colts in the late fifties, Bannister possessed an incredible self-awareness and keen analytical skills that pre-date the modern athlete. Outsiders only see the athlete, but inside is the scientific mind at work, attempting the impossible feat of cheating nature and man's limitations. It was apparent to this reader early on, that Roger Bannister was about to make larger contributions in the medical field as well. It was also gleaned how foolhardy Steve Prefontaine was in his training habits by letting his heart run free; Bannister explains how the body had to be trained for higher performance, not just willed. Bannister's philosophy about running appears clinical, serving notice to all, that the pathway to a widened life is unrestricted if one leads an examined life.



2. May 6, 1954: 3,000 spectators, a number of competitors, one runner with a historic goal.
   
   On that afternoon, Sir Roger Bannister broke through a mythical barrier, running one mile under four minutes. It was accomplished during a meet between British AAA and Oxford University at Iffley Road Track in Oxford.
   
   This 1955 autobiography is more than a chronicle of his chase for immortality; it is an exploration into disappointment on the international stage - he did not medal in the 1500m in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games - self-sacrifice and the balancing of a number of goals on a variety of tracks in life.
   
   While runners will never tire of the story of this challenge within the mind and body, those who have never laced up a pair of racing spikes can appreciate a spirit of motivation that can be applied in all facets of the daily grind.
   
   "The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win," says Bannister. And those words resonate on the drive to any finish line.



3. Short read, perfect for the summer vacation on the beach. A really talented man, amazing what he accomplished considering some of his training ( smoking and hung over collegiate). The book is very literate, and illustrates a personal side of an accomplished doctor.



4. As a cross-country runner in high school this book by Roger Bannister was a great inspiration to me. His description of the assault on the 4 minute mile barrier is fascinating but also memorable are his recollections of the Helsinki Olympics (where Bannister failed to achieve a medal), and his success at the Commonwealth Games where the only two sub-4 minute milers met face to face for the first time.
   
   It's now about 40 years since I first read the book and I was very pleased it was republished in a commemorative edition.
   
   Reading the book again was a joy. The book went very quickly and had most of the excitement of when I first read it. It was not surprising tha the prose and impressions seemed less mature than when I first read them, but that was to be expected as Bannister wrote the book when he was in his twenties.
   
   I was disappointed that the pictures were not the same as the original edition, with perhaps too many pictures of Bannister in later years. The original pictures of the Helsinki Olympics and other competitions were an integral part of the book and it's a shame that they were missing.
   
   Bannisters achievement in breaking the Four Minute Mile was a milestone (pardon the pun), as was the fact that he did it as an amateur and while he was in the middle of his medical studies. In my opinion his book is also a great achievement and is certainly worth the read.



5. A great story about a great runner! You keep reading only wishing that he had put more about his career. It reads really slow and much of the book could be skipped over. I recommend the book if you are looking for a background of Bannister starting from birth. I was looking for something about his running.

5 comments about Terry Funk: More than Just Hardcore.

1. I grew up a fan of Terry, Dory Jr and Dory Sr. I was familiar with all the wrestlers he profiled in his book - but I felt as though the book was written very quickly and almost stream of conscious. He would start telling one story and then rush off to the next. I wanted more details, I suppose. He certainly comes off as likeable and funny. The book was fun, but I wanted a whole lot more from my childhood hero.



2. I have always loved Terry Funk.I first seen him in ECW and he was byond a doubt my favorite.Little did I know then in years I would discover that not only did I realize why he was so popular and beloved,but why he is bar none THEE Best Wrestler of all time.His career spanded 40 years and through it he trailblazed a legacy of greatness with originality,charisma and gold around his waist.He set his sites to Japan and became a deity to the Japanese.He also fought in the bloodiest brutal of all matches consisting of glass,barbed wire,nails,thumbtacks,electricity and explosives.Terry would fight all over the world and for a 3 year run as NWA World Heavyweight Champion.Becoming an Actor and starring in blockbuster movies with Sylvester Stallone.HELL he's still is wrestling well in his 70's-crazy yo.But awesome as it gets.I don't want to spoil anything else,but these are facts I'm sure you know as I do.
   
   This book is by far my most treasured piece of liturature.If you love Terry Funk like I do you'll be drooling as you absorb every detail in fresh perspective of his acounts of his life.Many out there consider Flair or Hogan the best there is,but I promise you when you read this book you'll realize that only Terry Funk can deservingly claim that distinction.And don't get me wrong I respect and admire both Flair and Hogan,but after I read this book you'll know for sure that Funk is not only the best,he is Wrestling.
   
   I cannot stress enongh how wonderful this book is and that if you consider yourself a true Wrestling Fan then it's a requirement to read this book.Whiether it be ECW,NWA,WCW,WWE that you want to read about his experiences in you'll be so enlightened about him and the Wrestling Industry that it will always be with you.And especially about other Wrestlers he mentions in this book is just as entertaining and enlightening and Terry himself.
   
   So,I highly,highly-HIGHLY recommend this book to true Wrestling Fans.You'll be amazed like I was about this great man and Professional Wresler.WOW!I just can't praising this ultiate legend enough and when you're finished with this book you'll realize that as well.
   
   Long live the Funkner baby!



3. Great book by one the all-time best.A must read for any true oldschool fan.



4. Terry is pretty much uncensored and tells all about his life - this is a very good book. I never knew Terry thought Goldust was one of the best gimmicks WWF ever did - I must say I agree with him!



5. I picked up this book because of how Mick Foley has talked up Terry Funk in his previous two books (Have A Nice Day & Foley Is Good). I've become somewhat of a late Terry Funk fan thanks to Mick Foley. I've missed out on some of Terry's best days and best matches (notice to WWE - get moving on a Terry Funk dvd!) so I must admit to being weary heading into reading this book.
   
   I was very pleasantly surprised. I was informed and more importantly, entertained by Terry Funk. He's a lot smarter than his wrestling personality leads you to believe. Also, like his protege Mick Foley, his morals show through in an industry known for a lack of morals at best. In one of the earlier chapters I was waiting in a car while shopping was being done and decided to read more of the book to pass the time. There was a funny part of the book that literally made me laugh out loud! Funk is funny as hell when he wants to be and there is a good amount of humor in this book.
   
   I must admit there were things in the book that either went over my head or was about people/things I did not know about. For the most part, Terry did well to explain things a person like me (someone who didn't follow his career before recent years) could understand. Also, we got to hear his side of the friendship between him and Foley. I'd almost be willing to say this book should be recommended even if you aren't a wrestling fan. Like Foley's book it goes beyond the wrestler and brings you insight into the MAN himself. I am completely glad I bought this book. It took me away from the real world and my real life problems. I was absorbed by a man who loves wrestling, but loves his family even more. High praise to Terry Funk & co-writer Scott Williams!
   
   P.S. - Special thanks to Mick Foley for talking so nicely about Funk in his books that he made me interested in Funk to buy this book and start following Terry's wrestling career.