Rating: 
Summary: WELL WRITTEN AND DETAILED
Review: THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL RESEARCHED AND HAS GREAT DETAIL. I ENJOYED THIS BOOK VERY MUCH. THE LEGEND OF LOMBARDI COMES TO LIFE IN THIS TELLING OF HIS LIFE. A GREAT READ FOR LOMBARDI FANS. I WISH IT HAD MORE DETAIL ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIS PLAYERS. I FELT IT SPENT TOO MUCH TIME AND DETAIL ABOUT TRIVIAL MATTERS. THIS BOOK COULD HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN BY A QUARTER IF SOME OF THIS INFO HAD BEEN ELIMINATED. STILL WELL WORTH PRICE AND A GOOD LOOK AT THE LEGEND IN HIS COACHING AND HIS PRIVATE LIFE. VERY RECOMMENDED.
Rating: 
Summary: The Myth is still a Man
Review: I found this book to be a delightful read and a great synopsis of the life of Vince Lombardi, The Man. This book detailed what made Vince tick, his faith, his mentors, and his experiences, both on and off the field. (...) there was not much discussion about football theory in the book, but that is not what I was looking for. Maraniss does a masterful job of "telling the story" of Vince's life, and giving insight into what might have elevated Vince to the stuff of Myth's.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the football?
Review: As a long-time Green Bay Packer fan, I was eager to read this book, but I found it very disappointing. The account of Lombardi's early years is pretty good, because I didn't know much about that period in his life. However, Maraniss doesn't seem to know very much football and, as a result, he virtually ignores Lombardi's contributions to the sport, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. That's odd, because he does make the point that Lombardi was an outstanding X's and O's coach, who often stayed up all night designing a play until it felt right. Yet Maraniss offers practically no information on how Lombardi approached a game, developed a game plan, or designed plays to work against a specific opponent. That's rather like writing a biography of Einstein without talking about physics or mathematics.
Rating:
Summary: Detailed History
Review: I grew up in Wisconsin and was in grade school during the glory years of Lombardi. This book brings the 1960's into perspective for me. How a New Yorker came to Green Bay and survived, not only the winters, but the cultural, climatic and regional differences, is facinating. I particularly enjoyed the history of Lombardi before he got to Green Bay. Many people wonder whether Lombardi could coach, coach successfully in today's era of professional football. After reading this book, somehow, I think he could.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, a must read about a rare man
Review: As a young teenage football fan growing up in NYC during the 60's, I always resented seeing "that old man with that big smile" every weekend. With all local games blacked out from TV, we often watched the Packers, and they always seemed to win. When he left Green Bay, and then the Jets won the SuperBowl, it seemed that the "man" just disappeared. Twenty five years later, and still a huge football fan, while watching a documentary about the NFL's first 75 years, seeing film of Lombardi brought those old memories back. And from that point, I began to do some research into his career. I was so amazed, that I began comparing his records against others, and in doing so prepared an outline for a future book that I will be writing about professional football coaching. However, this book, is not only a great book about a great man, but it is a great book! And although this book revolves around football, the book is not about football. It is a rare insight into the life of a man, raised by immigrants, educated by Jesuits with strict rules, discriminated by some, but finally respected by all. Maybe not loved by all, but definitely respected. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a great man, and a classic American.
Rating:
Summary: Behind The Legend There Was A Man
Review: No one quote defines the life of Vince Lombardi more than "God, family and the Green Bay Packers!" We all know of the man who lead the Packers to several championships, his great players, and the dedication and effort he drew out of his teams and fans alike. Maraniss looks behind this persona into what shaped the man, and what in turn shaped the people around him. The joy in this book lies in the account of his years prior to Green Bay, and the result. From Brooklyn to Fordham to St Cecilia's High School to West Point to the New York Giants, "When Pride Still Mattered" masterfully weaves together the man. Religion, the influence of one of the legendary Four Horseman (his college coach, Sleepy Jim Crowley), another legendary coach (Army's Red Blaik) - all were the building blocks to what became Vince Lombardi. Also in this account are several interesting facts - a direct line can be traced from famous coaches - Knute Rockne up through Bill Parcells; Lombardi started the Redskins on their road to respectability and beyond; the advent of the NFL players union; etc. If you want to know the man behind the legend, you're in for a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: This is an exceptional piece of reporting on an important cultural figure. The story of Vince Lombardi and his family is poignant and harrowing.
Rating:
Summary: Innocenct Past Shattered
Review: I have only a few words to say about this astounding biography. The author does a wonderful job of doing what a biography is supposed to accomplish: answering the questions of why we need to know about this subject and how did they impact their times. The author accomplishes both by deconstructing the myth of Vince Lombardi, showing all of his complicated sides, his weaknesses and his strengths. The author succeeds in deconstructing the myth of what Vince Lombardi was, and you are left with the facts of what Vince Lombardi really was, and you begin to respect the man even more. The author further counters the constant trend that tends to idealize the historical past, perfected by the once formidale scholar Steven Ambrose and Tom Brokaw in his "Greatest Generation." While the efforts of those who experienced those times should not ever be discounted, the author argues that it should not be glorified or exaggerated but set in the context of the past as it should be, and from there, the real truth, and the real value of a generation will be exposed. Vincent Lomardi was not a mythical figure of unmatched proportions, he was a teacher and football coach who wanted the best for his family and to excel at the next level. He excelled in those conditions, providing a lasting impression, education and symbolism to all those who new him, but he should not be removed from the context of his times. The past was not innocent, the same faults still plague us now as when "pride still mattered." But as the author clearly showed,there is still something to be learned from every generation, when the myths are deconstructed, and the real lives of real people are revealed. This classic biography should not be missed by any biography or sports fan.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking portrait of an American sports icon
Review: The story of Vince Lombardi as related by David Maraniss is not a football story, but a human story. Starting from his parents and the extended family he was born into, the author does an excellent job tracing the development of this man. You will learn of the time he spent studying for the priesthood, the honing of his coaching qualities at all levels, and the relationships he made along the way. The author wrote a riveting story throughout, with enough depth to challenge intellect, and with enough pace to keep me engaged fully in each chapter. For those of you who are primarily interested in reliving the memories of his successes, the book will not disappoint you. However, you will be engaged in a much larger experience, that of reliving the pathway one man took to reach the pinnacle of his profession and the learning such a path has for us all.
Rating:
Summary: A biography for everyone
Review: There are some outstanding reviews here so I'll just make a few quick points. First, it is refreshing to see a serious sports biography about a legend. So many sports and entertainment biographies are puff pieces and not worth the paper they're printed on. This biography is well researched, well written, insightful, serious /and/ entertaining. Second, it is in-depth and I must repeat -- serious. Being a big football fan I found the biography extremely informative about not just Lombardi, but the Packer dynasty and football in general. I learned a great deal from this book. Maraniss does an extremely excellent job on many other fronts. He puts Lombardi in his historical context, drawing on the local and national climate and culture of the times which brings a greater understanding of the man himself. He also shows the strain it takes to be a successful football coach at all levels, so we need not wonder why so many coaches today burnout (not to mention the toll it takes on the family). His descriptions of the Packers' well known players like Max McGee and Paul Hornug, to name a couple, are also insightful and let us know that players today aren't all that much different from players in the past -- the press is just more apt to report about their misbehavior. Also his description of major games in football history and the story of the Packer's glory years are superb. I could go on and on. This is a must read for football fans. But everyone, football fan or not, will like this biography of an American icon.
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