The History of the Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years, Book I (Part I)

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Summary: oh dear
Review: This is one of the most poorly-written books I have ever read on the Packers, the NFL, or football.

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Summary: The 'Bible' of Green Bay Packer History
Review: Would you like to consider yourself a serious historian of the Green Bay Packers and the NFL? If so, then `The History of The Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years, Part One' by Larry D. Names is a "must read." This thorough biography of the early years of the most unique franchise in the NFL leaves no stone unturned, and dispels many of the myths and uncovers many unknown facts about the Packers during their formative years.

This book is the first in a series of four and covers the first fourteen years of Curly Lambeau's tenure with the team, from 1919 to 1932.

Many readers may be shocked and may even disbelieve some of what has been disclosed in this chronicle. For example: Contrary to what most have always believed to be fact, Curly Lambeau was not the founder of the team or even the team's first head coach. And believe it or not, the city of Green Bay and most of its citizens did not care about the Packers in the early years. The team almost died not just once but several times.

Each chapter of the book covers one season and is in chronological order. Any important off-the-field events, such as personnel changes on the executive board, are covered. Also, a brief description is provided for each game of that particular season. Historical firsts, such as the first live radio broadcast, are chronicled along the way.

Most impressive is how thorough the book is. Obviously, Names spent many hours painstakingly researching for this endeavor and it shows. Since the book was first published in 1987 (this book review was written in 2004), `The History of The Green Bay Packers' series has emerged as the authority on the subject. The series has been referenced in several other books that have followed, including David Zimmerman's `Curly Lambeau: The Man Behind The Mystique' and John Maxymuk's `Packers by the Numbers: Jersey Numbers and the Players Who Wore Them.' Also, the October 28, 2001 edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a front-page (sports section) story stating that Joe Hoeffel, and not Curly Lambeau, was the Packers' first head coach. That newspaper article stated that "of the several books written about the Packers' history, only a collection by Larry Names mentioned Hoeffel."

In closing, this is a history book. If you are not particularly interested in the history of the Green Bay Packers or the history of the NFL, then this is not a book for you. Many of the men who formed the team and many of the players that were on those teams during the early years that are chronicled in this book are men that the casual fan - or even the diehard fan for that matter - will not recognize. But if you consider yourself a true Packer historian, or if you would like to know the real story of how the Green Bay Packers came into being; then `The History of The Green Bay Packers: The Lambeau Years, Part One' is the book for you.