Customer Reviews

Classic Wiley: A Lifetime of Punchers, Players, Punks and Prophets (Great American Sportswriters)

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Wiley, Ralph. Classic Wiley. Hyperion: USA, 2005
Heart
Home Library
Collection of work

A collection of the best work from the late Ralph Wiley, this is not just a collection of his best work but also a look into the life and mind of one of the most influential African-American sports journalist. We see how Ralph Wiley responds to certain historical sports moments/ issues, such as minority owner ship, Mike Tyson and September 11.

Although this book is a collection of Wiley's greatest work it is much more than that. This book illustrates the unique writing style of Ralph Wiley. Wiley exemplifies a style that is brash and to the point yet not arrogant. He writes in a way that you respect his stand on issues even though you may not agree with it. One of Ralph Wiley's favorite sports to cover was boxing he was made famous by his articles in the Oakland Tribune about Roberto Duran's famous "No mas" and his depiction of fights like Leonard vs. Hearns II. Theses pieces are what sprang Wiley's name into the infamous Sports Illustrated which he was a writer for since the late 80's. After SI he continued to have success as a columnist for ESPN.com. The columns he wrote there were extremely personal. Columns such as WWJD (What Would Jackie Robinson Do), His response to the lack of African American ownership in the new millennium expressed his built up anger of major sports. Also his article Why We Need Sports Now sent a message to American people following the terrorist attack of 9/11.The book is excellent and a great book for any aspiring journalist.

I'm glad I picked up this book because Wiley's writing is captivating.

Too many of the stories in this book are from a column he did for [...], and those columns do not have the legs of his magazine pieces. Only the story about Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth was very memorable from his ESPN columns.

The entries in the book from his magazine writing are amazing. Some of the best writing that I have ever read. I read the book over the past year, and his stories on the 1980s Mets, Sugar Ray Robinson and others are just terrific.

It's a great collection of work by a great writer.

Talk about a compilation of one's greatest hits. It's a shame Ralph Wiley left this earth way too early, because it would have been great to see if he could have improved on what was already some of the most superlative writing I've ever read. Wiley was a king, and a great example for everyone else to follow. If you want to be a writer, read this to see what writing is all about.

A lifetime of Punchers Players Punks and Prophets is undoubtedly a great collection of essays written by one of the most insightful and prophetic sports writers of our time. Ralph Wiley did a great service to sports enthusiasts publishing this collection. I'm glad to have read this book and advise others to do the same. God bless you Ralph.