Led by Their Dreams: The Inside Story of Carolina's Journey to the 2005 National Championship [Hardcover]

Adam Lucas (Author), Steve Kirschner (Author), Matt Bowers (Author), Dean Smith (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005

"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skills to do difficult things easily." --Thought for the Day, March 22, 2005, Carolina practice plan

At the start of the 2005 season, the North Carolina Tar Heels were a talented yet dysfunctional team made up of gifted yet unfocused athletes. Head coach Roy Williams had his work cut out for him: to piece the team back together and inspire the players to use their adversity as the surest path to victory. On April 4, 2005, Carolina defeated Illinois in the championship finals. "How else could it have ended?" reflected forward Jawad Williams. "We've been the lowest and now we're the highest."

Led By Their Dreams, a celebration of the Tar Heels' 2005 season, features interviews with the players and coach Roy Williams. It also includes Williams's famous inspirational quotes--his "Thoughts for the Day"--which often foretold something about to happen and always served to push the team toward better teamwork and, ultimately, the NCAA championship.

With full-color photographs throughout, postseason notes, a list of the honors and awards received by standout players, and a CD of the radio call of the championship game, this is the ultimate book for fans to remember the best team of 2005 and its return to glory.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly, a newsletter that covers all University of North Carolina sports. He is author of Going Home Again, the story of Roy Williams and his return to coach the Tar Heels, published by The Lyons Press in 2004.

Steve Kirschner is the associate athletic director for communications at the University of North Carolina.

Matt Bowers is the assistant director of athletic communications at the university.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592289185
• ISBN-13: 978-1592289189
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,228,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Adam Lucas grew up dreaming of becoming a Carolina basketball player. A severe lack of height and talent curtailed that dream, but he discovered another way to get as close as possible to the Tar Heels--writing about Carolina sports. Since 2001, he has been the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and a featured columnist on the official athletic department website, TarHeelBlue.com. He has authored or co-authored six books on Carolina Basketball. Adam lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go Heels!, March 23, 2006

By 

Jody A. Maness "Big Sexy" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Led by Their Dreams: The Inside Story of Carolina's Journey to the 2005 National Championship (Hardcover)

There are two great things about this book. The first being the freshness of the information. When a team wins a championship, the win is almost covered to death so to speak, so I was definately pleasantly suprised when the book contained many stories that I had not yet heard. Secondly, and probably the best thing about the book was the complete Tarheel Sports Network radio broadcast of the Championship game and the post-game press conferences. This book is a must for any Tarheel fan, and the CD is something you will listen to over and over.

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Love Basketball, January 30, 2006

By 

Rachel Greene (Blowing Rock, NC, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Led by Their Dreams: The Inside Story of Carolina's Journey to the 2005 National Championship (Hardcover)

If you love basketball you are going to enjoy this book. It's a play by play of a championship team, their trials, tribulations, and trophy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done, December 27, 2005

By 

B. Lee (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Led by Their Dreams: The Inside Story of Carolina's Journey to the 2005 National Championship (Hardcover)

I bought the book just because I am a fan, but I am very pleased with its overall quality. It's a well-made hardcover book with durable sewn binding. Printed on thick, glossy paper, the large color photographs look bright and extremely sharp. The book includes Woody Durham's broadcast on 2 CDs. The book is not organized into game-by-game stories like the News and Observer's book. Instead, it has two main sections. First is a section of essays on various topics like "Workdays in Maui," "Senior Day," and "Two Steps to St. Louis." Second is a section of essays by all five members of the coaching staff and eight of the regular players. The book also includes an essay by Dean Smith, a record of the season, and list of awards and honors.