Tom Landry: An Autobiography [Paperback]

Tom Landry (Author), Gregg Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1991

Landry provides an inside look at the unusual and sometimes controversial people he has known, worked with, and competed against throughout his long career. 6 cassette.

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Until 1989 Landry, hired in 1959, was the only coach the Dallas Cowboys had ever had. Here, writing with Lewis ( Am I Alive ), he covers the early years, when his team had an abysmal record of 0-10-1, through 1965, when Dallas finally broke even at 7-7, and the five Super Bowl appearances between 1970 and 1978, including two championships, to the descent into mediocrity in the late '80s. Discussed are Landry's debt to Paul Brown, whose coaching philosophy inspired him, Cowboys owner Clint Murchison and general manager Tex Schramm, who left him free to run the team on the field. We're told that the coach has an introverted personality, which makes many judge him cold and remote. Heavy with nostalgia and permeated with Landry's deep religious faith, the book will disappoint football fans expecting insider gossip and a suggestion of the rough-and-tumble of their sport. $160,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A perfect opportunity to get an undisputable insider's view of football and to meet the real Tom Landry, who comes across as a warm, sensitive, and caring person who has learned to mask his emotions well. Landry begins his story with his unannounced firing by the Dallas owners. The book leaves readers with the feeling of having experienced a rich life full of things that mold character, shape morality, and create a value system.
- Lindsey Wilson, Edison High School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: HarperPaperbacks (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061040576
• ISBN-13: 978-0061040573
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revealing, March 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tom Landry: An Autobiography (Walker Large Print Books) (Paperback)

Having been a lifelong Cowboys fan I saw this book and had to read it. The first thing I found upon reading it was that total honesty of Coach Landry and the guts it took to wither all the storms life can throw at one person. I found that, even though it deals worth football, there are lessons that are applicable to everyday life. This would be a great book for all school children to be assigned to read. It shows what can happen when one person puts faith and families and principles ahead of instant gradification.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars About More than Just Football, November 2, 2006

By 

Eagle Eye - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tom Landry: An Autobiography (Hardcover)

America is a sports-crazy nation. Tom Landry's career is worth reading about because it parallels the rise of professional football in the U.S. His rise from the tiny town of Mission, Texas to building a football dynasty is inspirational because through years of losing he had the determination and faith to stick with his plan for winning. A major factor in this was his faith.

Landry's narrative is also intertwined with larger historical events. His older brother Robert died during WWII when the B-17 bomber he was in disappeared over the Atlantic en route to England. At age 18, the younger Landry enlisted and eventually flew 30 B-17 missions over Europe. Another aspect of history--after President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, the Cowboys were booed at every game they played for the rest of the season, and into the next.

There are some great lessons on leadership in the last chapter that are applicable in any context.

For all he did, Landry certainly didn't deserve the kind of dismissal he got at the end of his career.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A "Sleeper"., May 9, 2007

By 

Anthony Toupuissant "Toup" (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tom Landry: An Autobiography (Paperback)

There are some great lessons on leadership and character in this book. Landry's strong faith and belief system helped shape the morality of many that came in contact with him. His vision on life is based on a high value system. He is a perfectionist and a great strategist who believes that preparation is always the key, which I also agree. After reading this book you will walk away with a new layer of tenacity, an increased will to be challenged, and a new resolution to embrace patience more.