Vince: A Personal Biography of Vince Lombardi (Paperback)

by Michael O'brien (Author) "VINCE LOMBARDI'S ANCESTORS WERE AMONG THE MILLIONS OF IMMIGRANTS WHO fled southern Italy, one of the poorest, most backward regions of Europe..." (more)
Key Phrases: game for madmen, coaching prowess, grass drill, Green Bay, New York, West Point (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Lombardi's legacy reaches far beyond the football field. For a large part of the populace, the man who said "winning isn't the most important thing; it's the only thing" was a symbol of the virtues needed to succeed at anything. O'Brien portrays him as essentially a simple man"a fundmentalist in his football, his character, his religion, and his values." Surprisingly, this is the first major biography of the man to appear. Earlier works like Lombardi, edited by John Wiebusch (1971), and Lombardi: winning is the only thing, edited by Jerry Kramer (1970), relied heavily on excerpts of interviews with friends and colleagues of the legendary coach. For popular sports collections. William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Published to widespread critical acclaim, Vince has been called: "the definitive biography" of an American legend. With stunning revelations and anecdotes, Vince Lombardi's life is pieced together with painstaking care in research, detail, and historical accuracy. Based on more than two hundred interviews, including those who played with him and against him, from his early coaching days at St. Cecilia High School in New Jersey to West Point, the New York Giants, and his championship seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins. Drawing upon unpublished Lombardi family papers, Vince clarifies the thirty years of mystery and contradiction that have swirled around the legend of Vince Lombardi.

Vince goes beyond the sidelines to reveal the true character of Lombardi. He was dedicated and narrow, intelligent and dogmatic, self-restrained yet emotional, abusive yet apologetic. His moods could swing from deep gloom to soaring exuberance in seconds. He was compassionate, kind, charitable. He could also be gripped by uncontrollable anger. Above all, Vince paints a portrait of a very human man who committed his life to winning.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (September 20, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688092047
• ISBN-13: 978-0688092047
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #139,597 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, well-researched bio of Lombardi, July 1, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This is a very good book, but not a great one. Vince does well describing Lombardi through his actions and the impact he had on those around him, especially his former players. Everything is written in a clear and easily understood manner, especially his paradoxical nature.

However, it does not clear my threshold as a great book. A great book would have involved me not as a viewer from afar, but as a fly in the locker room. Since O'Brien did not play for Lombardi, I was hoping for more insight of how his players felt. I never got emotional reading this book, and emotion is a large part of what Lombardi was about.

Basically, it reads like an exquisitely written research paper.