Magnificent Seven: The Championship Games That Built the Lombardi Dynasty (Hardcover)

by Bud Lea (Author), Vernon Biever (Photographer), John Biever (Photographer), Paul Hornung (Foreword), Bart Starr (Introduction)
Key Phrases: only touchdown, Green Bay, Bart Starr, Vince Lombardi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Lea covered the Green Bay Packers for the Milwaukee Journal from 1954 to 1972. Here he chronicles the legendary Vince Lombardi and his Packer teams during the 1961, 1962, 1965, and 1966 championships; the 1967 "Ice Bowl"; and Super Bowls I and II. Lombardi's squad set the benchmark for National Football League clubs. The coach was a no-nonsense man who expected everything from his players (as David Maraniss reveals in When Pride Still Mattered, a biography of Lombardi). His approach quickly gained the respect of the players, turning a bunch of losers into a united team that won seven "Magnificent" titles. Rounding out the text are an index, a good selection of great archival photographs, anecdotes from players, a foreword by Paul Hornung, and an introduction by Bart Starr. Vince Lombardi Jr. wrote the afterword. Recommended where demand warrants.
Larry R. Little, Penticton P.L., B.C.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Fans in Texas or Chicago may not want to admit it, but the Green Bay Packers of the Vince Lombardi era--five NFL championships in the 1960s plus the first two Super Bowl victories--are the standard of excellence by which all other National Football League teams are measured. Lea, who covered the Pack from 1954 through 1972 for the Milwaukee Journal, re-creates those landmark years with a lively narrative, spiced with plenty of interviews he conducted while on the Packer beat and supplemented by more contemporary reminiscences from the players. The book is filled with wonderful, quirky anecdotes, such as Coach Lombardi cautioning his players that Miami-- site of Super Bowl II--would not be a "vacation." Guard Jerry Kramer wondered aloud how anyone could think going anywhere with Lombardi could be a vacation. The game accounts from each championship season make up most of the text and are fun reading for football fans. Dozens of black-and-white photos complement the text. Great fun for Packer fans. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (IL) (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572434767
• ISBN-13: 978-1572434769
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #400,424 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Packer fans will like this, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

Bud Lea used his notes and articles published during his years covering the Packers as a Milwaukee newspaperman to put together this book. Also featured is Vernon Biever's excellent photography from the Packer Glory Years.

This is fairly light-weight in content (large print and lots of pictures). But if you were a fan of the Pack during the Lombardi years, you probably will enjoy this book. There are a LOT of photos, many of which I've not previously seen, so the book gives a fairly good feel for the atmosphere at each game.

However I wish the text had been more in depth. The background given for each of the seven games is sketchy at best, unfortunately. There are lots of quotes from the men who played those games, but overall I would have liked more meat. Still, a "good get" for Packer fans.

4.0 out of 5 stars No, not the Yul Brynner movie, February 27, 2008

By	Jean Sue Libkind "bookschlepper" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Magnificent Seven: The Championship Games that Built the Lombardi Dynasty (Paperback)

If you want to talk about dynasties in the NFL, forget the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots. The Green Bay Packers won seven championships between 1961 and 1967 (missing only `63 and '64), including the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi gave them no choice. He picked the best players, had the best strategy and did not accept "no" for an answer. Notes from the sidelines and quotes from the bench make this far more interesting than a down-by-down recap for cheeseheads. Unfortunately, there are no team photos or rosters. Each of these men--beyond the legends of Starr, Hornung, Willy Wood, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, Herb Adderley, Ray Nitschke--deserved such notice. [Review based on the hardback]