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Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero Hardcover – October 31, 2006

by Mike Freeman (Author)

19 customer reviews

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He intimidated people on and off the football field. He was brutal yet brilliant, narcissistic yet magnanimous, relentless yet unyielding. Most of all, he was the greatest football player of all time. He was Jim Brown.

Jim Brown was an astonishing physical specimen with tremendous skills and intelligence. An athlete who played a number of sports at Syracuse University, he ultimately discovered that it was the violence of football that appealed to him most. The idea of physically dominating other men, surviving ferocious battles on the field against opponents who would just as soon call him a nigger as try to gouge out his eyes fueled an astonishing, record-making NFL career that led to the Hall of Fame. He battled his defenses, sometimes his teammates, and often the Cleveland Browns' legendary head coach Paul Brown.

But Jim Brown had ambitions greater than football. He used his athletic brilliance to launch a movie career, becoming Hollywood's first black action hero, culminating in a scandalous love scene with America's sweetheart Raquel Welch. He leveraged his popularity into helping the NFL's black players and becoming a civil rights activist. Never shy about expressing his opinions, Brown would become the subject of FBI investigations and surveillance throughout parts of his life.

Then there were the women. The patient wife who was essentially a single mother and who endured public humiliation. The girlfriends he ran through and the scandalous accusations of violence made by some of them.

A complex and fascinating story, Jim Brown is a towering biography of a living legend.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the context of today's world of sports-commercialization, bloated salaries and superstar athlete egos-the newest from sports writer and author Freeman (Bloody Sundays) is not just a definitive biography of pioneering African-American athlete Jim Brown, arguably the best football player ever, but a fascinating look at a culture in transition. Broken down by decade, each section of the book covers a distinct phase in Brown's life and career, based on old coverage as well as new interviews with family, friends and enemies. In an engaging, honest and powerful narrative, Freeman covers all aspects of the American hero, including his amazing athletic feats-besides football, he was also a top-notch lacrosse player-as well as his work with the Civil Rights movement, his explosive anger and his run-ins with the law. Beginning in the fifties, Freeman convincingly recreates the dirty game of the time, in which shoves and blinding jabs to the eyes were commonplace-especially for Brown, as Freeman uncovers in candid interviews with players and coaches who admit to pointed attacks on the running back. Though he forgives the American hero a little too easily for his history of domestic abuse, Freeman captures the life of a legend with grace and passion, while brilliantly exposing the hypocrisy and cruelty suffered by the black athletes of yesterday.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Of the great running backs of football's modern era, the first and probably best was Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown, who played from 1957 through 1965. As Jackie Robinson did in baseball, so Brown helped break down football's color barrier and revolutionized his game, bringing quickness and finesse to what had been a power position. So any biography that reminds fans of Brown's importance to football well serves the strong sports collection. Freeman, former Florida Times-Union columnist who now writes for cbs.sportsline.com, brings competence, if not great wit, to his task, tracing Brown's life, from his embattled and unorthodox youth (Brown was one of the nation's premier lacrosse players as a high-schooler) to his Syracuse University playing days, through his nine seasons with Cleveland (playing every game), through his acting career, and into his years as an effective advocate for black causes. If Freeman explores Brown's ugly side--domestic abuse, womanizing, his penchant for intimidation off the field--he counters by showing the man's positive side, including his immeasurable contributions to the black community. Alan Moores
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product details

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (October 31, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006077682X
ISBN-13: 978-0060776824
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 19 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,861,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1490 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Sports & Outdoors > Football
- #3754 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Football (American)

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A Dry History

January 5, 2007

Verified Purchase

Just old enough to have seen Jim Brown in his prime I therefore read this out of respect for the football player, activist, and occasional jail occupant. The author clearly has great respect for Brown and details the steps he took to be granted interviews from this controlling, contentious man. This book is a great summation but really without any revelations. Brown was a great football player from a broken home in Georgia whose mother brings him to New York and works as a domestic to raise him. High school coaches guide him to a great Syracuse career while he experiences racism and events that will shape his life.

Brown left the NFL at the top of his game for a career in movies. The book seems to glorify the Jim Brown acting career which seems to me to be quite a stretch. Whether it compensated Brown better than staying in football is never made clear. After acting and football we are left with Jim Brown the activist and possible abuser. I applaud Brown for his long history of effective activism but am conflicted on how to balance this with the domestic violence incidents which he continually tries to explain away. This is for the reader to decide but it is apparent that the author also has this same conflict.

Overall, this is a fine book. But does it really add new ground? Not really. Does it give great insight into a unique period America? Probably, in my opinion this is the book's greatest failure. While he touches on what is happening in America during this period, particularly the support for Mohammed Ali as he objects Vietnam duty, there is no great reflection to open this historical period to the reader. Therefore I was left with a biography of maybe the greatest football player who is now an activist and who doesn't want anything written about him. There is just not enough insight or reflection to call this an exceptional book. But if you have a specific interest in knowing of Jim Brown, this book will serve that purpose.

13 people found this helpful14 people found this helpful

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Peter

Readable but dry

January 28, 2011

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Jim Brown was a legend on the field, the star running back for the Cleveland Browns blazed a trail that few could even dream of being mentioned in the same breath as him.

Black men were not easily accepted in the NFL when Brown commenced playing for the Browns, his role became not only star player but also a lead advocate of player rights and civil rights in the 1960's.

The author Mike Freeman tells an interesting story about Brown and isn't afraid to delve into the darker side of the man. Brown's alleged woman beating and his regular dating of women while married are documented and discussed in detail.

Brown is a very interesting personality - champion player, movie star, abuser of women, civil rights activist - it is all there.

A good book, perhaps not riveting reading as the style is a little dull, but still a good addition to the bookshelves.

One person found this helpful

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Howard Wexler

Hard Nut To Crack

January 8, 2009

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Writer had a very tough task, an unauthorized biography of a very guarded man. I admire the effort, results are lacking a bit.

Writer asks if a man who is so abusive to women can be a hero.

Many sections of the book are lacking. Brown was a great running back, greatest runner. But he was a mediocre (at best) pass catcher and a lousy blocker. Author ignores that completely.

Author does speculation of how Brown would perform today and makes points about him being bigger than many of the defensive linemen he played against. But he forgets that if he played on artificial turf, he might have gotten injured more.

Would have loved to hear more of his lacrosse career. Is he still in touch with Roy Simmons, Jr.?

Movie career is quite overrated. However, the author did not even mention "I Am Gonna Git You Sucka", a parody of Blaxploitation movies.

Author should have used a story about Brown and the late Dick Schaap, the sportswriter and broadcaster. Brown was his usual hostile self when being interviewed by Schaap until Dick reminded Brown that he was a lacrosse goalie at Cornell. Schaap had little success against Brown that day and after a lot of laughter, Brown warmed up completely.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

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Gil Rucinski

Five Stars

May 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

Exactly as advertised!!

One person found this helpful

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Wayne T. Bailey

Five Stars

June 5, 2015

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A great read!

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Roy

Five Stars

January 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great Service and fast delivery. This book it's great for football readers and fans as well.

One person found this helpful

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RedTopDown

Good story

November 10, 2011

Verified Purchase

Son needed this for school with the requirements of an autobiography or biography on someone born prior to 1940. This fit the bill and he found it interesting even though he's not a big reader.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Four Stars

March 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

Yes, the book and its delivery met my expectations.

One person found this helpful

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