Lombardi Winning Is the Only Thing 1ST Edition

Shortly before the untimely death of Vince Lombardi, Jerry Kramer set out to collect the stories of those who knew his coach professionally. Included in the book is Frank Gifford, Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Willie Davis, Max McGee, and a large collection of others. Through the eyes of those who best knew the football genius, Kramer retells the tales that give us the best insight into the personality of the coach. Packer fans have long cherished this book. This book is far from a biography and servs more like a collection of anecdotes. For those seeking a biography of Lombardi, I would recommend, "When Pride Still Mattered" by David Maraniss. This collection of stories is a light that is certain to make Packers fans smile.

This book is a compilation of about two dozen interviews conducted by the author in the months immediately prior to and following Vince Lombardi's death from cancer in 1970. The men interviewed (his former teammates, coaching peers and men who played under him) provide a unique perspective on Lombardi and help the reader understand why this man is still so revered more than thirty years after his death.The author, Jerry Kramer, adds his own comments to each interview, and Kramer's ego occasionally shines through (a couple times he disagrees with comments made by the interviewees), but overall this does not distract very much from the impact of the book.If you want to learn more about Vince Lombardi, of course David Maraniss' "When Pride Still Mattered" is an absolute gem of a biography, but I would recommend this book also.