America's Quarterback
Bart Starr and the Rise of the National Football League
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4.2 • 17 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The definitive, authorized biography of Bart Starr, quarterback for the University of Alabama and for the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. A must-read for fans of the Crimson Tide, the Packers, and football greats.
No one can touch Bart Starr's record setting 5 NFL Championships including 3 straight. America's Quarterback tells the story of the man who helped create the legend of Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers. Set against the changing landscape of the last half of the 20th century, this biography traces Starr's life from childhood in Alabama to stardom in Green Bay and beyond. Not a simple sports story, Keith Dunnavant traces the story of one man reaching for the American dream while professional football emerged from the shadows to capture the nation's imagination. It's a story of the tension between a coach and a player as different as fire and ice, and how they came to trust and revere each other. It's a story of triumph tempered by tragedy, and the world-class athlete who quietly, persistently, achieved a level of greatness unsurpassed by any quarterback since.
A remarkable blend of personal memory and historical narrative, America's Quarterback is a tribute to an American hero and the perfect companion to the classic When Pride Still Mattered.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dunnavant (The Missing Ring) is effusive in his admiration of the Hall of Fame quarterback of the dominant Green Bay Packers teams of the 1960s. No one thought Starr would make the team after being drafted 200th overall, but he set a standard for winning championships his teams won the first two Super Bowls. Dunnavant's use of football metaphors ("Rozelle drew a flag" from a judge) is ubiquitous, and cumbersome, forced analogies ("Hornung's... running was... the predicate in a complex and meticulously crafted sentence") at times render the narrative almost comical. He overcomes those stumbles in establishing the historical, social, and cultural context of the era, juxtaposed with Starr's career, his "squeaky-clean, All-American image," and the coinciding popularity surge of professional football. His brilliant rendition of the 1967 NFL championship game, dubbed the "Ice Bowl" because of the frigid conditions, is an engrossing climax to an era and career. Although somewhat diminished by the effusiveness and strained effects, Dunnavant provides a solid study of an American icon during a turbulent period. Photos.
Customer Reviews
Great book
Terrific book and very enjoyable to read about a very passionate driven and all around great guy that did so many things to help so many.