Namath: A Biography
by Mark Kriegel
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mark KriegelEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-07-26
ISBN: 0143035355
Number of pages: 528
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of Namath: A Biography
Book Review: A hero's life
Summary: 4 Stars
It's good to see that someone has written a serious biography of Joe Namath. Namath was one of the most important players in pro football history, a man who more than any other player changed the image of the game. Instead of just coalminers' sons trying to hurt one another, football under Namath became a sport that was filled with glamor, strategy and sophistication without losing any of its old virtues of power and toughness. At the very least, Namath accelerated both the merger of the American Football League into the NFL and the debut of Monday Night Football. Pro football had been around for decades but Namath made it modern, fresh, and cool.
Mark Kriegel's biography is unauthorized but not hostile. Namath didn't cooperate but he also didn't ask old friends and teammates to refuse to talk to Kriegel. The result is a book that has some gaps, but still includes an impressive amount of detail, especially about Namath's childhood and adolescence. Joe Namath is a rich subject for a biographer, with lots of good (he had great confidence and an easy charm, he stoically endured a great deal of pain, he was a loving father to his two daughters) and not-so-good (getting drunk was and perhaps still is a regular part of his life, he took full advantage of the perks and privileges available to star athletes). There's also a surprising take on Namath's famous guarantee of victory before Super Bowl III. It became famous, says Kriegel, only after the game; when it was made, most writers ignored it as a silly, alcohol-induced boast.
There are some aspects of the book that will try a reader's patience. The book is strictly linear with no foreshadowing. Kriegel, for example, halts the story of Namath's life for a four page minibiography of Jimmy Walsh without first explaining Walsh's importance (Walsh would become Namath's longtime agent). At times, the narrative degenerates into a kind of street lingo, complete with profanity, that is designed, I guess, to convey the attitude of the participants but often leaves the reader confused about what was actually said or done.
This book isn't perfect but it does advance the still fledgling field of the serious sports biography. Let's hope there's lots more to come.
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