The RBR Summer Reading List
by kleph on May 1, 2009 9:03 AM CDT
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As we put the cruelest month with its famed showers (and tornado warnings) behind us it's worth considering that in just a few short weeks the summer will be here in all of it's sweltering glory.
Perhaps it still seems a good ways off but Memorial Day is right around the corner and after it comes the usual crush of picnics, vacations and whatnot. And that means it's time to start planning the Summer Reading List.
A few months ago, RBR regular Nick’s Hat Band had the brilliant idea of soliciting recommendations for books about Alabama football. Because while there are some truly great volumes penned about our storied program and legendary coach there is also a heck of a lot of chaff as well.
The clear consensus among the commentariat was "The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant" by Allen Barra. No less than six commenters singled it out for praise - twice as many as the second most popular tome, Bryant's book "Bear: My Hard Life & Good Times As Alabama's Head Coach."
All of the recommendations are after the jump. I plan to update the list as more recommendations roll in so please feel free to keep adding your suggestions. Remember, it's a long long off-season and this is one of the ways we are going to survive till Sept. 5.
Last updated: 05/02/09
"The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant " by Allen Barra
Recs: OutsideTheSidelines, NiceLittleSaturday, SDBama78, 5026, Bamagrad, Nick's Hat Band, BixBeiderbecke
"Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip into the Heart of Fan Mania" by Warren St. John
Recs: NiceLittleSaturday, Bamagrad, Nick's Hat Band, hongrime, TexasTideGirl
"Bear: My Hard Life & Good Times As Alabama's Head Coach" by Paul W. Bryant & John Underwood
Recs: NiceLittleSaturday, 5026, bamavicki
"Coach: The Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant" by Keith Dunnavant
Recs: OutsideTheSidelines, SDBama78
"The Junction Boys: How Ten Days in Hell with Bear Bryant Forged a Championship Team" by Jim Dent & Gene Stallings
Recs: OutsideTheSidelines, Nick's Hat Band
"Namath: A Biography" by Mark Kriegel
Recs: Bamagrad, Nick's Hat Band
"The Missing Ring: How Bear Bryant and the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide Were Denied College Football's Most Elusive Prize" by Keith Dunnavant
Recs: crimsontsunami
"Turnaround: Bear Bryant's 1st Year at Alabama" by Tom Stoddard
Recs: Nick's Hat Band
"Turning of the Tide: How One Game Changed the South" by Don Yaeger, Sam Cunningham, and John Papadakis
Recs: NiceLittleSaturday
"The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at The University of Alabama" by Winston Groom
Recs: JR01
"The Crimson Tide: The Story of Alabama Football" (OOP) by Clyde Bolton
Recs: NiceLittleSaturday
"Building a Championship Fooball Team" (OOP) by Paul W. Bryant
Recs: morri029
"Crimson Slide: Why Alabama Football Fell and How It Can Climb Back to the Top" (OOP) by Mike Flax
Recs: Bamagrad
"Bama after Bear: Turmoil and tranquility in Tuscaloosa" (OOP) by Donald F Staffo
Recs: Htownbama
"I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow ... 'Cause I get better-looking every day" (OOP) by Joe Namath & Richard Schaap
Recs: NiceLittleSaturday
"SNAKE: The Candid Autobiography of Football's Most Outrageous Renegade" (OOP) by Ken; Stainback, Berry Stabler
Recs: Bamagrad
"The Long Shadow of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant" by Dr. E. Gaylon McCollough
"Ain't Nothin' But a Winner: Bear Bryant, The Goal Line Stand, and a Chance of a Lifetime" by Barry Krauss
"Another Season: A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son" by Gene Stallings & Sally Cook
"How Good Do You Want to Be?: A Champion's Tips on How to Lead and Succeed at Work and in Life" by Nick Saban
A few notes: This list is organized by number of recommendations. The ones at the bottom are those mentioned but not necessarily recommended by anyone. Books with negative recommendations are not included. Also, OOP = out of print. I've included the cheapest available version I could find on the Amazon list.
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Wow...
Another Bear book…I figure I am going to wait until the economy around my house gets really bad, then I am going to write my “Bear Book”.
Whoohoo!
I’m a regular! And to think my high school guidance counselor said I’d never amount to anything.
by Nick's Hat Band on May 1, 2009 11:26 AM CDT reply actions
Yup
Gotta second the call on RJYH, fantastic book. The Bama aspect of it is almost tangential to the main thrust of the book, which is pretty much just a long sociological study. It’s a great read, for the 3 of you who are yet to check it out.
Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend “You Better Be Right: My 25 Years as an SEC Football Official”. it’s a fascinating look at a side of the sport that even the most hardcore fan rarely takes into account. Includes an entire chapter on Coach Bryant, and is chock full of hilarious stories. Will definitely make you look at the zebras a different way.
(disclosure: I was the ghostwriter for “You Better Be Right”, although I have no pecuniary interest in it at this point.)
by hongrime on May 1, 2009 1:50 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
RJYH
is a great book! I think I’ve read it three times and bought copies for my brothers, my daddy, my cousins…
by TexasTideGirl on May 1, 2009 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
A great book about some terrible times is..
Bama After Bear: Turmoil and tranquility in Tuscaloosa
Donald F. Staffo
by Htownbama on May 1, 2009 10:17 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I borrowed Allen Barra's book on Bear. . . .
. . . .last summer from my local library. I had to renew that particular check-out twice. I read that story (stories within stories within stories) slowly, just so I could fully digest it’s beauty.
I can’t tell you how Barra made me gush through and through over Bear. I mean, I loved that man purely because family blood-lines. . . .however, his quality became more corporeal to me. There really isn’t a word that can describe what took place for me. When I finished the book, I almost didn’t want to return it back to the library. Sure I coulda bought my own edition and that would have logically settled it. But no. It really wouldn’t. (I wanted the very weight of originality of Barra’s words to belong to me, ’cause I likened it to something of a “gift” of some sort.
By the way, I did eventually buy the book.
Told you. It isn’t the same. (I’ve checked that book out 4 more times. never read it again. i just plop it right next to my Barnes & Noble one in my home library. and sometimes i stand right in front of it with a coffee in my hand and just stare at it)
Whatever anyone thinks of that is of no consequence to me. I’m many things. . . . .but I’m not ashamed to have Bear as one of my heroes. And to that end, I won’t deny the fact that some books are more precious to me than certain relationships or more expensive possessions that I may have.
I’ll remark at the fact that at least I don’t have a symbol or name or icon pricked onto my body that advertises the insincerity of my intellect.
Comer4tide to Nico2.0: "How come I've never heard of any of your random songs?"
Todd to Comer: "Because if you had, he wouldn't listen to it. BOOM. Roasted."
Nico to Todd: "Shouldn't you be off voguing somewhere?"
by BixBeiderbecke on May 2, 2009 8:46 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
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