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jakewritesbooks 's review for:
Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre
by Jeff Pearlman
(4.5) When I was a kid, Baltimore had no football team. I was obsessed with the Orioles, Notre Dame baseball, and Maryland football. The NFL was interesting but only in passing. I enjoyed the sport but didn't really have a favorite team.
Being a modest NFL fan in the Baltimore metro area before 1996, you had two things happen on a Sunday afternoon: Washington's football team would get blown out at 1pm. And at 4:15pm, John Madden and Pat Summerall would be broadcasting the game of the week on FOX, which always included either Dallas, San Francisco or Green Bay (no one watched the inferior AFC). You watched Dallas and San Francisco because they were great franchises. You watched Green Bay because of Brett Favre.
Like most non-partisans who grew up watching Favre, I've ridden the roller coaster of emotions: pure joy at watching him play, frustration at his on/off again retirements, annoyance at him in a Vikings uni, etc. But he's one of the most compelling athletes of my lifetime, perhaps the most interesting football personality.
Jeff Pearlman is a good sportswriter who usually writes great books. His recounts on the 90s Cowboys and 80s Lakers are the ur-texts of those respective teams. His Barry Bonds bio is wildly underrated. And with this tale on Brett Favre, he wins once more. A deep, exhaustive look at the many facets of the Packer legend, Pearlman's books are great for their ability to help you learn without feeling overstuffed with fact or bogged down by narrative. I could be grossed out at Favre's behavior but ultimately impressed with some of his better actions. The best bios strive to give a balanced perspective. Few do. This one does.
It's hard to say what I liked most about it but I guess it would be the tales of Favre's upbringing and family. I was allowed to see what made Favre Favre without any hidden revelations. Even more interesting, Favre's family cooperated. Favre himself did not but didn't seem too displeased at Pearlman's research. There's something to be said for that, especially since this book is not a hagiography.
I think Favre fans and haters alike will enjoy this one. And if you're a football fan, it's a most.
Being a modest NFL fan in the Baltimore metro area before 1996, you had two things happen on a Sunday afternoon: Washington's football team would get blown out at 1pm. And at 4:15pm, John Madden and Pat Summerall would be broadcasting the game of the week on FOX, which always included either Dallas, San Francisco or Green Bay (no one watched the inferior AFC). You watched Dallas and San Francisco because they were great franchises. You watched Green Bay because of Brett Favre.
Like most non-partisans who grew up watching Favre, I've ridden the roller coaster of emotions: pure joy at watching him play, frustration at his on/off again retirements, annoyance at him in a Vikings uni, etc. But he's one of the most compelling athletes of my lifetime, perhaps the most interesting football personality.
Jeff Pearlman is a good sportswriter who usually writes great books. His recounts on the 90s Cowboys and 80s Lakers are the ur-texts of those respective teams. His Barry Bonds bio is wildly underrated. And with this tale on Brett Favre, he wins once more. A deep, exhaustive look at the many facets of the Packer legend, Pearlman's books are great for their ability to help you learn without feeling overstuffed with fact or bogged down by narrative. I could be grossed out at Favre's behavior but ultimately impressed with some of his better actions. The best bios strive to give a balanced perspective. Few do. This one does.
It's hard to say what I liked most about it but I guess it would be the tales of Favre's upbringing and family. I was allowed to see what made Favre Favre without any hidden revelations. Even more interesting, Favre's family cooperated. Favre himself did not but didn't seem too displeased at Pearlman's research. There's something to be said for that, especially since this book is not a hagiography.
I think Favre fans and haters alike will enjoy this one. And if you're a football fan, it's a most.