Book Description
A BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE NBA’S GLORY DAYS, AND THE RIVALRY THAT DOMINATED THE ERA

In the mid-1950s, the NBA was a mere barnstorming circuit, with outposts in such cities as Rochester, New York, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Most of the best players were white; the set shot and layup were the sport’s chief offensive weapons. But by the 1970s, the league ruled America’s biggest media markets; contests attracted capacity crowds and national prime-time television audiences. The game was played “above the rim”–and the most marketable of its high-flying stars were black. The credit for this remarkable transformation largely goes to two giants: Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

In The Rivalry, award-winning journalist John Taylor projects the stories of Russell, Chamberlain, and other stars from the NBA’s golden age onto a backdrop of racial tensions and cultural change. Taylor’s electrifying account of two complex men–as well as of a game and a country at a crossroads–is an epic narrative of sports in America during the 1960s.

It’s hard to imagine two characters better suited to leading roles in the NBA saga: Chamberlain was cast as the athletically gifted yet mercurial titan, while Russell played the role of the stalwart centerpiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty. Taylor delves beneath these stereotypes, detailing how the two opposed and complemented each other and how they revolutionized the way the game was played and perceived by fans.

Competing with and against such heroes as Jerry West, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Elgin Baylor, and playing for the two greatest coaches of the era, Alex Hannum and the fiery Red Auerbach, Chamberlain and Russell propelled the NBA into the spotlight. But their off-court visibility and success–to say nothing of their candor–also inflamed passions along America’s racial and generational fault lines. In many ways, Russell and Chamberlain helped make the NBA and, to some extent, America what they are today.

Filled with dramatic conflicts and some of the great moments in sports history, and building to a thrilling climax–the 1969 final series, the last showdown between Russell and Chamberlain–The Rivalry has at its core a philosophical question: Can determination and a team ethos, embodied by the ultimate team player, Bill Russell, trump sheer talent, embodied by Wilt Chamberlain?

Gripping, insightful, and utterly compelling, the story of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain is the stuff of sporting legend. Written with a reporter’s unerring command of events and a storyteller’s flair, The Rivalry will take its place as one of the classic works of sports history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Russell and Chamberlain
Silly for me to say this but on the paperback cover, there is a picture of Chamberlain shooting over Russell, and it looks like Wilt is smiling as he shoots.I think the difference between the two men was that Chamberlain was pursued when he was a boy whereas Russell was a walk-on at USF - that most likely made Russell work harder for everything he got and made him more determined to prove himself to the world - in a word, Chamberlain was coddled all his life. I have always wondered why Wilt's playoff stats "dipped" in comparison to his regular season stats; maybe this is the reason why.The Celtics always being victorious in the championships was of course due to the fact that Russell was always surrounded by better players - compare Havlicek to Chet Walker or Bob Cousy to Guy Rodgers - and I'm convinced Chamberlain would be filling Russell's shoes if he were surrounded by those same Celtics.A very good book by Taylor - it details the times, the social commentaries, and the state of the NBA.

The Rivalry
David Letterman talked about this on his talk show and I placed it on "My Wish List".I just received it and I am sure it will be a very good read.

Excellent book on a legendary era
Having read many basketball books, I find this as one of the best. Well-written, thoroughly researched, it captures the era of the 50s and 60s from the perspective of two of the greatest players ever, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Thankfully, Taylor does not go into play-by-play detail of games, instead captures the flavor of the era, everything from coaching, basketball styles, management, to racism. It is fascinating and truly an outstanding read. I highly recommend it.

* I usually stay away from blasting another review, but the one below that says it is poorly written and that the author does not know basketball is so off the mark, I would say it is a complete lie and fabrication. Ignore that review and get this book.

The Rivalry's Got Game
No two players in NBA history better epitomize the dichotomy between individual excellence and a willingness to blend their talent for the collective success of the team than William Felton Russell and Norman Wilton Chamberlain.

While author John Taylor's latest work centers (pun intended) on two of the greatest bballers in NBA history, The Rivalry isn't your typical slam-jam basketball biography. On the contrary, his latest work is a finely crafted historical chronicle showcasing the fledgling days of the National Basketball Association, circa today's tattoo-flaunting, hip-hop happy hoopsters and multi-million dollar play palaces.

The author's unflagging narrative provides vivid eyewitness accounts of an NBA that played fourth fiddle to other sports, and where games were often played in front of vegetable throwing crowds that would make the Throwdown in Motown seem like a summer camp pillow fight.

Off the court, the two men the book is largely about were as different as the masterful way they played the game.Russell was reserved, introverted - some said surly. Chamberlain was flashy, outgoing and tried more coaches' patience than a roster full of Portland Trailblazers.

Taylor's riveting narrative style and thorough historical research make The Rivalry a classic sports work deserving of space alongside Plimpton, Feinstein and Halberstam.

good for anyone who enjoys nonfiction or basketball
A lot of times, these nonfiction books about games and scores and statistics and so on are packed full of information but are dense and not very compelling. John Taylor, however, does an excellent job of presenting a ton of information in a fun and interesting way. The book is easy and entertaining to read, and you'll probably learn a lot about Russell, Chamberlain, and the period during which they played basketball. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written nonfiction, whether or not he is a basketball fan. ... Read more

Book Description
A BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE NBA’S GLORY DAYS, AND THE RIVALRY THAT DOMINATED THE ERA

In the mid-1950s, the NBA was a mere barnstorming circuit, with outposts in such cities as Rochester, New York, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Most of the best players were white; the set shot and layup were the sport’s chief offensive weapons. But by the 1970s, the league ruled America’s biggest media markets; contests attracted capacity crowds and national prime-time television audiences. The game was played “above the rim”–and the most marketable of its high-flying stars were black. The credit for this remarkable transformation largely goes to two giants: Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

In The Rivalry, award-winning journalist John Taylor projects the stories of Russell, Chamberlain, and other stars from the NBA’s golden age onto a backdrop of racial tensions and cultural change. Taylor’s electrifying account of two complex men–as well as of a game and a country at a crossroads–is an epic narrative of sports in America during the 1960s.

It’s hard to imagine two characters better suited to leading roles in the NBA saga: Chamberlain was cast as the athletically gifted yet mercurial titan, while Russell played the role of the stalwart centerpiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty. Taylor delves beneath these stereotypes, detailing how the two opposed and complemented each other and how they revolutionized the way the game was played and perceived by fans.

Competing with and against such heroes as Jerry West, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Elgin Baylor, and playing for the two greatest coaches of the era, Alex Hannum and the fiery Red Auerbach, Chamberlain and Russell propelled the NBA into the spotlight. But their off-court visibility and success–to say nothing of their candor–also inflamed passions along America’s racial and generational fault lines. In many ways, Russell and Chamberlain helped make the NBA and, to some extent, America what they are today.

Filled with dramatic conflicts and some of the great moments in sports history, and building to a thrilling climax–the 1969 final series, the last showdown between Russell and Chamberlain–The Rivalry has at its core a philosophical question: Can determination and a team ethos, embodied by the ultimate team player, Bill Russell, trump sheer talent, embodied by Wilt Chamberlain?

Gripping, insightful, and utterly compelling, the story of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain is the stuff of sporting legend. Written with a reporter’s unerring command of events and a storyteller’s flair, The Rivalry will take its place as one of the classic works of sports history.


From the Hardcover edition.Download Description
John Taylor, a journalist for more than two decades, has been a contributing editor at New York magazine and a senior writer for Esquire. He is the author of four books, including, most recently, The Count and the Confession, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and Falling, which Entertainment Weekly ranked as one of the five best nonfiction books of 1999. He lives in East Moriches, New York, with his wife, Jeannette Walls.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Coach and Athletic Director, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1032 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Where there's a Wilt ...(HERE BELOW)(accomplishments of Wilt Chamberlain)(sportsmanship in high school basketball)(New York Giants owner Wellington Mara)
Author: Herman L. Masin
Publication: Coach and Athletic Director (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 75Issue: 10Page: 5(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A View into Wilt's Head!
Some of the reviewers have given Wilt's book a hard time, but I felt he accomplished what he set out to do. He has given us a glance into his thoughts and ideas about so many different things. We truly have a look at the way he thought, whether we agree with his opinions or not. I certainly did not agree with everything he had to say, but gained insight into his life and saw that some of his opinions were filled with good insight. I found it interesting to see how he and other NBA stars interacted according to him. I'd love to hear their opinions as well. I enjoyed hearing about some of the stars from the old days. Wilt stood up for them and how they should be better recognized today. I'd love to see DVD's available with clips from all of the old stars. Wilt thought highly of himself and that is obvious. But, let's face it, who else ever scored 100 points in a game? He does deserve some recognition. Wilt certainly did not live a perfect life, but he enjoyed himself and experienced much and you can learn about many details if you read this book. You'll find it interesting.

INTERESTING
WILT HAS MANY OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS. IN THIS BOOK HE EXPRESSES THEM FROM START TO FINISH. I AGREE WITH MANY OF HIS INSIGHTS. HE WAS A VERY INTELLIGENT GUY WHO ENJOYED THE FINE THINGS IN LIFE, CARS, WOMEN, FINE WINES, LARGE HOUSE ETC. WILT LIVED LARGE. THIS IS A NICE READ FOR FANS OF THE GREAT WILT. NICELY PUT TOGETHER.

GREAT BOOK
WILT CHAMBERLAIN was THE GREATEST NBA PLAYER PERIOD.He Has TOO Mention Himself Because He has Never Gotten His Fair Shake.WHen He talks About Issues He Really Hits HOme.as For All THe Women He Slept With was He AnyWorse than JFK OR BILL CLINTON? way overblown.Acknowledge His Impact as aGreat Athlete&Great Minded Person.Very Intelligent Human Being.

Seven feet of hot air.
Never have I read a work by such a self-aggrandizing braggart. Like many ex-jocks, Wilt tries to hide his bitterness that he can no longer play pro sports in self-glorification. He portrays himself as larger than life inall aspects, which really gets boring fast in reading this book. It's agood thing Wilt wasn't around in Biblical times, imagine what tall taleswe'd find in the Bible if he was!

This is an interesting look into the life of an athlete...
yes, Wilt does come across as a bit egotistical, but think about modern athletes...many of them will probably not age gracefully either. Basketball is full of self-righteous prima donna athletes who wont' gracefully fadeaway...

Having said that, the guy slept with over 20,000 women...c'mon -he deserves some credit. This is the same as having sex with one woman aday for 54.7 years (a different woman each day...)

Being conservative -this works out to an average of 1.36 women a day for 40 years. Not even Iexpect to touch those numbers.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wilt Chamberlain...The "Loser"
I feel that this book truly portrays the life of an African-American superstar in the 60's and 70's.He is a bit egotistical at times, but is always truthful (except for the part about all the women).All through his career, he is called a loser because of what his team is accomplishing and not him.In his first several years, his teams consistently played the Celtics in the playoffs, and instead of the Warriors vs. the Celtics, it became Bill Russel vs. Wilt Chamberlain.Wilt would consistently beat out Russel in every category, yet his team would still lose.When this happened, Wilt was called the loser.He was told that Russel schooled him time and time again, when really, it was the other way around.
This book accurately portrays what it would be like to face the "Loser" label your whole life.It wasn't fair at all, but Wilt successfully had a good season after another.I definately reccomend this book to anyone who likes success stories or if you like sports biographies.In fact, I recommend it to anybody

Wilt Can Write
Over twenty-five years ago, Wilt Chamberlain took the belief that professional athletes are dumb and flushed it like a loose stool.In this book, he shares truths about his groundbreaking NBA salaries, his views on dating, and other famous basketball personalities.His sense of humor entertains his readers, while his intelligence, clearly evidenced by his vocabulary, constantly enlightens.For everyone old enough to vote, this book will be a wonderful experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

GOOD READ
THIS IS ABOUT THE NIGHT WILT CHAMBERLAINSCORED 100 POINTS IN AN NBA GAME. I FOUND MOST OF THIS BOOK TO BE GOOD BUT AT TIMES IT HAD ALOT OF THINGS THAT WERE JUST PLAIN BORING. THE AUTHOR TRIES VERY HARD TO GIVE US THE NOSTALGIA AND ATMOSPHERE OF 1962, BUT I FOUND THE DETAIL TO THE GAME TO BE LACKING. I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT MUCH ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP OF GOTTLIEB AND ZINKOFF. SEEMS IT WAS USED TO FILL SOME PAGES. WHEN THE BOOK STICKS TO GAME ACTION AND DETAILS THE BOOK EXCELS. BUT THE ONLY REAL DETAIL OCCURS IN THE 4TH QUARTER. I ALSO LIKED THE INTERVIEWS WITH VARIOUS PLAYERS AND COACHES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS GAME. ALSO LIKED THE STORY OF THE STOLEN BASKETBALL AND THE LATER YEARS OF WILT'S LIFE. OVERALL THIS IS A GOOD READ AND I RECOMMEND FOR ALL NOSTALGIC BASKETBALL FANS. ALSO A BOX SCORE OF THE GAME WOULD HAVE BEEN A NICE TOUCH.

Wilt's era and big night
This is a fascinating read about one of the most charismatic personalities to play basketball on the professional level, Wilt Chamberlain. Although the book focuses on the night the record was made when Wilt scored 100 points the book reads like a sophisticated movie complete with flashbacks into Wilt's past. This allows the reader to see Wilt in very real terms in spite of the superhuman feats he performed, culminating with the 100 point game. There are many anecdotes that bring the story to life for a compelling portrait of the man and his times. This is a thoroughly good book that can be enjoyed by a variety of levels of reading ability. With slightly over 200 pages of interesting material this is a good book for the student of the game of basketball who may be attending high school. This book would be good for writting a book report on a sports biography.

And Whatever Happened To That Basketball?
In the early 1960s - light years before the era of 24 hour cable sports coverage - most pro basketball games might as well have been played on the Moon due to the lack of national media interest and with "home" games being played at neutral sites for bigger gates.

That was the case for the 1962 Philadelphia Warriors, a franchise on the brink of being sold, though it featured a hometown legend, Wilt Chamberlin, and had a history of legendary high-school and college teams.

On March 2 in Hershey, Pa., Wilt accomplished the impossible; scoring 100 points versus the New York Knickerbockers. The arena - with a capacity of 8,000 - was about half-full, the game was not televised and there were no New York sportswriters in attendance. Author Gary M. Pomerantz breaths life into the grainy photos from the event through interviews of referees, players, fans, reporters and team officials.

Though the book breaks the game down into four quarters, it is not simply a history of that night. The early 1960s was a bridge for many black athletes to articulate about the rampant racism in society and sports. Pomerantz aptly writes about Wilt the individual - who was very vocal about the racial quotas on NBA clubs - and businessman as much as Wilt the athlete.

And Pomerantz outlines the biggest controvery from the game; who got possession of the basketball.

It is a record that may never be broken, but there was more to that evening than the game on the court. Wilt, 1962, again shows how sports mirrors society and even the greatest feats on a field of play cannot escape the reflection in black & white.

The day of 100
One of the more interesting points of this book is that the day of 100 points kind of became forgotten. The authir attributes one of the reasons to Wilt himself who stopped talking about the game.

The authors opens up this book with Wilt's death in bed and the circumstances around it. he then takes us thru each quarter of the game with story of witls life between each quarter.

One of the most interestingparts of this book is the detail the author descibes how one young kid stole the game ball and years later put it on EBAY for sale. Great research for that part.

The Big Dipper
As you have probably read by now: In a basketball game back in March of 1962, Wilt Chamberlain, scored one hundred points for Philadelphia in a game against the New York Knickerbockers, an amazing achieve-ment in any era. Back in 1962, the National Basketball Association was undeveloped and the players traveled on buses and trains. Along came Wilt Chamberlain a strong and coordinated seven-footer and changed the dynamics of the NBA. The author conducting more than 250 interviews to recreate in detail this amazing performance that had not been televised at the time. ... Read more

Book Description
Destroying a dynasty.That was the mission of Wilt Chamberlain and 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers.For eight straight years, the Boston Celtics had dominated the National Basketball Association. Each and every season during that stretch, a new NBA championship flag was hoisted to the top of the hallowed Boston Garden. No team had been able to stop them. Nobody thought any team could or would.Season of the 76ers, The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers, chronicles the unprecedented, record-setting championship journey of the team that finally stopped the Celtics and became the new kings of the NBA. It tells the story of the legendary Chamberlain's personal triumph over Boston and their leader, Bill Russell, arch rivals who had annually thwarted Chamberlain's championship dreams and had left him branded a loser.But Chamberlain couldn't defeat the Celtics alone. He was reunited with fiery and focused Coach Alex Hannum, the only NBA coach ever to have beaten Boston for the championship. He was surrounded by the best supporting cast of his career: Hal Greer and Chet Walker, two talented offensive stars transplanted from a bygone NBA franchise; Luke Jackson, the league's first true power forward; Billy Cunningham, a sixth man loaded with instant energy and offense; Wally Jones and Larry Costello, a pair of basketball reclamation projects; and, Matty Guokas and Bill Melchionni, a couple of hometown rookies.Chamberlain remade his game, forsaking his own incredible scoring prowess in favor of handing out assists to teammates. In turn, the 76ers remade basketball history, rocketing to an unmatched 46-4 record out of the gate and not stopping until they reached 68-13, a regular season mark never previously achieved in NBA history--or even imagined back then.The book gives fans a fascinating, month-by-month look at the team's amazing season, a season that also saw Chamberlain pursued by both a rival basketball league and the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. It also recounts in vivid, play-by-play detail one of the most historic playoff series in the annals of the NBA.The 76ers battled the Celtics again in a much-anticipated post-season confrontation. But this time the results would be different. Amid chants of "Boston is dead" from the long-suffering, Celtics-hating fans at Philadelphia's Convention Hall, the 76ers won the series quickly and decisively. They went on to defeat sharp-shooting Rick Barry and the San Francisco Warriors for the NBA title.In 1995, the 76ers took their place among the top ten teams in NBA history. Season of the 76ers makes the strong case that they are the best NBA team of all time. Packed with pictures, playoff box scores, and reproductions of the 76ers' championship yearbook, the book is not only the biography of a great team, it is a fun- and fact-filled sports collectible.The NBA's 2001-2002 season marks the 35th anniversary of that special "Season of the 76ers"--a fitting time to relive this team's unforgettable achievements. AUTHORBIO: Wayne Lynch became a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers in the mid-1960s as a teenager growing up in Pittsburgh. He started a small scrapbook about the team back then, but it was not until more than three decades later that he decided to tell the full story of the 1967 championship team he loved so much. Mr. Lynch is a longtime television journalist who is now Vice President of News and Programming at Newschannel 8, the 24-hour cable news service for greater Washington, D.C. He lives with his wife, Karen, in northern Virginia. His son, Matthew, lives and works in Philadelphia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Games Do Not Tell The Entire Story
Entering the 1966-1967 season, Wilt Chamberlain was at the crossroads of his storied NBA career.

Criticized by many inside and outside the NBA as being a selfish player who only cares about his scoring statistics - at the expense of team honors - a frustrated Chamberlain publicly lashed out at players, coaches and league officials in an April 1965 interview in Sports Illustated, entitled, My Life In A Bush League.

But one season later, Chamberlain seemingly revamped his game - notching MVP honors by leading the league in scoring and rebounds, but also ranking third in assists and playing a tenacious defense - as the Philadelphia 76ers put together arguably the greatest NBA season ever by winning regular season 68 of 81 games enroute to the championship, defeating the San Francisco Warriors in six games.

To put the regular season in perspective, the 76ers captured the Eastern Division by eight games over Boston and would have won the Western Division by 24 games over San Francisco.

In a flawed account of the season, author Wayne Lynch places the focus on Chamberlain, though what coach Alex Hannum assembled proved to be a historic lineup of talent, which included Chet Walker, Hal Greer, Wali Jones, Billy Cunningham and Lucious Jackson.

Lynch relies heavily on game-by-game accounts and fails to breath life into the statistics through oral histories or previous accounts by 76er players and opponents. He sacrifices what could have been truly an outstanding overview for just the facts surrounding jump shots, rebounds and layups.

Games alone do not tell the entire story of a championship season. And without a perspective from the hardwood floor and locker room, the stats overwhelm a text that essentially is without the sweat and heart of a team.

A Celtics Fan speaks (s/b 4.5 stars)
Although I disagree that the 1967 76ers are the Greatest Team ever, I feel that this team is at least Top 3 and probably the most underrated of all the serious teams in the discussion. This is the year that Wilt (who actually led the league in assists this season) and the 76ers finally broke through and won two championships [ 1) by winning the NBA title and 2) by dethroning the Celtics]. For a team that was named the Greatest Team ever at the league's 25th anniversary (even above all the Bill Russell-led Celtics teams), this team gets almost no respect today. This may have something to do with the fact that they were unable to repeat and lost to an aging Celtics team in 1968. Still it's hard to argue against the 1967 76ers being the best team ever (I know it's tough for me to argue against it, and I feel that the 1985-86 Celtics are the Best Team ever).

I do have some problems with the overall credibility of the author when he says that the only two teams that are in the discussion with this Sixers team are the 1972 Lakers (which is fine) and the 1996 Bulls (which is just preposterous) and his rationale was based on record which was inflated due to the increase in expansion teams. There are three teams from the 1980s that should definitely be in the discussion (1983 Sixers, 1986 Celtics, 1987 Lakers) for Greatest Team ever. However, he did put the 2001 Lakers in their place by saying that really great teams get it done throughout the season (despite the team's 15-1 playoff record). Overall this book, much like Peter May's book on the 1985-86 Celtics, is good as a chronicle for a great season but is flawed when the authors try to analyze why their subjects are the greatest team ever.

Long Overdue Book on a legendary team
Only Philadelphiacould totally neglect the greatest NBA team of alltime for over thirty years. I remember going to the old Convention Hall in Philly and watching Wily, Chet, Hal, Billy and Luke and the boys obliterate opposing teams. Big Luke was my favorite player---he set picks for Cunningham, Greer, and Walker; he played tenacious defense, and rebounded like a demon. He sacrificed much of his own scoring production for the good of the team. Wilt said Luke was the most intimidating player in NBA history. Wilt recalled with a laugh that whenever Willis Reed saw Jackson walking done the tunnel onto the court during warmups, Reed began to visibly shake. A nice little ditty; I highly recommend it. Now I wish someone in Philly would produce a DVD highlighting that same 1966-67 season. That would be fun to watch.

THE TELLING OF A SEASON OF GREATNESS
THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST DOMINATING TEAMS IN ANY SPORT. THE SIXERS WERE PRACTICALLY UNBEATABLE DURING THEIR INCREDIBLE SEASON OF 66-67. THIS IS A MONTH BY MONTH SUMMARY OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND EVENTS WHICH BROUGHT THE SIXERS TO THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. THE FIRST PART OF THE BOOK LEADS UP TO THE EVENTS WHICH BROUGHT THE TEAM TOGETHER. IT PROVIDES AN IN DEPTH LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL GAMES, ESPECIALLY THE PLAYOFFS. ALSO AN AFTER SEASON SUMMARY OF HOW THE TEAM LOST TO THE CELTICS IN 67-68 AND THE EVENTUAL BREAKUP OF THIS GREAT DYNAMO. ALSO SOME GREAT STATS AND SOME NOSTALGIC PHOTOS PROVIDE US WITH A GOOD BOOK. RECOMMENDED.

Something to celebrate!
... it's a book about a championship season in Philadelphia, and that's certainly something to celebrate ... and there's also some very interesting commentary thrown in from Bill Cunningham ... ... Read more

Product Description
Here's a rare one: Converse's 50th anniversary year book. It is clean w/faint rubbing to edges. Apparently a coach used it as 5 pages are neatly underlined w/tiny playing notes. 1958 All-American selections include pictures of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson. Articles include Developing a Moving Offense, Pet Plays of Top Coaches, Evolution of Basketball, and Defense Still Has Its Place in Basketball plus statistics and photos of the top HS and college basketball teams with a feature article on the 1958 World Champs, the St. Louis Hawks. ... Read more

Book Description
Authoritative, informative, and entertaining, Wilt is the first standard biography about this American legend—the unique and unforgettable Wilt Chamberlain. One of the 20th century's greatest and most controversial athletes, Wilt also had an intensely private side that the author uncovers through years of interviews with the people closest to Wilt up until the time of his death in 1999. This groundbreaking work successfully captures Wilt Chamberlain the man, while also closely examining the better-known myths that surrounded him throughout his life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Wilt!
Robert Cherry takes anecdotes from famous and regular people whose lives' intertwined with Wilt Chamberlain, and mixes them in with his narrative summary of the legend's life and statistics to form a biography that entertains while never sensationalizing.Anyone interested in the NBA or college basketball is going to find this book to be a captivating read.

Highly recommended, but be aware that the one thing the book lacks is a statistical record of Wilt's collegiate and NBA career.

Somebody does love GOLIATH
Wilt Chamberlain once said "Nobody loves Goliath. I'm here to say that after reading "Wilt, Larger than Life" I refute that. The book gave an indepth look at not only Wilt the basketball icon, but Wilt the person. It explored relationships he established outside of basketball and how he maintained those frendships until his untimely death. After reading the book I also had more appreciation for Wilt the basketball player. I feel that not only was he one of the greatest players of all time, but he met and exceeded all of the expectations that were placed on him when he very well could and was in some cases viewed as a freak of nature.

I loved this book
At the risk of sounding redundant.This book was great and gives a lot of insight into a very fascinating individual.Personally I could have done with less information on what exactly happened in the quarters of key basketball games and more on the other things that Wilt did throughout his life.However this was still a good purchase, worthwhile read, and I am very greatful for the author to have taken the time and effort to write this book.

Wilts buddy Bob Kashey
Great book. I loved every page except page 155. That Bob Kashey character can't be real.I know a Bob Kashey that hangs out at Chile's in Lake Mary, Florida and this can't be him although he keeps insisting it is. In any case, it is a great book, well worth the investment.

Are America's Book Editors On Strike?
This is the third consecutive book I've read that is badly in need of some editing.Let's start with the front cover, which displays the following quote from sportswriter Dick Schaap: "The definitive biography . . ."Really?The book's copyright date is 2004 . . . Dick Schaap DIED in December of 2001.

Regarding Chamberlain's athleticism and interest in track and field, the last sentence of page 61 reads, "He certainly had the requisite speed, stamina and strength to become an Olympian, maybe even a medalist".Fair enough.But then, the opening line to the next paragraph starts, "Because one can't speculate on what he might have accomplished in track and field . . ."Hello?Rewrite!!!

Add to that the annoyingly endless use of parenthetical phrases to embellish sentences that need no embellishing, and this book can be hard to read.There are so many examples of this, that it's impossible to realize just how annoying it is without actually reading the book.Figure on a mininum of one per paragraph, and as many as three in one sentence.

The saving grace of this book is the subject.Wilt Chamberlain was without question one of the most interesting and accomplished of America's 20th century athletes.For me, greatness in athletics is about winning, which is why I'll always choose Bill Russell and Jack Nicklaus as the greatest of the century.But for statistical accomplishment, only Wayne Gretzky and perhaps Jim Brown can compare to Wilt.And as physical specimens go, Jim Brown is probably the only team sport player whose speed, strength and endurance match up to Wilt's.The other measure, and the one that probably puts Wilt up on his highest pedestal, is the somewhat nebulous "impact on the game".Bobby Orr in hockey and Lawrence Taylor in football are the only other athletes I can think of who are even in the shadows of what Wilt did for basketball.This was truly a remarkable athlete and an interesting man off the field as well.Although I wouldn't give this book a strong recommendation to the casual sports fan, if you are looking for an in depth biography about a great basketball player and a pretty good overview of basketball in the 50's and 60's, this is not the worst place to wind up.But I'd look elsewhere first. ... Read more