Rich Wolfe (2)

One can read both the good and bad that folks in the world of college basketball have to say about The General, Bob Knight, in "Knightmares/"Oh, What a Knight". The book is actually two different books in one. Author Rich Wolfe uses first person accounts from dozens of people who chime in on their favorite pro and con Knight stories. Many of the contributors- names like Vitale, Barkley, Bird, Valentine, Feinstein, & Krzyzewski - will be very familiar to basketball fans.

The editing is a little shaky (more from clarity and repetitiveness standpoints), but the reader does get the impression that he or she are receiving first-hand accounts of a number of famous and infamous stories about coach Knight during his storied career at Indiana. Wolfe also adds a lot of little trivial touches to the different stories that add some interest to the books.

The book has become a little outdated because it ends when Knight is fired from IU. It does not cover any of his time at Texas Tech or as a color commentator.

Fans of college basketball may find this book equally fascinating and frustrating. Big Ten and IU fans probably won't find much that they haven't heard many times before.… (meer)

This is a marvelous collection of essays, by Nebraska fans, about the experience of being a Nebraska football fan. In these 48 pieces, you'll get a variety of personalities, sharing what it's been like to follow the Huskers their entire lives. Some come from writers who've been fans since before Bob Devaney took the reins, and others are from fans of the more recent generations. Chapters include "Growin' Up Husker", "Sweet Home Memorial Stadium", "A Hard Way to Make an Easy Living", "I Saw It On the Radio", "Put Me in Coach", "On the Road Again", "Huskerpalooza", "Ah, a Female Husker Fan", and "Fandemonium". Rich Wolfe edits a series of similar volumes for football and baseball programs across the county. He inserts little arcane facts about football facts, which often have nothing to do with the Huskers, to fill out the ends of many of the pages, and some of these fall flat. But, if you're looking for unique voices sharing the experience of what it's like to be a part of Husker Nation, this is a volume you shouldn't pass up!

Originally written for my local libraries' website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts/bookguide/srec/staffrec11-09.htm… (meer)