Reviews for Jim Brown : the fierce life of an American hero
Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Forty years after his retirement from pro football, Jim Brown is still commonly referred to as the greatest running back ever and sometimes simply as the greatest player in NFL history. Throughout, he has been a confident, intelligent role model, working intently for black economic independence and for the alleviation of urban gang violence. Yet, he had frequent run-ins with the law over his alleged violent treatment of women; he had no relationship with the children he fathered. Can this flawed man be a hero? Sports journalist Freeman (ESPN: The Uncensored History) attempts to answer in the affirmative while dealing honestly with all evidence to the contrary. He addresses Brown's football career only sporadically, jumping around and using quotes from other writers to serve as analysis. One of Freeman's key sources is an anonymous former FBI agent who spied on Brown in the 1960s and 1970s. This deep background adds much to the book, but the author gets a bit out of his league when he delves into the general ethics of spying. Overall, this study of an important figure in recent American sporting and cultural history is an engrossing read on several levels. It would be welcome in any library.-John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Of the great running backs of football's modern era, the first and probably best was Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown, who played from 1957 through 1965. As Jackie Robinson did in baseball, so Brown helped break down football's color barrier and revolutionized his game, bringing quickness and finesse to what had been a power position. So any biography that reminds fans of Brown's importance to football well serves the strong sports collection. Freeman, former Florida Times-Union columnist who now writes for cbs.sportsline.com, brings competence, if not great wit, to his task, tracing Brown's life, from his embattled and unorthodox youth (Brown was one of the nation's premier lacrosse players as a high-schooler) to his Syracuse University playing days, through his nine seasons with Cleveland (playing every game), through his acting career, and into his years as an effective advocate for black causes. If Freeman explores Brown's ugly side--domestic abuse, womanizing, his penchant for intimidation off the field--he counters by showing the man's positive side, including his immeasurable contributions to the black community. --Alan Moores Copyright 2006 Booklist
