Review “All students of the game will feast on King of the Court. “ (Library Journal 2010-04-02)“If you don’t know much about Russell, this is a good place to start. If you do, it will help place him in context.” (Providence Journal 2010-05-30)“Goudsouzian captures the complexities of the man behind the fame, both his strengths and his foibles.” (Choice 2010-09-01)“A full, authoritative, incredibly well-researched biography of Russell's life and career, just dense with information on every page.” (ESPN 2010-12-31)“"King of the Court" [is] probably the best one-stop of account of the life of one of sport's true individuals.” (Sports Book Review Center 2011-02-25)“A provocative, informative, detailed, critical, and balanced work.” (Harry Reed The Sixties)“It is all here for the reader to savor in this fine new addition to the history of sport.” (Journal Of American History 2011-04-20) Read more From the Inside Flap "King of the Court provides a highly nuanced and sophisticated analysis of the great African American basketball player from his earliest days up to the present time. With great skill and much insight, Goudsouzian makes clear that Russell was a very complicated man who was full of contradictions in his own private life and in relationship to his business associates, teammates, opponents, the media, and the larger sporting public."―David K.Wiggins, George Mason University"Not only is King of the Court one of the most impressive and important sports biographies to come along in many a season, easily in the same class as David Maraniss's When Pride Still Mattered (on Vince Lombardi) and Wil Haygood's Sweet Thunder (on Sugar Ray Robinson), it is also one of the truly incisive books on the intersection of race, civil rights, and popular culture that have appeared in some time. Having grown up in Philadelphia, I was always a Wilt Chamberlain man and always will be, but King of the Court convinced me that Bill Russell defined his age in ways that Chamberlain never did. Russell was a man for all seasons. This is a biography befitting Russell's stature."―Gerald Early, author of One Nation Under a Groove: Motown and American Culture"Before there were crossover dribbles or slam dunk competitions, before they even kept statistics for blocked shots, Bill Russell dominated the game we call basketball. The respect he demanded as a black man during America's turbulent Civil Rights era made him the personification of a winner in life. King of the Court, like Russell's defense, locks it down, and puts it all in its proper context. Long live the King!"―Dr. Todd Boyd, author of Young, Black, Rich, and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, the Hip Hop Invasion, and the Transformation of American Culture"Bill Russell's life story is only incidentally about basketball. For him the sport was not a life; it was his vehicle for social change, a platform that showcased his vision for America as much as his athletic talent. In his magnificent biography, Aram Goudsouzian captures the nuance and meaning of Russell's career. After reading the book, one will never look at Russell or sports in quite the same way."―Randy Roberts, Purdue University"Brings back the excitement of the great days of the NBA and its legendary players, led by the king of them all, Bill Russell. Best book I've read on basketball in 40 years."―Bill McSweeny, co-author, with Bill Russell, of Go Up for Glory Read more See all Editorial Reviews
K**D
Goudsouzian places Russell in his proper place as the preeminent ...
Goudsouzian places Russell in his proper place as the preeminent place as the star who broke racial barriers in the NBA. Neither Jack Johnson nor Jackie Robinson, Russell would assert himself as not just a black athlete but a black man who claimed his place in the postwar era of the consumer republic and civil rights activism. Bouyed against his rival Wilt Chamberlain, Russell is able to emerge as the face of victory on and off the court. Goudsouzian's unique ability to craft Russell's identity through the narrative of Russell's career while place his activism into the heart of the historical movement makes this a valuable addition to the discourse on black athletes during this era.
G**A
a long overdue book on the great Russell
With all due respect to Michael Jordan, this book in a profile of, if not the greatest player, certainly the greatest winner in NBA history. If scoring all the points with all the fanciest moves is the criteria for determining greatness, then Jordan is your guy. If winning the championship darn near every year of your career, both college and pro, then you have to go with Russell. The book goes into where Russell "decided to win in college" and did nothing but win the rest of his playing days. Mr. Russell was never particularly popular with fans nor with writers and ne never particularly cared. As long as he had the respect of his teammates and his team won the game, that was what was most important to Mr. Russell. An excellent book.
E**O
Four Stars
Good!
P**T
Five Stars
Great read!
A**D
King of the Court
If you like sports biographies, this one is first rate, honest and critical of its subject when the need arises. It also creates the era in which Russell played as both a collegiate and professional as well as any that I have read.i would recommend it highly.
J**M
Loved it
Great book because I am a Celtics fan and Bill was once my hero when I was a kid.The best center ever, in my opinion.
L**.
Bill the man
So much racism this man had to overcome to become the greatest winner in nba history. A story that must be told!
C**K
Very good book good read
This is a great book so much detail on games played and the book is good with all the other Bill Russell books I bought (5 altogether). An amazing man.
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