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Guests | May 22, 2012

James Bernard Frost: IMG I'm a Writer... Now What Do I Do with My Life?



For everyone I know who is a writer, there was some awkward time in their lives when they had to learn to call themselves one. You'd make a few... Continue »
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    A Very Minor Prophet

    James Bernard Frost 9780983304982

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Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback

by George Plimpton

Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback Cover

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In the mid-'60s, Plimpton joined the Detroit Lions at their preseason camp as a 36-year-old rookie quarterback wannabe, and stuck with the club through an intra-squad game before the paying public a month later. The result is a literary masterpiece about professional football that not only elevated the art of participatory journalism to an art form, but also remains one of the most insightful and hilarious books ever written on the game.

The Detroit Lions agreed to permit Plimpton — wearing Number 0 — to join them for four weeks of training camp, and to culminate his apprenticeship by calling a series of plays in an intra-squad game in Pontiac Stadium. No holds are barred in this memorable, on-the-field look at football and how the professionals play it. Naturally, Plimpton didn't make it as a football hero; he barely affords himself a dignified account of his performance on the field, which is just as well. What remains is an enduring classic of professional football as it looks to a first-string writer trying out as a last-string quarterback.

Review:

"A continuous feast....The best book ever about football — or anything!" The Wall Street Journal

Review:

"A great book that makes football absolutely fascinating to fan and non-fan alike...a tale to gladden the envious heart of every weekend athlete...Plimpton has endless curiosity, unshakable enthusiasm and nerve, and a deep respect for the world he enters." The New York Times

Review:

"The agility and imaginativeness of his prose transforms his account of this daydream into a classic of sports reporting." The New Yorker

About the Author

An author, journalist, editor, actor, and modern-day Renaissance man, George Plimpton (1927-2003) was perhaps best known for Paper Lion. Originally published in 1966 and today considered a classic, the book set the bar for participatory sports journalism, if not literature in general. With his characteristic insight and wit, the Harvard-educated Plimpton recounts his experiences in successfully talking his way into training camp — not as a reporter but as a player — with the Detroit Lions, practicing with the team, and actually taking snaps behind center in a preseason game. This special 40th anniversary edition, featuring photos not seen in any previous edition, provides a classic look at the gridiron game through the lens of a true literary giant.

Product Details

ISBN:
9781599210056
Subtitle:
Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback
Publisher:
Lyons Press
Author:
Plimpton, George
Subject:
General
Subject:
United states
Subject:
Football
Subject:
Football players
Subject:
Football - General
Subject:
Football players -- United States.
Subject:
Plimpton, George
Edition Number:
40
Edition Description:
Anniversary
Publication Date:
20060901
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
16-page bandw insert
Pages:
416
Dimensions:
8.50 x 5.50 x 1.21 in

Related Subjects

Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback
0 stars - 0 reviews
$ In Stock
Product details 416 pages Lyons Press - English 9781599210056 Reviews:
"Review" by , "A continuous feast....The best book ever about football — or anything!"
"Review" by , "A great book that makes football absolutely fascinating to fan and non-fan alike...a tale to gladden the envious heart of every weekend athlete...Plimpton has endless curiosity, unshakable enthusiasm and nerve, and a deep respect for the world he enters."
"Review" by , "The agility and imaginativeness of his prose transforms his account of this daydream into a classic of sports reporting."
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