Camp Fire Site

  The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban.     John Talty. How Alabama’s Coach Became the Greatest Ever.    Although Legendary football coach Nick Saban left the coaching field at the end of the 2023 season, it seems as though he is as ubiquitous now as he ever was when walking the gridiron as a head coach for more than 20 years.    The recently released “Saban” docuseries and his weekly appearances on ESPN’s Saturday morning gameday feature the former Alabama coach prominently.   In addition, there is no paucity of literature discussing the coach and his successful coaching experiences. Of course, one can learn more about the coaching style and philosophy of Saban by reading John Talty’s 2022 book The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban .    While I only learned of this book recently it seemed to coincide nicely with the coach’s omnipresence in the media today.   Talty, co-author of The Price , collects and evaluates the many ...

  The Hardest, Longest Race.   Eric Moskowitz. Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America. A story about an automobile race could be interesting.   A story about a race that goes ocean to ocean might be more intriguing.    A tale about a cross-country car race taking place in early 20 th century may become even more enticing.     A detailed book that describes an underrated historical event featuring plenty of information about the auto industry and the less-than-ideal conditions for safely finishing the race might be too good to pass.     As it turns out, a story that ultimately changed the way society thought about automobile ownership and traveling for a race of this magnitude was enough for author Eric Moskowitz to research, write and publish his first book Hardest, Longest Race.    One could easily be drawn to this book because the title and cover seemingly reveal a story of adventure, challe...

  Glory Days.    L. Jon Wertheim. The Summer of 1984 and the 90 days that changed sports and culture forever. Nostalgia is often elicited when reading about the good old days or watching a movie or even recalling a memorable milestone in our lives.      For those readers old enough to have lived through the 1980’s we can draw upon many instances where this hits us hard.      Author Jon Wertheim put together a book covering this very era but narrowed his scope to the summer of 1984 in his 2021 book Glory Days .     At the barely ripe age of 17 by start of summer in 1984, this book reviewer was a known sports fan but also an intent follower of popular music in those days.     Drawing me to this book was the premise one would regal revisiting some of my past.    In a pleasant surprise, the author captures a number of transactions that not only defined the summer of that year but were impact...

  Barkley. A Biography. Timothy Bella.  Some people are born with big personalities.    Some of those individuals grow into larger-than-life athletes and icons.    Author Timothy Bella wrote a biography about one of these basketball icons, turned influential media member, in his book, Barkley, A Biography published in 2022.    To be clear this is a book about a man with a dynamic personality that happens to also be considered one of the fifty best basketball players of all time.     Bella, a journalist and former Washington Post writer, did extensive research to complete this book conducting 375 interviews along the way.      He writes about the early life of Charles Wade Barkley growing up in modest Leeds, Alabama (20 miles outside of Birmingham), his college career where he became a nationally known athlete, his professional playing career where he starred in three major American cities and ultimately his ev...

  Magic.  The Life of Earvin “Magic” Johnson.  Roland Lazenby. Many superstar athletes are given nicknames.    Magic Johnson is one of the most recognizable sobriquets in all sport.    By now his basketball playing career, television appearances and successful business ventures have made him a well-known and even popular sports figure and personality spanning more than four decades.   There is no paucity of written content pertaining to Johnson, whose own mother did not readily accept the newly coined handle in his youth.     With that said author Roland Lazenby spent many years compiling his notes, findings and observations to put together a lengthy book, Magic published in 2023.    As the byline suggests this is a book about the life of one Earvin “Magic” Johnson.     This is a lengthy story in which Johnson declined to participate according to the author.     That did NOT seem to matter...

Fans.   Larry Olmsted. How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding. Sports spectators are a growing breed that are often portrayed in a less than flattering way.    We have likely all seen the images of the typical overweight middle-aged male, wearing a hat and/or team jersey swilling some beer or consuming not-so nutritious foods.    While some of the stereotypes are likely true it is not the case for all fans around the country and the globe.   In fact, there may be many unknown and underlying benefits to being a supporter of sports teams.   One author, Larry Olmsted, who studies sports spectators probably more than the sports themselves, published a book in 2021 exploring the possibility of how being a sports fan might make them happier, healthier and more understanding.    The following is a review of the book: Fans .   We all know people that support at least one sports team, you may be one yourself...

   Iron in the Blood.    Jay Busbee. How the Alabama vs. Auburn Rivalry Shaped the Soul of the South.    As far as college football rivalries go the annual game between the two biggest schools in the state of Alabama ranks among the best in the nation.     The game, played at the end of the regular season, is known as the Iron Bowl because it traditionally took place in Birmingham, the state’s largest city.    However, the Pittsburgh in the south, happened to be fertile region blessed with iron-ore resources at one point during the 20th century, hence the moniker that sticks to this day.    Veteran author Jay Busbee decided to add another literary resource, for which there is seemingly no shortage of documentation, describing this rivalry and fascinating topic by publishing his book Iron in the Blood .    This is a book that gives equal quarters to both of the prominent state schools and fervently discusses...