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 enlarge | Author: Mark Kriegel
Creator: Lloyd James
Publisher: Tantor Media
Category: Book
List Price: $69.99
Buy New: $45.83
You Save: $24.16 (35%)
New (12) Used (5) from $45.83
Avg. Customer Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 2646662
Format: Audiobook, Cd
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 10
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 6.3 x 1
ISBN: 1400134862
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.323092
EAN: 9781400134861
ASIN: 1400134862
Publication Date: June 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not a Cure for the Blues March 9, 2008
I read PISTOL during the last week when my brain was in gear, my emotions high and my persona not cracked. Good thing, too. If I had been depressed, I might have eaten more junk food than my diet allows.
Yes, PISTOL deserves five stars. The lives of Press Maravich and his son, Peter Press Maravich, are, however, Pittsburgh bleak, covered with soot and anchored by the angst of control and chaos.
Basketball should a fine, fun game, but this book proves it doesn't have to be any fun at all. It can merely be twisted.
The sun is shining now, and the temperature is crisp. I think I can forget all Pete's "showtime" moves, the suicide of his mom, the manic control of his dad and the up-all-night drinking bouts.
What I can't forget, yet, are all the tortures his sons went through when they tried to honor their dad by playing basketball, too. One coach in particular at LSU needs to be put down for his cruelty.
The Breaks Of The Game February 23, 2008
As with the classic pick-and-roll - where it takes the solid work of two players to make the offensive play successful - Pete Maravich would not have been the "Pistol" without the guidance of his father, Press (Peter).
And in this dual biography, author Mark Kriegel brings the legend of Pete and Press to life, on and off the court.
Press - who had a cup of coffee in the pro game, with Youngstown and Pittsburgh - used basketball as a means to have an escape from a tough childhood. Though he set out early in Pete's life to develop his basketball skills, this is not a classic case of an overbearing father forcing his will on a son.
As Pete emerged as this larger-than-life figure - whose shooting, ball-handling and passing brought a wonderful brilliance to the hardwood floor - he became Showtime, Inc. He took a struggling Louisiana State University program - with Press as the head coach - and turned it into a SEC power, going 20-8 overall in his senior year, while averaging an amazing 44.2 points per game in his varsity collegiate career.
A new, state-of-the-art, arena came into being at LSU, based on Pete popularizing the program, which had been playing home games in a facility designed for livestock shows.
But with these triumphs, both found later that the breaks in the game of life can find the ball rolling out-of-bounds, never to be the same when retrieved and put back into play. And that may be the biggest lesson of all.
The Life of Pete Maravich-" A Greek Tragedy February 20, 2008
The story of Pete Maravich is tragic,yet inspirational. Those who love basketball and some of its changing history, will devour it. The book includes some of the evolution of the game from the much slower and methotical form of the game which existed until the 1970's and the transition to the fast break and run and gun type of sport it has become .
After his death at age 40, this bigger than life player, Pistol Pete Maravich, was named the greatest athlete from the state of Texas in the 2oth century by the New Orleans Picayune newspaper.Pete Maravich still holds the college devision 1 scoring record of 3,667 points with a 44.2 point average.He was a magician with the basketball, doing things that no one had done before and was a bridge between the old style slower game and the run and gun of today. Youngsters idolized him and wanted desperately to be like him. His long hair fit right in with the Beatles and the culture of the 60's and 70's. He was the altimate showman and the book is filled with appraisals of him from some of the greatest coaches of his time. Pistol Pete Maravich was named posthumeously as one of the 5o greatest players of the 20th century.
However, this story is more than one about a sport's star; it is a sad family story. In many ways , in the end, " Pridde goeth before the fall." The author, Mark Kriegel tells the compelling story of how the enormous pressure put on Pete by his father, fans and most of all, himself turns him into a depressed and self-lothing man.Press Maravich, a srong headed and authoritarian tast master dreamed of molding his son into the first million dollar pro player. This sad and powerful fahter -son relationship results in a most unhappy life for the son.
Pete Maravich became a folk hero to many in the vein of Elvis or Joe Nathmath and like Elvis the pressure got to him. He could not find happiness nor pace with himself in spite of his super star basketball talent. He neeeded to be loved and feared rejection to the point that he was controlled by his addiction to the game, alcohol and self-flagellation.In essence he could'nt say no to others, particuarily, Press Maravich.
However, just as the reader is sure that Pete will either kill himself as a result of depression or reckles drinking , he surprizes us.Does his new found life, after basketball,redeem him or is it too late? You decide.
Many coaches, fathers and teachers might well take a lesson from this story; one which might well cause them to rethink their approch to helping youngsters develop into well ajusted contributors to society. Mark Kriegel is a skiled writer who uses rich language and creative prose who produced a book that tugged at my heart many times oveas I read it. It is one of those books I could read several times.
FREAKING AWESOME!! February 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great read!!...My whole family(4) read the book..We even fought over whos' turn it was...Move this to the top of list of must read sports biography!!
great book January 26, 2008
great book, even for those who are basketball fanatics, it can help you understand why some people are.
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