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That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory
The story of a team, a town, and a Vince Lombardi’s first year as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, and how he turned them into a powerhouse.
The once-vaunted Green Bay Packers were a laughingstock by the late 1950s. They hadn’t fielded a winning team in more than a decade, and were close to losing their franchise to another city. They were in desperate need of a savior—and he arrived in a wood-paneled station wagon in the dead of winter from New York City.
In a single year, Vince Lombardi—the grizzled coach who took no bull—transformed a team of underachievers into winners and resurrected a Wisconsin city known for its passion for sports. He would lead them to championship to championship, and bring out the best in players including Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, and many more. From an award-winning sportswriter, That First Season is “a compelling read about perhaps the most compelling coach ever to stride an NFL sideline” ( Washington Times ).
“Richly detailed in seamless prose, this is historical sportswriting at its finest."—Lars Anderson, New York Times best-selling author of The The Fall and Rise of a Football Family
The once-vaunted Green Bay Packers were a laughingstock by the late 1950s. They hadn’t fielded a winning team in more than a decade, and were close to losing their franchise to another city. They were in desperate need of a savior—and he arrived in a wood-paneled station wagon in the dead of winter from New York City.
In a single year, Vince Lombardi—the grizzled coach who took no bull—transformed a team of underachievers into winners and resurrected a Wisconsin city known for its passion for sports. He would lead them to championship to championship, and bring out the best in players including Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Willie Davis, Forrest Gregg, and many more. From an award-winning sportswriter, That First Season is “a compelling read about perhaps the most compelling coach ever to stride an NFL sideline” ( Washington Times ).
“Richly detailed in seamless prose, this is historical sportswriting at its finest."—Lars Anderson, New York Times best-selling author of The The Fall and Rise of a Football Family
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
88 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
About the author
John Eisenberg
16 books45 followersJohn Eisenberg is one of the country’s most acclaimed sportswriters. A native of Dallas, Texas and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he started out covering the “Friday Night Lights” for the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald in 1979. After rising through the ranks to cover pro basketball, he joined the staff of the Baltimore Sun in 1984. For the next 23 years he wrote columns in the Sun about the hometown Orioles, Ravens and Maryland Terrapins, and also covered major events such as the World Series, Super Bowl and Olympics. His honors included several firsts in the prestigious Associated Press Sports Editors’ contest. Since 2012 he has written columns on the Ravens’ website.
John has also authored 10 bestselling sports books, including The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Baseball’s Most Historic Record. Published in 2017, it was a finalist for the Casey Award, which honors the year’s best baseball book, and was shortlisted for the PEN/ESPN Literary Sportswriting Award, which honors the year’s best sports book. John’s most recent title is The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire. John has also written for Sports Illustrated and Smithsonian Magazine. He lives in Baltimore with his wife of 35years. They have two grown children and a grandson.
John has also authored 10 bestselling sports books, including The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Baseball’s Most Historic Record. Published in 2017, it was a finalist for the Casey Award, which honors the year’s best baseball book, and was shortlisted for the PEN/ESPN Literary Sportswriting Award, which honors the year’s best sports book. John’s most recent title is The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire. John has also written for Sports Illustrated and Smithsonian Magazine. He lives in Baltimore with his wife of 35years. They have two grown children and a grandson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 3, 2009
I'm old enough to remember a lot of players in this book. I'm old enough to know the agony of a Chicago Bears' fan as Bart Starr seemingly ubuiquitously on third and short would run a play action fake and hit a McGee or a Dowler or. . . . for a good gain. This book is really about two years in the history of the Green Bay Packers--the year before Vince Lombardi arrived and the year that he did arrive. Night and day!
In 1958, plainly put, the Packers stunk. Under coach "Scooter" McLean, they just didn't have the wherewithal to play against the top teams in the league. McLean was lax in his discipline and in working his players hard to get them in shape. As the season moved along, a number of the players just "quit," not thinking that they could win. What made this so distasteful is that once the Packers had been part of the National Football League's (NFL) elite. It was also locally owned, in the smallest city in the NFL. An altogether miserable year. . . . McLean was fired. The local ownership group searched for a new coach. The likes of Bert Bell, George Halas, and Paul Brown were consulted. One of the names that came up was an assistant coach for the New York Giants--Vince Lombardi. After an interview process, Lombardi was hired. And, boy, did things change for the Packers!
The base of the 1959 team was pretty much the 1958 team. But what a difference a year made. Some of the starters were cut for bad attitudes. Some new players were brought in to provide a sense of competence and a comfort level with playing to win. And the workouts. . . . Lombardi worked his players hard so that they could outwork and outlast players on other teams. He simplified the team's offense, bringing his philosophy to the Packers. A physical running team was his goal. The previous year, players like Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung languished on the bench.
We know the story. The Packers improved dramatically. Lombardi gave players like Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Horning, Boyd Dowler, Ray Nitschke and others a chance to play. And the team slowly blossomed that year, ending up 7-5 (NFL seasons were only 12 games long then).
The work itself is scarcely great prose or unusually insightful. But it does provide a literate view of the turnaround in this storied fraqnchise in 1959, with Coach Lombardi as the catalyst.
In 1958, plainly put, the Packers stunk. Under coach "Scooter" McLean, they just didn't have the wherewithal to play against the top teams in the league. McLean was lax in his discipline and in working his players hard to get them in shape. As the season moved along, a number of the players just "quit," not thinking that they could win. What made this so distasteful is that once the Packers had been part of the National Football League's (NFL) elite. It was also locally owned, in the smallest city in the NFL. An altogether miserable year. . . . McLean was fired. The local ownership group searched for a new coach. The likes of Bert Bell, George Halas, and Paul Brown were consulted. One of the names that came up was an assistant coach for the New York Giants--Vince Lombardi. After an interview process, Lombardi was hired. And, boy, did things change for the Packers!
The base of the 1959 team was pretty much the 1958 team. But what a difference a year made. Some of the starters were cut for bad attitudes. Some new players were brought in to provide a sense of competence and a comfort level with playing to win. And the workouts. . . . Lombardi worked his players hard so that they could outwork and outlast players on other teams. He simplified the team's offense, bringing his philosophy to the Packers. A physical running team was his goal. The previous year, players like Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung languished on the bench.
We know the story. The Packers improved dramatically. Lombardi gave players like Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Horning, Boyd Dowler, Ray Nitschke and others a chance to play. And the team slowly blossomed that year, ending up 7-5 (NFL seasons were only 12 games long then).
The work itself is scarcely great prose or unusually insightful. But it does provide a literate view of the turnaround in this storied fraqnchise in 1959, with Coach Lombardi as the catalyst.
October 21, 2009
I know the name Vince Lombardi and am aware of his legendary status in the sport of football, but I didn't really know what type of person and coach he was with the Packers until I read this book. That First Season is likely an enjoyable read for Packer die hard fans, but even better in my opinion for those who want to gather an understanding about the man, regardless of which team you love. It's somewhat of a historical textbook in that sense. I can't speak for the other books out there about Lombardi, but I can definitely say this is a great introductory read.
For the first couple dozen pages That First Season is a bit slow - Eisenberg mainly sets the scene with the Green Bay organization and there no personalities to grab on to. Once Lombardi enters the picture and starts to organize his roster and mold the players into a respectable team, then the reading becomes engaging. In 1959 he turned a joke of a team into competitors and would later win big. I could have done without the excessive game notes for each and every game, but I did like the chart in the back of the book detailing the Packers' schedule and results (I kept forgetting who they had played, their record, etc.).
For the first couple dozen pages That First Season is a bit slow - Eisenberg mainly sets the scene with the Green Bay organization and there no personalities to grab on to. Once Lombardi enters the picture and starts to organize his roster and mold the players into a respectable team, then the reading becomes engaging. In 1959 he turned a joke of a team into competitors and would later win big. I could have done without the excessive game notes for each and every game, but I did like the chart in the back of the book detailing the Packers' schedule and results (I kept forgetting who they had played, their record, etc.).
September 13, 2009
This is an average book about Vince Lombardi. There are better books out there. However if you just want to know about the first season then it's a good book. The first part of the book is very good. It talks about how Coach Lombardi came in and evaluated his new players. It showed what his first football camp was like and the expectations that were put into place. Then in the middle section Mr. Eisenberg details each game. I didn't enjoy this section, however I know many readers will. It goes into detail about the plays they ran and why they worked. I wanted to know more about the players and their interactions with Coach Lombardi. I don't care that they ran "61" for 11 yards. The very end of the book talks about his evaluations of the season and what they did for the future. It's an average book that is very short and easy to read. I wouldn't recommend it to people wanted to study the coaches and players but if you want to know plays and about football then it's a good book.
September 25, 2013
A great story about how the Green Bay Packers became champions once again in the modern era of football. It was thrilling to read about the men who were household names for me growing up in the 60's. The book illustrates the remarkable impact one visionary person can have on an organization and on people. Packers' fans and football aficionados will enjoy this book immensely.
January 23, 2014
Wonderfully written account of Lombardi's first season. I grew up watching his teams on a black and white TV--this book rekindled many warm memories.
April 30, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “HOW LOMBARDI RESHAPED A TEAM OF QUITTING LOSERS INTO WINNERS THAT WOULDN’T QUIT IN GREEN BAY.”
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In June of 1959 at the first Green Bay Packer pre-season quarterback camp new coach Vince Lombardi addressed six quarterbacks of which only three would make the team. One of the players at that meeting was future Hall Of Famer Bart Starr. Starr was not only “not” on the way to a Hall Of Fame career at that point… but his first two years with the Packers had resulted in won/loss records of 3 & 9 and 1 & 10. In fact their most recent season 1958 had been the worst season in the forty-year history of the Green Bay Packers. Coach Lombardi who had never been a head coach in the professional or college ranks… though he was an assistant coach on New York Giant NFL championship’s… knew what he wanted to accomplish in Green Bay… and how he would accomplish it. Lombardi did not mince words… and the entire future legacy of a franchise was set when Lombardi delivered the following *OPENING* salvo:
“GENTLEMEN… WE’RE GOING TO RELENTLESSLY CHASE PERFECTION, KNOWING FULL WELL WE WILL NOT CATCH IT, BECAUSE PERFECTION IS NOT ATTAINABLE. BUT WE ARE GOING TO RELENTLESSLY CHASE IT BECAUSE, IN THE PROCESS, WE WILL CATCH EXCELLENCE.”
“HE PAUSED AND STARED, HIS EYES MOVING FROM PLAYER TO PLAYER. THE ROOM WAS SILENT.”
I’M NOT REMOTELY INTERESTED IN BEING JUST GOOD,” HE SAID WITH AN INTENSITY THAT STARTLED THEM ALL.”
When there was a break in the meeting an hour later… Starr ran to a phone and called his wife at home in Alabama and said: “HONEY, WE’RE GOING TO START TO WIN,” HE SAID BREATHLESSLY. THE GUY TALKED ABOUT PERFECTION!”
From that place in time forward the author details the fury and passion that defined the Italian-Brooklyn-born Lombardi who became a savior… in of all places… frigid Green Bay. He worked the ballplayers harder than they’d ever been worked. Former college All-Americans were throwing up on the practice field. Coach Lombardi threatened the team that if they didn’t do things his way he’d get rid of them… and get rid of some of them he did. The players hated him… but in the end they loved him… for what he forced them to become.
What the Green Bay Packers were before Lombardi’s arrival was not only a losing team… but a team known throughout the league as quitters. When Lombardi reviewed the prior season’s game tapes… especially the November 2, 1958 game against the Baltimore Colts in which they lost 56-0… it wasn’t just the score… it was the fact the players quit trying. This added even more fuel to his fire and passion… if that’s humanely possible… and every practice became a personal quest to transform Lombardi’s desire for a team that would always leave every ounce of sweat… blood… and tears… on every field… whether in practice or in a game… all towards the goal of excellence… victory… and being able to look each other in the eye… knowing they never quit.
Interestingly portrayed along with the Packer’s coach and players are the opposing NFL stars of that generation… and the entire town of Green Bay whose lives are built around the fortunes of their hometown team. The reader will be made well aware of how Lombardi built the foundation of a team that in 1959 had its first winning season since 1947… that would play for the NFL championship in 1960 and win the NFL championship in 1961,1962,1965… and win the first two Super Bowl’s in history in 1966 and 1967. And as all fans know today… the Super Bowl Trophy is called the *LOMBARDI-TROPHY*. All this reinvigoration of a once proud Packer franchise had to start somewhere… and where it all started was in… “THAT FIRST SEASON”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In June of 1959 at the first Green Bay Packer pre-season quarterback camp new coach Vince Lombardi addressed six quarterbacks of which only three would make the team. One of the players at that meeting was future Hall Of Famer Bart Starr. Starr was not only “not” on the way to a Hall Of Fame career at that point… but his first two years with the Packers had resulted in won/loss records of 3 & 9 and 1 & 10. In fact their most recent season 1958 had been the worst season in the forty-year history of the Green Bay Packers. Coach Lombardi who had never been a head coach in the professional or college ranks… though he was an assistant coach on New York Giant NFL championship’s… knew what he wanted to accomplish in Green Bay… and how he would accomplish it. Lombardi did not mince words… and the entire future legacy of a franchise was set when Lombardi delivered the following *OPENING* salvo:
“GENTLEMEN… WE’RE GOING TO RELENTLESSLY CHASE PERFECTION, KNOWING FULL WELL WE WILL NOT CATCH IT, BECAUSE PERFECTION IS NOT ATTAINABLE. BUT WE ARE GOING TO RELENTLESSLY CHASE IT BECAUSE, IN THE PROCESS, WE WILL CATCH EXCELLENCE.”
“HE PAUSED AND STARED, HIS EYES MOVING FROM PLAYER TO PLAYER. THE ROOM WAS SILENT.”
I’M NOT REMOTELY INTERESTED IN BEING JUST GOOD,” HE SAID WITH AN INTENSITY THAT STARTLED THEM ALL.”
When there was a break in the meeting an hour later… Starr ran to a phone and called his wife at home in Alabama and said: “HONEY, WE’RE GOING TO START TO WIN,” HE SAID BREATHLESSLY. THE GUY TALKED ABOUT PERFECTION!”
From that place in time forward the author details the fury and passion that defined the Italian-Brooklyn-born Lombardi who became a savior… in of all places… frigid Green Bay. He worked the ballplayers harder than they’d ever been worked. Former college All-Americans were throwing up on the practice field. Coach Lombardi threatened the team that if they didn’t do things his way he’d get rid of them… and get rid of some of them he did. The players hated him… but in the end they loved him… for what he forced them to become.
What the Green Bay Packers were before Lombardi’s arrival was not only a losing team… but a team known throughout the league as quitters. When Lombardi reviewed the prior season’s game tapes… especially the November 2, 1958 game against the Baltimore Colts in which they lost 56-0… it wasn’t just the score… it was the fact the players quit trying. This added even more fuel to his fire and passion… if that’s humanely possible… and every practice became a personal quest to transform Lombardi’s desire for a team that would always leave every ounce of sweat… blood… and tears… on every field… whether in practice or in a game… all towards the goal of excellence… victory… and being able to look each other in the eye… knowing they never quit.
Interestingly portrayed along with the Packer’s coach and players are the opposing NFL stars of that generation… and the entire town of Green Bay whose lives are built around the fortunes of their hometown team. The reader will be made well aware of how Lombardi built the foundation of a team that in 1959 had its first winning season since 1947… that would play for the NFL championship in 1960 and win the NFL championship in 1961,1962,1965… and win the first two Super Bowl’s in history in 1966 and 1967. And as all fans know today… the Super Bowl Trophy is called the *LOMBARDI-TROPHY*. All this reinvigoration of a once proud Packer franchise had to start somewhere… and where it all started was in… “THAT FIRST SEASON”.
January 28, 2019
Over years, I have grown a craving to learn about Green Bay Packers 1959 transformation under Vince Lombardi, thanks for the fellow NFL fans and the writers who quote Vince often. This book was the right cure for me. The first chapters set the stage with a relatively slow narrative of Packer's miserable 1958 season and the community outrage, followed by Packer's search for a new head coach; all benefit me, a Seattle resident, to envision and appreciate the events later in a town I had not been to. Then Vince was chosen and he came to town, and things changed in the short period of time. In the season of 1959, Vince restructured the team and trained almost the same group of players into a disciplined and passionate NFL competitor. They had 7-5 in 1959, vs. 1-10-1 in 1958.
The first decision in the book, hiring Vince as the head coach in 1958, may be most critical for Green Bay Packers in its NFL history. Hardly did I know that Vince was not the top candidate and Vince himself had doubt to leave New York for a small midwest town. However, Vince knew this would be his career-making opportunity; given by his love to the game, Vince came into the picture and things started to change for real. Team culture and spirit was changed upon Vince's arrival; then strategy to training and play was overhauled; players were rightfully promoted or demoted; their talents were appreciated but not without hard work; they started to win, win with confidence, compete with grit and determination. How a team could perform if they know how and they are determined to win.The book ended with the 1959 season. It is a truly amazing story to a giant of sports and its true competitive spirit. Highly recommended.
Let us end this review with one of my favorite quotes from Vince "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.".
The first decision in the book, hiring Vince as the head coach in 1958, may be most critical for Green Bay Packers in its NFL history. Hardly did I know that Vince was not the top candidate and Vince himself had doubt to leave New York for a small midwest town. However, Vince knew this would be his career-making opportunity; given by his love to the game, Vince came into the picture and things started to change for real. Team culture and spirit was changed upon Vince's arrival; then strategy to training and play was overhauled; players were rightfully promoted or demoted; their talents were appreciated but not without hard work; they started to win, win with confidence, compete with grit and determination. How a team could perform if they know how and they are determined to win.The book ended with the 1959 season. It is a truly amazing story to a giant of sports and its true competitive spirit. Highly recommended.
Let us end this review with one of my favorite quotes from Vince "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.".
December 11, 2017
“That First Season” is written by John Eisenberg (2009©). The book traces the 1959 season of the Green Bay Packers. This was Vince Lombardi’s first year as a head coach in the National Football League and how he turned his team around from the worst team in the league the prior year to a competitive team (they finished with a record of 9 wins and 5 losses).
The following decade, the 1960’s, was the Packer’s dynasty which included winning the first two (ever) SuperBowls. Looking back, Lombardi was probably (definitely) one of the dominant professional coaches of my youth. His supposed quote: “Winning isn’t the most important thing. Winning is everything!” is probably the most iconic quote from my childhood years.
This book is about the year when it (the dynasty) could have gone another direction (and never been). Obviously, it didn’t go the other way and this book attempts to capture the spirit of the man, the team and the town as the dynasty is created. And, I must admit, does a very good job of it. I’ve read several books about American football over the last couple of years and this is definitely the best of the lot. This book is NOT about “X’s” and “O’s”, but you can, in fact, pick out quite a bit of theory if you read carefully. Instead this book is about a time in history and a sport, a man, a town, a team and a season. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in sport, leadership or even as a study in chaos theory – where a small change of a starting factor can have a profound impact on a larger event.
The following decade, the 1960’s, was the Packer’s dynasty which included winning the first two (ever) SuperBowls. Looking back, Lombardi was probably (definitely) one of the dominant professional coaches of my youth. His supposed quote: “Winning isn’t the most important thing. Winning is everything!” is probably the most iconic quote from my childhood years.
This book is about the year when it (the dynasty) could have gone another direction (and never been). Obviously, it didn’t go the other way and this book attempts to capture the spirit of the man, the team and the town as the dynasty is created. And, I must admit, does a very good job of it. I’ve read several books about American football over the last couple of years and this is definitely the best of the lot. This book is NOT about “X’s” and “O’s”, but you can, in fact, pick out quite a bit of theory if you read carefully. Instead this book is about a time in history and a sport, a man, a town, a team and a season. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in sport, leadership or even as a study in chaos theory – where a small change of a starting factor can have a profound impact on a larger event.
August 26, 2018
A very solid in depth look at Lombardi's inaugural season in Green Bay that gives readers insight into the coach as well as a number of players. That First Season can be seen as a treatise on the importance of coaching in the NFL. The Packers roster barely changed from 1958 to 1959. However, Lombardi took an undisciplined team of players with raw talent and honed the skills they didn't know they had through sheer tough discipline. 6 or 7 of these players, including Lombardi, would later enter the Football Hall of Fame.
This book does not delve into the personal lives of any of the characters in detail. Only brief mentions are made as to what they were like off the field. Therefore readers looking for more biographical data about players and the coach should look elsewhere. This book strictly focuses on Lombardi's arrival with the Packers and their first season together.
I can't see recommending this book to anyone other than true Packers fans (which I'm not), and NFL history aficionados (which I am). It's far too specific to be of interest to others. However those who know what this book is will find a wealth of knowledge within its pages. The only detraction is that large portions of the book are dedicated to play by play in games and practice, which becomes tedious after a while. Yet it's hard to fault a non-fiction book for being too detailed.
This book does not delve into the personal lives of any of the characters in detail. Only brief mentions are made as to what they were like off the field. Therefore readers looking for more biographical data about players and the coach should look elsewhere. This book strictly focuses on Lombardi's arrival with the Packers and their first season together.
I can't see recommending this book to anyone other than true Packers fans (which I'm not), and NFL history aficionados (which I am). It's far too specific to be of interest to others. However those who know what this book is will find a wealth of knowledge within its pages. The only detraction is that large portions of the book are dedicated to play by play in games and practice, which becomes tedious after a while. Yet it's hard to fault a non-fiction book for being too detailed.
August 4, 2018
Sometime after the 1958 football season, I read an article in what must have been the Boston Herald-Traveler at that time. Green Bay, the last of the original small city football towns, was in danger of losing its franchise because they were playing terrible football. Boston had no professional football team and I was uncomfortable cheering for the Giants. Although they were a good and decent team, they came from New York, home of the Yankees, so I started chering for Green Bay. This book explains why I was instantly rewarded. Green Bay hired the perfect coach for its time and its situation. Vince Lombardi created a behemoth. He was fortunate to find more raw untapped talent than he could reasonably have hoped for, but that just meant they came to dominance sooner than they might have otherwise. Eisenberg is perhaps a gentler critic than Lombardi, but he gives a fairly straightforward account of the strengths and weaknesses, the ups and downs of the yer. And he has a wonderful story to tell, but he also tells it very well. This is a wonderful book for football fans, but also for any sports fan and every student of effective leadership.
January 15, 2018
Ok, I’m biased. Life-long Packers fan. Still, objectively, a very good book and enjoyable read. All the Lombardi euphemisms are here, but you also glimpse some of the the complexities he faced that first year in Green Bay and saw it wasn’t all a bed of roses (their five game loosing streak, for instance). What stood out the most? How the effect of one individual with a determined mind and the vision of what he wanted (or what was needed) molded the talent there into a winning team. From 1-10-1 to 7-5, then all the way to the NFL championship the next year. Transformational leadership...charismatic leadership...competent leadership...probably more. Helps if you’re a football fan to read through the games, but not so deep into football strategy that you can’t enjoy the message...leadership counts.
December 5, 2023
I'm reading about the best coaches to improve my teaching and mentoring skills. Eisenberg's book gives an interesting perspective into Lombardi's coaching philosophy by focusing on the Packers the year before he arrived and their first season together. You learn a lot about why he was able to get the most out of players who before were left unchallenged and undisciplined. You also learn how dysfunctional organizations who micromanage their workers stifle success.
Lombardi succeeded because the organization left him alone to do his work, he raised the bar on the expected work ethic and performance for his players, and he was receptive to their feedback when they asked him to adjust how he treated them around the team. That First Season is a well-written story that hides these gems in ways that are easy to find but doesn't devolve into droll management book territory.
Lombardi succeeded because the organization left him alone to do his work, he raised the bar on the expected work ethic and performance for his players, and he was receptive to their feedback when they asked him to adjust how he treated them around the team. That First Season is a well-written story that hides these gems in ways that are easy to find but doesn't devolve into droll management book territory.
April 15, 2020
Para nadie es un secreto que el equipo más exitoso en la historia son los Packers de Vince Lombardi, que ganaron 5 campeonatos en un lapso de 7 años y que además se llevaron los dos primeros Super Bowls. Este libro hace un recuento de la temporada de 1959, la primera de Lombardi al frente de los Packers. Y como documento histórico es bastante interesante.
Para los que conocemos la historia de los Packers es interesante ver cómo surgieron figuras como Bart Starr, Paul Hornung o Jim Taylor, que a estas alturas de la historia tienen estatus de leyendas, pero que en 1958 eran parte de la banca del peor equipo de la liga.
Libro recomendado si les interesa saber un poco de historia sobre la NFL y una de las más grandes dinastías en la historia de este deporte.
Para los que conocemos la historia de los Packers es interesante ver cómo surgieron figuras como Bart Starr, Paul Hornung o Jim Taylor, que a estas alturas de la historia tienen estatus de leyendas, pero que en 1958 eran parte de la banca del peor equipo de la liga.
Libro recomendado si les interesa saber un poco de historia sobre la NFL y una de las más grandes dinastías en la historia de este deporte.
September 1, 2019
A wonderful book about the transformation, under Vince Lombardi, of the Green Bay Packers from perennial losers in the 1950s to world champions in the 1960s. Eisenberg follows the team through Lombardi's first season as coach, 1959. What is more impressive to me, though, is how he captures the culture of 1950s Green Bay -- blue collar, Catholic, addicted to football -- and how important the Packers were to the city's self-image. I grew up with many of the players in this book as my boyhood heroes, and it was a treat to read about the roots of their glory years. Packer fans of a certain age will love this book.
December 18, 2019
This was an excellent book. The reason for 4 stars is because there was a bit too much play-by-play of past games. I, personally, didn’t find that necessary or entertaining.
But overall: well written, moved quickly, and painted a great picture of the Packers pre and post the arrival of Vince Lombardi. And I really liked that it stuck to just that first year. A lot of stuff I didn’t know about the Packers.
I also think it has some great lessons for people outside of sports. The way Lombardi instantly turned the team around - with almost the same players that had been horrendous a year earlier - is instructive.
But overall: well written, moved quickly, and painted a great picture of the Packers pre and post the arrival of Vince Lombardi. And I really liked that it stuck to just that first year. A lot of stuff I didn’t know about the Packers.
I also think it has some great lessons for people outside of sports. The way Lombardi instantly turned the team around - with almost the same players that had been horrendous a year earlier - is instructive.
September 24, 2022
This was a really good look into Vince Lombardi's first season as Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers. I found the book really good and enjoyed reading it. I decided to read it to check on the beginning of Vince Lombardi's coaching career as a head coach in the NFL He is one of the legends of coaching that everyone knows about, so I was interested in seeing how it was in the first season. This was a concentrated look at the first year and I found that to be informative.
I have the book When Pride Still Matters about Vince Lombardi's career, but have not started it because it is kind of overwhelming to think about getting into. So I looked at this first year and that was good. I think it will lead to moving on to the other eventually. I am interested in learning about his years at Army under Red Blaik. And his years as one of the coordinators of the great Giants teams, with Tom Landry being the other. The 1958 Championship that is said to be one of, if not the, greatest game in NFL playoff history. But that just seems like a lot. This was a good start!
I recommend it to start getting into Vince Lombardi. The turning around of the Green Bay Packers in that first year that moved on to the dominance they had during Lombardi's tenure. You see the drive and determination. How he pushed the players, selected the players and worked them harder than they had ever been worked that paid off with a winning season and a second place finish.
I have the book When Pride Still Matters about Vince Lombardi's career, but have not started it because it is kind of overwhelming to think about getting into. So I looked at this first year and that was good. I think it will lead to moving on to the other eventually. I am interested in learning about his years at Army under Red Blaik. And his years as one of the coordinators of the great Giants teams, with Tom Landry being the other. The 1958 Championship that is said to be one of, if not the, greatest game in NFL playoff history. But that just seems like a lot. This was a good start!
I recommend it to start getting into Vince Lombardi. The turning around of the Green Bay Packers in that first year that moved on to the dominance they had during Lombardi's tenure. You see the drive and determination. How he pushed the players, selected the players and worked them harder than they had ever been worked that paid off with a winning season and a second place finish.
November 4, 2025
Excellent book covering the first year Lombardi coached the Packers. It does extend past to the sad fate of Lombardi in 1970. This book covers all the games in the 1959 season with mostly a play by play narrative of each game. Amazing to read that Bart Starr was not that very good at first but rose to a hall of fame QB in the late 1959 season. Well worth reading for football fans and especially Packer fans.
October 25, 2018
Straight forward reporting and plenty of original interviews form the basis of this game-by-game look at legendary coach Vince Lombardi's first campaign with the Green Bay Packers. We learn how Lombardi set the table for a long run of success with his determination and perfectionism. He didn't suffer fools though he may have tolerated them. Good read.
January 17, 2021
Great read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about some of my boyhood idols even though I wasn't a Packers fan. I wasn't even born for most of the story, but I do remember a lot of these guys from the mid to late 60s. I love football and particularly love the game of yesteryear when the guys were tougher than nails. I highly recommend this book
October 19, 2022
Was drawn to this after watching Peyton’s Places and the history of the NFL. It’s not surprising but it’s amazing how many league execs and people associated with the league for their breaks because of the good ole boy network or in the case of NFL Films, family connections.
Fascinating deep dive into Lombardi’s personal life and how we coached his players. A good read for any NFL fan.
Fascinating deep dive into Lombardi’s personal life and how we coached his players. A good read for any NFL fan.
July 14, 2025
An amazing account of the first year of an amazing sports dynasty. The description of the games were exhilarating. I could feel the anxiety of Bart Starr as he struggled to get on the field. I found myself actively pulling for him even though I knew the history and how it would turn out. I would recommend this book to any sports history fan.
July 16, 2020
Not bad
It was interesting and well written (although a few mistakes in printing or digital download). A sound testament to an outstanding coach, one that believed in sound fundamentals.
It was interesting and well written (although a few mistakes in printing or digital download). A sound testament to an outstanding coach, one that believed in sound fundamentals.
January 12, 2024
This a great look into Coach Lombardi’s 1st season. I really enjoyed the game by game play by play. Like reading a box score. I enjoyed the focus on the season alone. Good compliment to the other biographies on Vince Lombardi that I’ve read.
September 2, 2024
Simple, easy-to-read book. Not particularly enthralling or overly interesting. Material and presentation thereof is somewhat dry. Would recommend for serious NFL history aficionados, but not to anyone else really.
May 23, 2017
Ah, Packers. :)
September 23, 2018
Interesting rather than insightful
August 13, 2019
Great book about a great man. Also, sports.
Get an in -depth look at how Vince Lombardi's genius simplified the game. He coached a bad team and made them great. Wonderfully written!
Get an in -depth look at how Vince Lombardi's genius simplified the game. He coached a bad team and made them great. Wonderfully written!
January 29, 2022
Great Story
Wonderfully told story about a sports legend. Just enough game details to help visualize the games yet not so much detail that your eyes glaze over.
Wonderfully told story about a sports legend. Just enough game details to help visualize the games yet not so much detail that your eyes glaze over.
September 27, 2022
Lots of in-game details from the season that were more than I needed, but still, Packers history is everything 💚💛🏈 Go Pack Go!
September 17, 2023
I enjoyed this quite a bit even though I'm not a Packers fan. A lot of game action that would mean more if I had been a fan or knew the players better. 3.5 stars.
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