Tom Landry: An Autobiography

by Tom Landry and Gregg Lewis

Book Overview

Until now, Tom Landry has nover told his own personal story or recorded his account of the Dallas Cowboys--the people and the organization that became America's Team. This autobiography offers an inside look at not just thefacts, but the thoughts, feelings and faith behind the familiar, stoic sideline visage. Illustrations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310529107
• ISBN13: 9780310529101
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Zondervan Publishing Company
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A "Sleeper".

There are some great lessons on leadership and character in this book. Landry's strong faith and belief system helped shape the morality of many that came in contact with him. His vision on life is based on a high value system. He is a perfectionist and a great strategist who believes that preparation is always the key, which I also agree. After reading this book you will walk away with a new layer of tenacity, an increased will to be challenged, and a new resolution to embrace patience more.

About More than Just Football

America is a sports-crazy nation. Tom Landry's career is worth reading about because it parallels the rise of professional football in the U.S. His rise from the tiny town of Mission, Texas to building a football dynasty is inspirational because through years of losing he had the determination and faith to stick with his plan for winning. A major factor in this was his faith. Landry's narrative is also intertwined with larger historical events. His older brother Robert died during WWII when the B-17 bomber he was in disappeared over the Atlantic en route to England. At age 18, the younger Landry enlisted and eventually flew 30 B-17 missions over Europe. Another aspect of history--after President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, the Cowboys were booed at every game they played for the rest of the season, and into the next. There are some great lessons on leadership in the last chapter that are applicable in any context. For all he did, Landry certainly didn't deserve the kind of dismissal he got at the end of his career.

Revealing

Having been a lifelong Cowboys fan I saw this book and had to read it. The first thing I found upon reading it was that total honesty of Coach Landry and the guts it took to wither all the storms life can throw at one person. I found that, even though it deals worth football, there are lessons that are applicable to everyday life. This would be a great book for all school children to be assigned to read. It shows what can happen when one person puts faith and families and principles ahead of instant gradification.