The 25th anniversary edition of the #1 "New York Times" bestseller and "Sports Illustrated" s best football book of all time; with a new afterword by the author Return once again to the timeless account of the Permian Panthers of Odessathe winningest High School football team in Texas history. Socially and racially divided; Odessa isn t known to be a place big on dreams; but every Friday night from September to December; when the Panthers play football; dreams "can" come true. "MO-JO! MO-JO!" The haunting cheer rocks the stadium filled with 20;000 fans; who are there not only to cheer on their beloved team; but also to reignite their own aspirations and dreams through the young men on the gridiron. Pulitzer Prize-winning author H. G. Bissinger unforgettably captures a season in the life of Odessa: the coaches; parents; fans; andmost of allthe players; who carry an entire city s self-respect on their shoulders. From the prayer that opens the Watermelon Feed before the first game; through the heart-stopping season and its dramatic ending; Bissinger renders a taut; indelible scene: the stale sweltering air; the demanding play on the field; the exhilarating wins; and the punishingsometimes devastatinglosses. "Friday Night Lights" is both a deeply moving story and a deeply disturbing one. It is a startling examination of the role of high school sports in Americabut it is about much more than just sports. As David Halberstam writes: By choosing to write about something smallthe culture of high school football in a Texas townBissinger has ended up writing about something large: the core values in our society. "
#131356 in Books Stephen Brumwell 2006-03-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.13 x .93 x 6.13l; 1.02 #File Name: 0306814730336 pagesWhite Devil A True Story of War Savagery and Vengeance in Colonial America
Review
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Real Treat for FIW BuffsBy Thomas M. SullivanBy happy coincidence; this worthy volume fell next on my summer reading list just after I completed Ben Hughes' "The Siege of Fort William Henry." Although Rogers was away on a mission the time of the fort's surrender in August; 1757; his brother was among the garrison and died shortly after the surrender only to be posthumously scalped by Montcalm's Indian allies as part of their victory predations.There are seemingly innumerable biographies of Robert Rogers and even more numerous accounts of his exploits in practically any work dealing with the FIW in the Northeast. Indeed; living in Lake George; one can hardly drive in any direction without encountering a Rogers this or a Rogers that; from stony outcroppings to campgrounds.Atypically; Rogers might actually deserve his many honorific remembrances. He was a `hero' when the beleaguered British colonists sorely needed one; and as Author Brumwell amply demonstrates; his hard-to-credit exploits even pleased General Jeffrey Amherst; not one easily impressed or willing to say so.The book's title refers to the sobriquet bestowed on Rogers by the so-called St. Francis Abenaki tribe after the `massacre' he and his men mounted on their village in October; 1759. That the tribe's actual losses were much less than Rogers claimed (both because he tended to exaggerate and because they had been warned by a friendly Indian who was part of Rogers' entourage); the raid nonetheless had a significant psychological impact on not only the Abenakis but other French-allied tribes as well and foreshadowed their wholesale relinquishment of the alliance beginning the following year as it became clear that the British would prevail.The story is of a piece with the inability or unwillingness of the French to prevent their Indian allies from killing; looting; scalping; and generally abusing surrendered individual British and colonial troops or; for that matter; entire garrisons. The horrors visited on the survivors of Montcalm's taking of Fort Oswego in 1756 were essentially repeated the following year in the much more publicized aftermath of the surrender to Montcalm of Fort William Henry.As the tide of war ebbed and flowed; British and colonial combatants refined their thinking about how to exact at least some revenge and Rogers' raid was the culmination of these ruminations. The Abenakis were known far and wide as the most war-like and brutal of the Indian tribes involved in the conflict. Their continually predatory activities subsequent to the William Henry surrender made them a natural target; and Rogers made sure they paid the (somewhat discounted but nonetheless real) price.But however comfortable in the wild and capable of leading even reluctant fighting men against great odds in the midst of war; Rogers was incapable of coping with the peace. He died an indebted drunk; leaving behind his exploits as the fodder for terrifically readable accounts such as "White Devil."2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely First-RateBy Mark H.Top-drawer current scholarship by the reigning master of 18th century military history in North America; the independent historian Stephen Brumwell. Concise; scholarly; authoritative; highly readable; it is a perfect introduction to the era and dominant personalities. While written for all audiences; this is a very good professional development work for junior officers; as it places pivotal people; events; and operations within a larger social and cultural context. If you approach the man and era looking for insight into both; you will be just as doubly satisfied. If the First Nations were your primary antagonists; what higher praise could one receive than the nickname White Devil.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Rogers RangersBy E.P. McLeanGood presentation of the involvement of Rogers Rangers in the French and Indian War. Little new ground covered; but the author's intent was to clearify the debate about the actions of the Rangers in the war. He does have some success at this. Perhaps his greatest success is illustrating the complexity of fighting at the time. Good use of sources; but mkst will find little new here.
