The definitive biography of The Greatest, Michael Jordan.
Roland Lazenby has taught journalism at Virginia Tech and Radford University for two decades and is the author of Mindgames: The Long, Strange Journey of Phil Jackson and Jerry West, among other books. He is a frequent contributor to sports documentaries, including ESPN's "Sports Century," and a regular guest on television and radio programs. Lazenby's work has been cited in numerous publications and websites, including Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, and NBA.com.
One of Chicago Public Library's Best Books of 2014 A Goodreads
Choice Award Finalist: History and Biography "In his thoughtful,
extraordinarily well--researched biography "Michael Jordan: The
Life," Roland Lazenby... gives us the life and much more.... The
exhaustive narrative of Jordan's basketball career is written with
appropriate awe. But what makes this portrayal especially
worthwhile is everything else."--Mike Greenberg, New York Times
Book Review
"A comprehensive look at the life and times of the man and the
legend.... A great work for any sports enthusiast and B-ball fan to
read about one of the best that ever came to the game."--Brook
Stephenson, Ebony
"A lot has been written about arguably the greatest basketball
player of all time, Michael Jordan, but Roland Lazenby's Michael
Jordan: The Life is easily the definitive version. The journalist
has covered Jordan's career for nearly thirty years and his
knowledge of the game and of this miraculous player shows in what
is one of the best sports biographies in years."--Parade
"An utterly definitive biography.... The most comprehensive attempt
yet made to explain the factors that have gone into producing the
most famous basketball player and marketing phenom in the history
of world sports....I don't know how it would be possible to write a
more complete biography of him."--The Chicago Tribune
"It's not every day that I'm blown away by a book about a sports
figure. But MICHAEL JORDAN: THE LIFE, by Roland Lazenby, ranks up
there with the very best: The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn, Friday
Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger, and Joe DiMaggio by Richard Ben
Cramer. The depth of reporting, his frequent ascent into poetry,
and his intelligent analysis of the life of this complicated,
fascinating American icon deserve Pulitzer Prize consideration. For
the first time I understand what makes Michael Jordan tick. I was
captivated, fascinated and beguiled from beginning to end."--Peter
Golenbock, New York Times-bestselling author of George and In the
Country of Brooklyn
"Lazenby is one of the best, most thoughtful and thorough people
writing books on the NBA today, which makes all his books
fascinating reads and great looks at the psychology of teams and
great players. His stuff is must read."--Kurt Helin, NBC Sports'
Pro Basketball Talk
"Lazenby looks beyond the on-court exploits of a sports and
cultural icon to find the complicated, and often contradictory, man
behind the myth."--ESPN Holiday Gift Guide
"Lazenby's book is impressive in its research. There are details
bound to surprise even the most die-hard Bulls fan."--Mike McGraw,
The Chicago Daily Herald
"Lazenby's prose soars as dramatically and excitingly as does his
subject. Jordan appeared to fly through the air; Lazenby makes time
fly as readers immerse themselves in an extraordinarily competitive
life. Does any biography deserve 700 pages? When you read Lazenby's
Michael Jordan: The Life you'll be hard-pressed to answer anything
but yes."--Michael Levin, New York Journal of Books
"Lazenby's thoroughly enjoyable biography is an impressive portrait
of a man consumed by his competitive ambitions. It is also by far
the most complete book on Michael Jordan to date.... Essential
reading for all sports fans and particularly for those interested
in American cultural history and popular culture."--Library Journal
(starred review)
"MJ's life is a movie worth watching again, and Lazenby adds enough
deleted scenes to add some oomph to the familiar
story."--Booklist
"Resplendent... A definitive, multidimensional portrait of a man
and a legend, and a notable contribution to sports
literature."--Miriam Tuliao, BookReporter
"Revelatory.... A fascinating examination into the lonely, prideful
man behind the glimmering icon."--Publishers Weekly
"Right from its early pages it's clear that Roland Lazenby's
biography of Michael Jordan is in full-press mode to be the best
volume ever written on perhaps basketball's greatest player....
Lazenby's a born researcher and some serious legwork went into
gathering all of the quotes and facts here, which add up to a kind
of Jordan-centric encyclopedia."--Colin Fleming, The Boston
Globe
"Roland Lazenby's new biography of Michael Jordan is as
breathtaking as a dunk by 'His Airness.' ... A richly detailed,
thoroughly researched book.... Lazenby expertly sifts through the
myths to produce a definitive portrait of Michael Jordan."--Bob
D'Angelo, Tampa Tribune
"Studded with insights."--Kirkus Reviews
"The definitive portrait.... The dream of the non-fiction writer is
to condemn future books on the same subject to irrelevance. It's
possible Lazenby has achieved this lofty goal: nothing more needs
to be written about Jordan."--Adrian Lee, Macleans
"The wonderfully researched and thoughtful story of the six-time
NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist, Michael Jordan: The Life,
lives up to its hype."--Jill Krasny, Esquire
"What makes this portrayal especially worthwhile is the long trail
Lazenby follows before the awesome career even begins."--New York
Times Book Review's "Editor's Choice"
"When a world-class biographer writes about a world-class athlete,
you have a biography for the ages. This is the ultimate study of
Michael Jordan, and I know you will be as captivated as I
was."--Pat Williams, Orlando Magic senior vice president, author of
Coach Wooden's Greatest Secret
Lazenby is "the Michael Jordan of writing about Michael
Jordan."--MSNBC's The Cycle
Ask a Question About this Product More... |