Buzz Bissinger Bücher

He lived with the students, coaches and townspeople who dedicate their lives to their team, sharing their joys and triumphs, their pains, injuries and bitter disappointments.

This inside view with the Cardinals’ Tony La Russa by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Friday Night Lights “should appeal to any baseball fan” (Publishers Weekly). A Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year “Plenty of books have taken us inside baseball, but August takes us directly inside players’ heads.” —Entertainment Weekly 3 Nights in August captures the strategic and emotional complexities of baseball’s quintessential form: the three-game series. As the St. Louis Cardinals battle their archrival, the Chicago Cubs, we watch from the dugout through the eyes of legendary Tony La Russa, considered by many to be the greatest manager of the modern era. In his thirty-three years of managing, La Russa won three World Series titles and was named Manager of the Year a record five times. He now stands as the third-winningest manager in the history of baseball. A great leader, La Russa built his success on the conviction that ball games are won not only by the numbers but also by the hearts and minds of those who play. Drawing on unprecedented access to a major league skipper and his team, Buzz Bissinger portrays baseball with a revelatory intimacy that offers many surprisingly tactical insights—and furthers the debate on major league managerial style and strategy in his provocative afterword. “Superb . . . Will be devoured by hard-core strategists.” —The New York Times Book Review

Return once again to the timeless account of the Permian Panthers of Odessa--the winningest high-school football team in Texas history. Odessa is not known to be a town big on dreams, but the Panthers help keep the hopes and dreams of this small, dusty town going. Socially and racially divided, its fragile economy follows the treacherous boom-bust path of the oil business. In bad times, the unemployment rate barrels out of control; in good times, its murder rate skyrockets. But every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true. With frankness and compassion, H. G. Bissinger chronicles a season in the life of Odessa and shows how single-minded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires--and sometimes shatters--the teenagers who wear the Panthers' uniforms.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, college football was immensely popular, and many college stars aspired to join the United States Marine Corps. On Christmas Eve 1944, as the 4th and 29th Marine regiments trained for the brutal invasion of Okinawa, they boasted an extraordinary roster of football talent, including former All Americans and future NFL players. Tensions rose as the two regiments debated who had the superior team, leading to a football game on the rugged terrain of Guadalcanal, which became known as "The Mosquito Bowl." Tragically, within months, 15 of the 65 players from this game would lose their lives at Okinawa, marking the highest number of American athletes to die in a single battle. This narrative honors the courageous young men—both those who survived and those who did not—and explores the families and environments that shaped them. It reflects on a more innocent era in college athletics and American life, capturing the profound loss of that innocence. With Pulitzer Prize-winning style and depth, the author transports readers from the playing fields of America to the harrowing realities faced at Okinawa, highlighting the final moments of youth for these brave individuals.

Return once again to the enduring account of life in the Mojo lane, to the Permian Panthers of Odessa -- the winningest high school football team in Texas history. Odessa is not known to be a town big on dreams, but the Panthers help keep the hopes and dreams of this small, dusty town going. Socially and racially divided, its fragile economy follows the treacherous boom-bust path of the oil business.In bad times, the unemployment rate barrels out of control; in good times, its murder rate skyrockets. But every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true. With frankness and compassion, Bissinger chronicles one of the Panthers' dramatic seasons and shows how single-minded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires-and sometimes shatters-the teenagers who wear the Panthers' uniforms. Includes Reader's Group Guide inside. Now a major motion picture starring Billy Bob Thorton.