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“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
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“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
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“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
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“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.”
— Ebony
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“What makes this portrayal
especially worthwhile is the long trail Lazenby follows before the awesome
career even begins.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“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.”
— Chicago Tribune
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“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.”
— Boston Globe
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“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.”
— Tampa Tribune
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“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.”
— Macleans
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“Lazenby’s book is impressive
in its research. There are details bound to surprise even the most die-hard
Bulls fan.”
— Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)
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“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,
covering every aspect of his life from his North Carolina ancestors to his
current ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats….Essential reading for all sports
fans and particularly for those interested in American cultural history and
popular culture.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
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“Michael Jordan’s role as handsome
pitchman/basketball champion belies a complicated life in this hefty,
revelatory biography by veteran basketball author Lazenby…Yields a fascinating
examination into the lonely, prideful man behind the glimmering icon.”
— Publishers Weekly
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“Lazenby’s resources include the vast printed Jordan library as well as interviews conducted recently, along with gleanings from the author’s years on the NBA beat. Readers who have immersed themselves in the Jordan ‘genre’ will be familiar with much of what’s detailed here, but MJ’s life is a movie worth watching again, and Lazenby adds enough deleted scenes to add some oomph to the familiar story.”
— Booklist
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“Studded with insights.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“Michael Jordan’s drive, demons,
and pure talent are well documented in this audiobook…Narrator Bob Souer uses a
staccato rhythm reminiscent of a sports announcer calling a basketball game to
great effect. His command of the material propels the listener and captures the
essence of this single-minded icon. Even if listeners know only the basics of
the game, hearing the coalescence of the psychology and politics that surges
onto the court with the players for every game makes this as exciting as any
thriller. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
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One of Chicago Public Library's Best Books of 2014
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A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist: History and Biography
—
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"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
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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
-
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
-
Revelatory.... A fascinating examination into the lonely, prideful man behind the glimmering icon.
— Publishers Weekly
-
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
-
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
-
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)
-
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
-
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"
-
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
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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
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Studded with insights.
— Kirkus Reviews
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Resplendent... A definitive, multidimensional portrait of a man and a legend, and a notable contribution to sports literature.
— Miriam Tuliao, BookReporter
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Lazenby is "the Michael Jordan of writing about Michael Jordan.
— MSNBC's The Cycle
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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
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MJ's life is a movie worth watching again, and Lazenby adds enough deleted scenes to add some oomph to the familiar story.
— Booklist