I was sent a free advance copy of the new book, That First Season, How Vince Lombardi Took The Worst Team in the NFL and Set it on the Path to Glory. I really enjoyed the book, in large part because I'm a history buff and I still have a lot to learn about the Green Bay Packers history. It's the story of the Packers 1959 season, the Packers' first season under Vince Lombardi. The team went from 1-10-1 in 1958, to the playoffs in 1960, and won the NFL Championship in 1961. The book is being released on October 15th, but I was sent an advance copy a while back and wrote about it here and here. 

The focal point of the book is Lombardi, and many players are mentioned. But much of the book is devoted to telling the story of two bench players who were miserable professional football players, Paul Hornung and Bart Starr, and how Lombardi helped set them on their way to the Hall of Fame. 

I've never thought of him this way, but the book also tells about how Vince Lombardi was a talented offensive coordinator, who was hired away from the NY Giants. He was an offensive mastermind! And think about how well coached the 1958 Giants must have been; with Lombardi as the offensive coordinator and Tom Landry as their defensive coordinator. Here's a classic picture of the two coaches.

If you're in the area, the author, John Eisenberg, is doing a promotional tour for his book. He'll be at Boswell's Books in Milwaukee on October 15, 7pm. Next Chapter Bookshop in Mequon on October 16, 7pm. Barnes & Noble in Green Bay on October 17, 7pm. Borders in Madison on October 19, 7pm. And, since he's an Baltimore guy, at the Barnes & Noble near Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore on October 28, 7pm.