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The Last Cowboy: A Life of Tom Landry
“An eloquent, honest tribute to a sports genius.” ― Publishers Weekly , Best 100 Books of 2013 As the coach during professional football’s most storied era, Tom Landry transformed the gridiron from a no-holds-barred battlefield to the highly-technical chess match it is today. With his trademark fedora and stoic facade, he was a man of faith and few words, for twenty-nine years guiding “America’s Team” from laughingstock to well-oiled machine, with an unprecedented twenty consecutive winning seasons and two Super Bowl titles. Now, more than a decade after Landry’s death, acclaimed biographer Mark Ribowsky takes a fresh look at this misunderstood legend, telling us as much about our country’s obsession with football as about Landry himself, the likes of whom we’ll never see again. 16 pages of illustrations
736 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2013
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About the author
Mark Ribowsky
44 books60 followersMark Ribowsky is the author of seven books, including the New York Times Notable Book Don't Look Back: Satchel Paige in the Shadows of Baseball. He lives in Plainview, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 17, 2014
Have you ever read a book and found you just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough because you just couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next? For me, Mark Ribowsky’s 2014 biography of legendary NFL coach Tom Landry wasn’t that kind of book. For me, I just couldn’t turn the 635 pages fast enough. But, for the other reason. I just couldn’t wait to finish this monstrous bio!
It’s not that Ribowsky’s had no experience at chronicling the life of famous people. The biographer has previously covered the careers of Howard Cosell, Phil Spector, Al Davis, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Abe Hirschfeld, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and The Temptations. In this sports profile, Ribowsky set out to “produce the definitive biography of an inscrutable man so often subject to caricature in previous literature.”
Ribowsky is to be commended for relying heavily on the two people closest to the late Tom Landry for his primary sources: his widow, Alicia and his son, Tom Landry, Junior. To the author’s credit, he also included “the observations of the players he molded in his image and his theories.” However, for me, far too much space is given to the cultural backdrop of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. For me, there was just too much history of “sleepy Mission, Texas,” Landry’s hometown. For me there was just too much use of vocabulary words like “métier, penultimate, ameliorate, semiotic” and hundreds of other terms you would only expect to encounter at a National Spelling Bee. For me, there was just too many play-by-play, nearly down-by-down, quarter-by-quarter descriptions of almost every game Landry ever coached. For me, there was just too much cataloging of every star Cowboy player’s on-the-field statistics; i.e., passing yards, total touchdowns, total interceptions, etc., etc.
The one question I kept asking myself over and over again as I waded through this Texas-sized bio was, “What does this have to do with Tom Landry?” In the end, it read more like the printed history of the Dallas Cowboys. The team’s original coach, actually the first Cowboy, is pretty much missing from “The Last Cowboy.”
It’s not that Ribowsky’s had no experience at chronicling the life of famous people. The biographer has previously covered the careers of Howard Cosell, Phil Spector, Al Davis, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Abe Hirschfeld, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and The Temptations. In this sports profile, Ribowsky set out to “produce the definitive biography of an inscrutable man so often subject to caricature in previous literature.”
Ribowsky is to be commended for relying heavily on the two people closest to the late Tom Landry for his primary sources: his widow, Alicia and his son, Tom Landry, Junior. To the author’s credit, he also included “the observations of the players he molded in his image and his theories.” However, for me, far too much space is given to the cultural backdrop of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. For me, there was just too much history of “sleepy Mission, Texas,” Landry’s hometown. For me there was just too much use of vocabulary words like “métier, penultimate, ameliorate, semiotic” and hundreds of other terms you would only expect to encounter at a National Spelling Bee. For me, there was just too many play-by-play, nearly down-by-down, quarter-by-quarter descriptions of almost every game Landry ever coached. For me, there was just too much cataloging of every star Cowboy player’s on-the-field statistics; i.e., passing yards, total touchdowns, total interceptions, etc., etc.
The one question I kept asking myself over and over again as I waded through this Texas-sized bio was, “What does this have to do with Tom Landry?” In the end, it read more like the printed history of the Dallas Cowboys. The team’s original coach, actually the first Cowboy, is pretty much missing from “The Last Cowboy.”
December 16, 2023
TOP 5 THOUGHTS: 1. QUIET MAN - One of the most appealing parts of the book was learning how Landry developed his gunfighter image. That is, the unflappable, almost emotionless presence on the sideline. For those of us who live in a whirlwind of emotions, the book was an insight into how Landry overcame what we do not. I did not find Landry to be a man without feeling though, as indicated by his numerous attempts to support troubled athletes and his own deep and personal familial tragedies. He seemed to be a man who could somehow hold it all in but for brief moments where he might have had a reaction on sideline (see Jackie Smith’s drop in Super Bowl 13) or crying in front of his players. In the end, his methods of self-control remained as elusive as the man himself. The book gives a lot of stories, but how Landry kept his composure is still a mystery to me. 2. RACE - A lot of the writing is directed towards the issue of race. That being, several players complained about the Cowboys ignorance of racial issues throughout Landry’s tenure. Amidst claims of disparate treatment by the organization and reticence on Landry’s part to do anything about it, Black and Latino players rarely directly implicated Landry in any racial animus. Perhaps Landry’s checkered relationship with all of his players comes to his aid in assessing his record on race relations. Simply put, all of his players appeared to have revered him in some respect, yet none were truly close enough to understand him personally. 3. ERRORS - There were a few errors in the book. John McKay leading the UCLA Bruins to a national championship and drafting top Bruins running back Ricky Bell, stood out to me (both were USC Trojans). Also, a reference to Tony Dorsett setting the all-time rushing record (a feat achieved by Jim Brown, Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith). 4. BACK THIRD - Would have liked to see more treatment of the 80s Cowboys and Landry’s post-coaching life. The book is excellent in building Landry through his tenure with the Giants and through the Super Bowl runs in the 70s. And kind of like Landry’s fortunes with the team, it tails off. Maybe that’s by design. 5. DEALING WITH FAILURE - as a personal growth matter, the chief learning opportunity in the book was learning how to persevere through failure. Landry put together 20 consecutive non-losing seasons and two Super Bowl wins, at the cost of many more Super Bowl and conference title game losses. Despite each crushing blow, he kept the Cowboys prepared to strike again. Perhaps even in defeat, he built the Cowboys into the recognizable brand that it is today keeping the team in America’s consciousness irrespective of its ultimate success on the field. The Cowboys, if nothing else, stood for consistency and excellence in his time. Landry’s story is a good lesson in finding meaning in what you do despite not winning in every comprehensive sense of the word. Great read. Thankful to Coach Phillip Montgomery for letting me borrow this one.
January 2, 2014
Mark Ribowsky is a terrific writer. Although the book is over 600 pages, I breezed through it because I couldn't put it down! It helps to be a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, but it's not a prerequisite. I grew up watching this team and now I know the rest of the story. The thing that struck me the most? How much his players loved him even though he was largely emotionally distant. Players such as Thomas Henderson even cried at his funeral--he was a father figure to many of them. The author does a splendid job of revealing Landry's character, his flaws and his obsession to win. It makes me even sadder to see how he got treated by the present owner. Highly recommended.
April 22, 2014
Because of a few early factual errors, it left me wondering the authenticity of the rest if it. There was way too much written about Hollywood Henderson. He was one ugly chapter in Landry's life, not a defining element. A more accurate life story was already written. By Landry.
February 4, 2019
I enjoyed reliving the glory years, but I got very tired of the liberal commentary. Much editing was needed on this windbag author.
February 27, 2021
(Audiobook) Anyone who knows me would know that when it comes to the NFL, my cheering priorities are 1) Houston Texans and 2) Whoever is playing the Dallas Cowboys (or, the Deep Southern Oklahoma Cowboys). However, I am a enough of a fan of the game to acknowledge great players/coaches. This book looks at the life of one of the greatest coaches in NFL history: Tom Landry. A born Texan, Landry excelled in high school football (enough to already make him a legend in Texas), went to the University of Texas, where his time there was interrupted by World War II, and rather than shield himself by college life, left the school to become a bomber pilot, flying 30 missions and returned home (a lot of airmen never got to that number). From there, he returned to UT, graduated, and then played in the NFL for a few seasons (of all places, the NY Giants).
However, it is his post-playing career that elevated him to legend. As a player (defensive secondary), he evolved into a player coach, and by the late 1950s, was the sole defensive coordinator for the NY Giants. The NY Giants may have been blessed with the greatest pair of coordinators in NFL history in the late 1950s, where Landry was the defensive coordinator, and the offensive coordinator was a New York Catholic named Vince Lombardi. Yet, he would not remain in NY, but ended coming back to Texas to be the head coach for the eventual Dallas Cowboys. From the creation of the franchise until his unceremonious firing in 1989, he coached a squad that ended up with the moniker of "America's Team."
This biography does not attempt to tear him down or elevate him to deity status. Ribowsky tried, and mostly succeeds, in calling Landry's life down the line. His football brilliance could not be denied, but he could be incredibly naive about some aspects of his players. At times, he went with talent and the desire to win over morality, even as he was seen as a paradigm of virtue. He was a true Christian, but did not try to ram it down the throat of his players. He could both tick his players off, but also was one of the more revered figures in their lives. Maybe he coached too long, but at the same time, his firing was not how a man of his stature should have been sacked. At least Jerry Jones got it done early in the tenure...almost Machiavellian.
The book is engaging, even for the non-Cowboys fan. I must give credit to one of the best lines I have ever heard in a book. In discussing the Cowboys Cheerleaders, which Landry did not endorse, but was overruled by the front office, they were described as "virtuous T&A". Talk about one of the greatest oxymorons of all time. Also, within the book, the author alludes to Skip Bayless, one of the worst examples of self-aggrandizing sports columnists/pundits out there. I was worried that the author, when he cited some of the columns of Bayless in the later years of Landry's tenure, that he would almost venerate the troll, but by the end of the book, he did cite how people condemned the hit job Bayless did on Landry with a book published right as Landry passed away.
I still despise the Cow-Idiots, and don't plan on cheering for them anytime soon. However, I have always respected Landry, and this bio does a good job of describing the life and actions of the man. He was not a saint, nor was he a devil. He was a good football player, and a great coach. Not perfect, but great. The audiobook rates the same as an e-copy/hard copy.
However, it is his post-playing career that elevated him to legend. As a player (defensive secondary), he evolved into a player coach, and by the late 1950s, was the sole defensive coordinator for the NY Giants. The NY Giants may have been blessed with the greatest pair of coordinators in NFL history in the late 1950s, where Landry was the defensive coordinator, and the offensive coordinator was a New York Catholic named Vince Lombardi. Yet, he would not remain in NY, but ended coming back to Texas to be the head coach for the eventual Dallas Cowboys. From the creation of the franchise until his unceremonious firing in 1989, he coached a squad that ended up with the moniker of "America's Team."
This biography does not attempt to tear him down or elevate him to deity status. Ribowsky tried, and mostly succeeds, in calling Landry's life down the line. His football brilliance could not be denied, but he could be incredibly naive about some aspects of his players. At times, he went with talent and the desire to win over morality, even as he was seen as a paradigm of virtue. He was a true Christian, but did not try to ram it down the throat of his players. He could both tick his players off, but also was one of the more revered figures in their lives. Maybe he coached too long, but at the same time, his firing was not how a man of his stature should have been sacked. At least Jerry Jones got it done early in the tenure...almost Machiavellian.
The book is engaging, even for the non-Cowboys fan. I must give credit to one of the best lines I have ever heard in a book. In discussing the Cowboys Cheerleaders, which Landry did not endorse, but was overruled by the front office, they were described as "virtuous T&A". Talk about one of the greatest oxymorons of all time. Also, within the book, the author alludes to Skip Bayless, one of the worst examples of self-aggrandizing sports columnists/pundits out there. I was worried that the author, when he cited some of the columns of Bayless in the later years of Landry's tenure, that he would almost venerate the troll, but by the end of the book, he did cite how people condemned the hit job Bayless did on Landry with a book published right as Landry passed away.
I still despise the Cow-Idiots, and don't plan on cheering for them anytime soon. However, I have always respected Landry, and this bio does a good job of describing the life and actions of the man. He was not a saint, nor was he a devil. He was a good football player, and a great coach. Not perfect, but great. The audiobook rates the same as an e-copy/hard copy.
March 5, 2021
Excellent book, very detailed information. If you like sports stories and legends of the game of football, then I recommend this book. It is a great inspirational story of how to persevere in whatever your endeavor becomes. Plenty of life's lessons are to be learned inside the cover of this book.
February 15, 2022
Very interesting to learn about Landry's youth and early years in football. Good information about his time in New York with the Giants. The latter years get sort of glossed over, very little of the fine details that make up the first half of the book.
February 24, 2023
It’s a very long but excellent book. Covers his coaching life thoroughly from first years with the Giants and his 30 years with the Cowboys. The 1970s sections are superb with guys like Hollywood Henderson, Duane Thomas, Harvey Martin and others.
June 22, 2017
This is a must-read for any old school Cowboys fans. Read my full review here --> http://www.ridingwiththewindowdown.co...
April 11, 2021
Super informative. I loved it is as a kid.
May 12, 2024
Some good information in this book but I couldn't get past the utter bias of the author. Almost as if he was jealous of Coach Landry and had an axe to grind.
October 21, 2025
Great book, would highly recommend. Really enjoyed reading it.
October 20, 2014
4.0 of 5 stars – The Life & Times of Landry AND the NFL.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Phillip!)
This brought back fond memories of following the Cowboys as I, and they, grew up in Dallas in the 60’s. Any fan will love hearing about the old names of Meredith, Staubach, Lilly, Renfro, Green, Jordan, Reeves, Garrison, even bad boys Henderson, Rentzel, Thomas, Hayes, Gent.
Even if you aren’t a Cowboys fan, this book has great background on the NFL as it grew into a powerhouse sport from 40’s to 70’s – following not just “America’s Team,” but the changing landscape of media, sports, and megastars, in addition to a lot of details and background about the people, games, innovations, and events of the NFL.
As such I credit the book with getting me to also think about how larger social issues of the times played out on the field and in the locker room, such as race (just as years later we are dealing with homosexuality today). It also gave me more understanding, with all the recent attention on the 50th anniversary of the assassination and Dallas being labeled the city of hate, of how the Cowboys felt very conscious of salvaging the reputation and pride of Dallas.
Despite the book’s strength of detail, I was disappointed that it was more descriptive than explanatory – describing in detail what happened, not as much the how and why of the man. Having a psychology background, I would have liked to have seen more about Landry’s psychological development and core. To make the point, it took less than 30 pages (out of over 700) for Landry to get out of college – skimming over the most formative, developmental periods that lay the foundation for who we are. Ribowsky talks about Landry’s characteristics, but not as much of where they comes from – the need to control his emotions, the sense of being unsatisfied after a championship, why no need of approval or acceptance from others, why no show of affection or connection. The author even recognizes but goes no further, saying one Landry action “seemed to come from an odd warp … from a need to be right.” But where does that motivation come from?
Growing up in Dallas in the 60’s I read about early legends including Papa Bear, Paul Brown, Bobby Layne, Kyle Rote, Johnny Unitas – all fellow teammates and contemporaries of Landry. It was great to read about them again, and now Landry can join them.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Phillip!)
This brought back fond memories of following the Cowboys as I, and they, grew up in Dallas in the 60’s. Any fan will love hearing about the old names of Meredith, Staubach, Lilly, Renfro, Green, Jordan, Reeves, Garrison, even bad boys Henderson, Rentzel, Thomas, Hayes, Gent.
Even if you aren’t a Cowboys fan, this book has great background on the NFL as it grew into a powerhouse sport from 40’s to 70’s – following not just “America’s Team,” but the changing landscape of media, sports, and megastars, in addition to a lot of details and background about the people, games, innovations, and events of the NFL.
As such I credit the book with getting me to also think about how larger social issues of the times played out on the field and in the locker room, such as race (just as years later we are dealing with homosexuality today). It also gave me more understanding, with all the recent attention on the 50th anniversary of the assassination and Dallas being labeled the city of hate, of how the Cowboys felt very conscious of salvaging the reputation and pride of Dallas.
Despite the book’s strength of detail, I was disappointed that it was more descriptive than explanatory – describing in detail what happened, not as much the how and why of the man. Having a psychology background, I would have liked to have seen more about Landry’s psychological development and core. To make the point, it took less than 30 pages (out of over 700) for Landry to get out of college – skimming over the most formative, developmental periods that lay the foundation for who we are. Ribowsky talks about Landry’s characteristics, but not as much of where they comes from – the need to control his emotions, the sense of being unsatisfied after a championship, why no need of approval or acceptance from others, why no show of affection or connection. The author even recognizes but goes no further, saying one Landry action “seemed to come from an odd warp … from a need to be right.” But where does that motivation come from?
Growing up in Dallas in the 60’s I read about early legends including Papa Bear, Paul Brown, Bobby Layne, Kyle Rote, Johnny Unitas – all fellow teammates and contemporaries of Landry. It was great to read about them again, and now Landry can join them.
August 5, 2016
I received The Last Cowboy as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Growing up as a child of the 1990s and as a fan of hockey and baseball before football, Tom Landry was essentially a vaguely familiar name before picking up this significantly-sized volume. However, Mark Ribowsky brings the complicated Landry--as well as the talented, often troubled teams he coached--to life.
Born and raised in Texas, after a brief stint playing professionally with the New York Giants, Landry fell into coaching, becoming the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1960, a job he held until 1988. During this time, he took "America's Team" to the Superbowl eight times, winning twice. With a loving wife and family and a strong Christian faith, one might think that Landry was living the American (or at least Texan) dream. However, the teams he coached were plagued with racial tension, drug use, and criminal behavior, problems Landry dealt with with mixed results. Ribowsky does an excellent job of showing Landry as a good and decent, but imperfect, man of his time, enlightened in many ways but flawed in others. And for the mistakes that he did make, you can't help but feel for Landry when reading about his firing by Jerry Jones in the late 1980s.
Some sections of the book got a little long. For instance, while interesting, reading about the ongoing problems of Landry's players in the 1970s and 1980s got the narrative a little off-track in my opinion. All in all, a really engaging read, especially for the devout football fan.
Growing up as a child of the 1990s and as a fan of hockey and baseball before football, Tom Landry was essentially a vaguely familiar name before picking up this significantly-sized volume. However, Mark Ribowsky brings the complicated Landry--as well as the talented, often troubled teams he coached--to life.
Born and raised in Texas, after a brief stint playing professionally with the New York Giants, Landry fell into coaching, becoming the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1960, a job he held until 1988. During this time, he took "America's Team" to the Superbowl eight times, winning twice. With a loving wife and family and a strong Christian faith, one might think that Landry was living the American (or at least Texan) dream. However, the teams he coached were plagued with racial tension, drug use, and criminal behavior, problems Landry dealt with with mixed results. Ribowsky does an excellent job of showing Landry as a good and decent, but imperfect, man of his time, enlightened in many ways but flawed in others. And for the mistakes that he did make, you can't help but feel for Landry when reading about his firing by Jerry Jones in the late 1980s.
Some sections of the book got a little long. For instance, while interesting, reading about the ongoing problems of Landry's players in the 1970s and 1980s got the narrative a little off-track in my opinion. All in all, a really engaging read, especially for the devout football fan.
November 3, 2014
I won this ARC through Goodreads' First Reads program.
When I get the book in the mail, I was shocked at how big it was, over 600 pages. After reading it, I felt it would have been a much stronger biography if it was cut in half. The book traces Cowboy's legendary football coach Tom Landry through his coaching days. But too often, it feels more like a biography of the Dallas Cowboys as it focused more on the team than on the coach. The season by season look got very reptitive, as did the breakdown of games, which, aside from important games, seemed to just be a rehashing of box scores.
I know Tom Landry is a great coach, but I never would have gotten that from the book. Too often we are simply told by players that Landry is great, we hardly ever see it. What we do see are the countless run-ins Landry had with players that didn't fit into the Landry/Cowboy mold. Landry was one of the most innovative coaches; the modern game has his touches all over it. But those parts of the book were glossed over. I would have really liked to seen more emphasis on the coaching aspect, how he developed his innovations and his legacy.
The strongest part of the book was his assistant coaching days with the New York Giants. It was there that Landry perfected his 4-3 defense and we really see it explained and built up to see what a unique thinking coach Landry was.
I gave the book 3 stars, a voluminous biography on a legendary coach that was a little light on the subject's coaching abilities.
When I get the book in the mail, I was shocked at how big it was, over 600 pages. After reading it, I felt it would have been a much stronger biography if it was cut in half. The book traces Cowboy's legendary football coach Tom Landry through his coaching days. But too often, it feels more like a biography of the Dallas Cowboys as it focused more on the team than on the coach. The season by season look got very reptitive, as did the breakdown of games, which, aside from important games, seemed to just be a rehashing of box scores.
I know Tom Landry is a great coach, but I never would have gotten that from the book. Too often we are simply told by players that Landry is great, we hardly ever see it. What we do see are the countless run-ins Landry had with players that didn't fit into the Landry/Cowboy mold. Landry was one of the most innovative coaches; the modern game has his touches all over it. But those parts of the book were glossed over. I would have really liked to seen more emphasis on the coaching aspect, how he developed his innovations and his legacy.
The strongest part of the book was his assistant coaching days with the New York Giants. It was there that Landry perfected his 4-3 defense and we really see it explained and built up to see what a unique thinking coach Landry was.
I gave the book 3 stars, a voluminous biography on a legendary coach that was a little light on the subject's coaching abilities.
May 17, 2015
Briefly – I find it ironic that one of the longest books that I've ever read in my life is a biography of a football personality. Reading “The Last Cowboy”, I can understand how trimming the experiences of Tom Landry would be difficult if one wants to capture the full depth and breadth of a larger-than-life individual.
This book is also the story of the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys during their respective Landry years – after all, one simply cannot remove the football team from the man's life, as it WAS such a large part of who he was.
Well researched, well written, and a nice read – frankly, I admit that I was pleasantly surprised that the book managed to hold my interest for its over 600 pages, but it did.
RATING: 4 stars,.
DISCLOSURE: This book was provided free of charge by the publisher without obligation. I'm sure they will appreciate an unbiased posted review, and will be grateful that it turned out to be favorable. (As far as prompt … well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad ...)
This book is also the story of the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys during their respective Landry years – after all, one simply cannot remove the football team from the man's life, as it WAS such a large part of who he was.
Well researched, well written, and a nice read – frankly, I admit that I was pleasantly surprised that the book managed to hold my interest for its over 600 pages, but it did.
RATING: 4 stars,.
DISCLOSURE: This book was provided free of charge by the publisher without obligation. I'm sure they will appreciate an unbiased posted review, and will be grateful that it turned out to be favorable. (As far as prompt … well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad ...)
April 3, 2015
Briefly – I find it ironic that one of the longest books that I've ever read in my life is a biography of a football personality. Reading “The Last Cowboy”, I can understand how trimming the experiences of Tom Landry would be difficult if one wants to capture the full depth and breadth of a larger-than-life individual.
This book is also the story of the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys during their respective Landry years – after all, one simply cannot remove the football team from the man's life, as it WAS such a large part of who he was.
Well researched, well written, and a nice read – frankly, I admit that I was pleasantly surprised that the book managed to hold my interest for its over 600 pages, but it did.
RATING: 4 stars,.
DISCLOSURE: This book was provided free of charge by the publisher without obligation. I'm sure they will appreciate an unbiased posted review, and will be grateful that it turned out to be favorable. (As far as prompt … well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad ...)
February 11, 2017
I really enjoyed this book even though the author seems determined to try to find faults with Landry.
Ultimately he fails to do much more than criticize Landry's stoic personality and his faith. On the other hand this is the most extensive biography of Landry that has been done. It goes into great detail about his early life and coaching career.
Ultimately he fails to do much more than criticize Landry's stoic personality and his faith. On the other hand this is the most extensive biography of Landry that has been done. It goes into great detail about his early life and coaching career.
December 31, 2013
I have to say at the beginning that I have never been a fan of the Cowboys football team and, by extension, not into their coaches. Coaches come and go, seasons begin, get played out and end at some point. Coach Landry was an excellent coach being a teacher both of football and morality. To me he was a stone face in a hat on the opposing sidelines, but he did perfect the 4-3 defense, roamed the sidelines with his computer print outs and game plans, and truly helped the NFL explode into the behemoth it is today.
Logging in at over 600 pages and loaded with stories of the Coach throughout his life including his college and military time, his career playing the game and his first steps teaching his fellow players and later leading his teams, this Super Bowl winner’s story is entrancing if perhaps a little long winded.
Still there will be many a diehard fan that will keep this on the bedside just below their bible.
This was a Goodreads win.
Logging in at over 600 pages and loaded with stories of the Coach throughout his life including his college and military time, his career playing the game and his first steps teaching his fellow players and later leading his teams, this Super Bowl winner’s story is entrancing if perhaps a little long winded.
Still there will be many a diehard fan that will keep this on the bedside just below their bible.
This was a Goodreads win.
February 16, 2015
Overwritten and underedited, the author can't decide whether he's writing about Tom Landry or the Dallas Cowboys on whole. Simple grammatical errors and superfluous words in sentences continuously distract from a narrative that is already disrupted by play-by-play details of games, scores and statistics of Cowboys players. As private a man as Coach Landry was, the author's access to his wife and son bring authenticity to the story and their personal insights into the man behind the fedora are the highlights of the book. If Ribowsky had used more of that, with more critical analysis and interpretations of their thoughts and memories, rather than leaning on game scores and irrelevant touchdown-to-interception ratios of the various quarterbacks Landry employed over the years, the book could've been both shorter and more interesting.
Disappointing read for anyone looking to know more about Tom Landry, the man vs. the Dallas Cowboys, the spectacle.
Disappointing read for anyone looking to know more about Tom Landry, the man vs. the Dallas Cowboys, the spectacle.
March 5, 2015
A trip down memory lane for any Cowboys fan in their 40'. Some mention that the book was too long but I would like to counter that the Author gave you feel for every single season Tom Landry coached. The book was also very educational for the season I was to young to remember. For example I am a hard core football fan and how no idea how Sam Huff was first middle linebacker of record (since future HOF that played MLB mention little of his contributions to the
modern defensive game). I also forgot that Tony Hill was and did not retire directly from the Cowboys but was actually cut by the team. The narrative on how former friends became foes as the Packers & Cowboys rivalry heated up. I always thought coach Lombardi and Landry were sworn enemies and I had no idea that they spent numerous summer vacation sharing each other company. Too long maybe but major tidbits could have been edited out of the book. Must read for any Cowboys fan!!!!!!
modern defensive game). I also forgot that Tony Hill was and did not retire directly from the Cowboys but was actually cut by the team. The narrative on how former friends became foes as the Packers & Cowboys rivalry heated up. I always thought coach Lombardi and Landry were sworn enemies and I had no idea that they spent numerous summer vacation sharing each other company. Too long maybe but major tidbits could have been edited out of the book. Must read for any Cowboys fan!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2014
I must start this review with the disclaimer that I am a HUGE Cowboys fan, so I came into this book with a very biased perspective. I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was not overly impressed with the writing of Ribowsky. I felt there were a lot of assumptions he made and conclusions about Landry that didn't weren't warranted based upon the information he was presenting in the book. Also, at a random part about three quarters into the book, he started to go first person in the writing. It was pretty bizarre.
I must say, this book is one that should be read by Cowboys enthusiasts or football fanatics. If someone is looking to read a really well written memoir, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.
I must say, this book is one that should be read by Cowboys enthusiasts or football fanatics. If someone is looking to read a really well written memoir, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.
June 16, 2015
Not the best of books but it wasn't bad. Having read a biography of Vince Lombardi it was interesting to see the contrast in their styles of coaching. It was also fascinating to see just how into the '70s culture of sex and drugs seepede into the team.
I learned a lot but the biggest effect this book had on me was how it made me come the to realization that as long as Jerry Jones is the owner of the Cowboys I can't cheer for them. The things he did, not only to Tom Landry, but to other great Cowboys of the past is inexcusable.
I've always said the Packers were my second favourite team so until Jones sells up or drops dead they are who I will be cheering for. Hell, this guy makes George Steinbrenner look like a reasonable, benevolent boss.
I learned a lot but the biggest effect this book had on me was how it made me come the to realization that as long as Jerry Jones is the owner of the Cowboys I can't cheer for them. The things he did, not only to Tom Landry, but to other great Cowboys of the past is inexcusable.
I've always said the Packers were my second favourite team so until Jones sells up or drops dead they are who I will be cheering for. Hell, this guy makes George Steinbrenner look like a reasonable, benevolent boss.
December 25, 2013
Won from Goodreads. Like the Dallas Cowboys, this story is long and complicated. I think this could've been shorter and more compact in terms of details, but for diehard fans, of which there are thousands and thousands, I think the details of his life make for an interesting read. I gave this copy to my Dad for a better review, as he lived during this time and can recall the details of each game, as displayed in this book. I'm going to update this review after he finishes, as he will make a better judge of this biography and account of the coach's life.
May 1, 2014
A very interesting book. It covered the life of Tom Landry in detail from his early life in Mission, Texas through his tenure with the Cowboys, followed by a brief post-script for his life afterward. It was interesting to pull back the lens and see larger patterns of failures and successes in his life, and his complicated relationships with his players.
The writing could be a little too florid at times. There were a few passages in particular where Mr. Ribowsky appeared to have been chained to his thesaurus, but it was still good.
The writing could be a little too florid at times. There were a few passages in particular where Mr. Ribowsky appeared to have been chained to his thesaurus, but it was still good.
December 13, 2013
I won this book from Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. I found this book to be interesting but way too long! I enjoyed reading about Landy's coaching experiences especially during his assistant coaching days. I also really enjoyed how much insight the book gave into the Dallas Cowboys which is a team I have always held close to my heart. I definitely recommend the book to any football fans but be aware it is a very lengthy book that can tend to drag due to its repetitiveness.
March 12, 2014
This book was meant to be a 'hit job' on Coach Landry. Instead of Landry looking bad, many of his players came across as boozing and or pot smoking womanizers. Landry's demand for his players to adhere to decorum when representing the cowboys caused Ribowsky to constantly call Landry 'prissy ' or a prude. At the end of the book the author says Landry "created continuity and collegiality out of chaos, in times when that seemed impossible in an America tearing itself apart."
January 13, 2018
Gave it up. This book is ill researched. Glaring errors in the first few pages, examples being that Merideth was Landry's first quarterback and Mission is 100 miles from College Station. If these easy to research facts were overlooked, no telling what else is not correctly reported. Not going to read a book I fear whose facts may not be true. Sad.
February 13, 2014
A very comprehensive account of coach Tom Landry and his career in the NFL. More than just the Cowboys. His coaching with the Giants is also featured. His treatment by Jerry Jones will anger you. When Landry's wife was asked if the Cowboys were their family, she replied no that the Giants treated them better and she considered them family. I recommend this book for any fan of the NFL.
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