The Lion in Autumn: A Season with Joe Paterno and Penn State Football

by Frank Fitzpatrick

"A legendary coach, a struggling team, and a storm of controversy: An award- winning sportswriter takes you inside a tumultuous season of Penn State football, in the bestselling tradition of A Season on the Brink. In his fifty years of coaching football at Penn State, Joe Paterno has become one of the most popular figures in American sports. Only one other coach has won more football games than Paterno; his team has won more bowl games than any other; and he does it all the way it was meant to be done, with his players succeeding in the classroom as well as on the field and in the pro ranks. Along the way, Paterno has transformed a once obscure agricultural college into a huge research university in the Big Ten, whose endowment now exceeds $1 billion, tens of millions of which ""JoePa"" has personally helped to raise. But lately the tide seems to have turned in Happy Valley. Since 2000, Paterno's Nittany Lions have lost more games than they've won, and accusations of off-the-field crimes have tarnished his program's reputation. Award-winning sports reporter Frank Fitzgerald followed Joe Paterno and his Nittany Lions through the 2004 season, from fundraisers in State College to the sidelines at Beaver Stadium. The Lion in Autumn delivers the complete story of this frustrating, tormenting, and ultimately exhilarating turning-point season and the history that led up to it. This is the chronicle of fifty phenomenal years-including the dynasties of undefeated and national championship teams that came before-and a riveting fight to reclaim a legacy."

Genres: Football, Biography, Sports, Nonfiction

ebook

First published September 8, 2005

Reviews

[Tom Sparrenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book well before the Jerry Sandusky situation was revealed within the Penn St. football program. Without knowing these revelations, the book was an interesting take on Joe Paterno's head coaching career at Penn St.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a looong time to read (I started it when Joe was still alive) and I'm not exactly sure why. It's probably not the best Joe Paterno book out there, and certainly is obsolete in some ways. It gives a really great in-depth look at Joe's every day life. Being a Penn State parent (Beth Ann, class of '11) it was nice to read about all of the iconic State College and PSU campus images that I know so well. The book seemed rather disjointed at times, with random anecdotes thrown in here and there-sometimes it seemed like the book was entirely made up of Joe Paterno anecdotes, which for me, was not a bad thing.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of Penn State Coach Joe Paterno and the ups and downs of the 2004 football season in which Penn State had a losing record. Story of Coach Paterno at the twilight of his incredible career and what he built and what he sought to rebuild. Especially interesting book to me given the success Penn State would have during the 2005 football season.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a pretty interesting book. but having attended penn state during this time period, most of the information wasn't anything new. However, Fitzpatrick's theory for the decline of the football program being linked to the decline of coal mining in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas is well-worth the read.

[Justin Bastide · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my all time favorite books. It tells you everything about Penn State and Joe Paterno. As a Penn State fan this was one of my all time favorite books.

[Denique1414 · Rating 3 out of 5]

JOE PA TERNO :)

[Bj Biringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that further chronicles the great career of Joe Pa

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good look at Paterno and his career and impact

[Brian Burdick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book