Customer Reviews

BraveHearts: The Against-All-Odds Rise of Gonzaga Basketball

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seriously, probably one of the worst books i have ever read. in fact, i used it to wipe... i live in a shack, so i also used chapters 4, 5, and 6 as blankets.

Zag Fans who live in the boondocks like I do (Reno, NV) have had to rely on the internet and the GU athletic department web-site for information on the Bulldogs' recent success. BraveHearts provides a succinct recap of the GU basketball program's up and downs over a longer period of time. I attended GU from Fall '75 to Spring '79 so much of what B. Withers covers in this enjoyable book was news to me. The chapter on ex-coach and athletic director Dan Fitzgerald was good reporting and while Withers may not be John Feinstein, he has certainly put in the time and research needed to portray the Bulldog basketball program in a complete fashion-- warts and all.

If you're a Gonzaga alumni or related to one, this would make a nice gift.

This was a light, fast, enjoyable read, but in the end, my pleasure stemmed from the subject moreso than the author's skill. Having read many of John Feinstein's works, I was expecting an "inside" look at the Gonzaga program: the story of a season through the eyes and words of players and coaches. Instead, Mr. Withers cobbles together a series of brief histories: of the school, of the coaching staff, of the team, of the WCC, etc. Although there are interviews with coaches, players and recruits, it seemed as though Withers spent most of his time compiling and recounting articles from newspaper achieves and school promotional literature.

If you like college hoops, and have enjoyed Gonzaga's seeminingly improbable success in recent NCAA tournaments, then you'll enjoy this book. If, however, you want to know what it's like to be a student-athlete or coach campaigning towards the "big dance" next March, this book doesn't deliver.