Endzone: The Rise, Fall, and Return of Michigan Football by John U. Bacon. Bacon’s publishers were kind enough to contact me and ask whether I would like an advance copy of Endzone, an offer I gladly accepted. Unfortunately, the book was to come out in early September, and the advance copy did not come until mid-August, right at the height of my own football season. I was able to squeeze in enough reading time to finish the book a day after the book was publicly released, but as you can see by the lack of “What I’ve Been Reading” posts lately, I did not have a great deal of other chances to read or write about my reading. You have probably read other reviews of Endzone by now or read it yourself, so I’m sure nothing I have to say will be too awfully surprising. Former Michigan athletic director David Brandon did not come off in a good light. Bacon spent quite a lot of time pointing out how detached Brandon was from the fan base and how he gave off an air of hubris and stubbornness. At times it almost seemed like a smear piece, but Brandon did not take advantage of an opportunity presented to him by Bacon to respond to his questions and allegations. Either way, the book emphasized all the pieces that had to fall into place for Michigan to land Jim Harbaugh as the next coach at Michigan. Another great part of the book is that Bacon did an exhaustive amount of research and interviews, which resulted in many different perspectives on Brandon, Harbaugh, Coach Hoke, and other aspects of the program. Some books can come off as one man’s opinion, but this one did not. If you are a reader and a Michigan fan, then this is a must-have for understanding the current state and direction of Michigan athletics and the football program in particular.
Hit the jump for a few more books I’ve been reading.
The Enemy by Lee Child. This is another in the already long line of Jack Reacher books I have read. However, this one is different for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is written in first person. Second, it takes place not after Reacher has retired, but while he’s still enlisted as a military police officer. I have enjoyed all the books, but this one has been the hardest to put down for any length of time. It’s probably my favorite book of the series so far. Aided by the first person narration, it is the most personal book about Reacher and delves into his family life moreso than the other books. Largely, though, it’s a murder mystery. After a 2-star general turns up dead in a seedy motel room, a series of events leads to murder, a cover-up, and a threat to Reacher’s life and career.
The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler. Recommended by a friend after I told him I was reading some Jack Reacher books, I decided to try out Clive Cussler. Anyone who’s ever entered a bookstore or a library has seen numerous Clive Cussler books, but I had never picked one up for consumption. Like Stephen King or James Patterson, the books seemed so ubiquitous that reading one didn’t seem like it would ever be an arduous task. I was right. At this point in time, the book – which was originally published in 1973 – seems like an artifact of an ancient culture. I can’t deny that it made for a good, though generic, mystery. The book starts off with an American Air Force base in Greece being strafed by a German fighter plane. The main character, Dirk Pitt – who was played by Matthew McConaughey in Sahara – happens to be flying nearby on an assignment with a nautical exploration, and he successfully parries the air attack. While his plane is being repaired at the base, he gets himself in trouble with a local criminal mastermind. The most fascinating part of the book was Cussler’s treatment of women (or, well, a woman). The female lead is backhanded by Pitt at one point just to bring her to her senses, and at another point, she is abducted by Pitt and partner Al Giordino while wearing a see-through negligee, which is pulled up over her head to reveal her naked butt. Then she is paraded out of a house, shown off, and joked about. Of course, men will be men – and this here website likes its share of the feminine form – but if a publisher were reading the manuscript of The Mediterranean Caper here in 2015, I’m not sure that such behaviors toward women would make it past the editor without some rewriting. Of course, I have yet to read any of Cussler’s more recent work, so it may be interesting to know if his style has changed over the years to go along with the current climate.
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. The second in the Maze Runner series by Dashner, I was not entirely impressed by the original. It was a very interesting idea executed somewhat poorly, in my opinion. But I am one of those people who does not like to leave things unfinished, so once I start a book or a series, I like to finish it out unless there’s a really good reason not to do so. So I picked up The Scorch Trials at the library and got through it in a few days. I thought it was a superior effort, and I was enthralled at the beginning. The story starts off with Thomas and his friends from the Glade believing they’re safe, only to wake up to an even more threatening situation. Thomas and the Gladers are sent on a mission to find a cure to their ailment, and they have to make it through a scorched, post-apocalyptic city filled with dangerous natural phenomena and some warped human beings. Unfortunately, Dashner once again botches the ending when he sets up a battle against an enemy that is not very well described, and that parts that are described make you suddenly believe you’re reading a narrative of a video game character. I am slightly looking forward to the first 85% of The Death Cure before Dashner screws up another ending.
Let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading, thoughts on the books/authors mentioned, and what I should pick up next.
You need to login in order to vote
You must belogged in to post a comment.