Book Reviews
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| Photo courtesy of the American Football Coaches Association |
| Eddie is presented with a special award by University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley at the 1986 AFCA convention, recognizing him as the college football coach with the most victories in history after Eddie won his 324th game to surpass his good friend, Bear Bryant of Alabama. |
"The profundity of Eddie Robinson is found in Dressman’s flair for weaving Robinson’s life into the fabric of U.S. race relations and social history in the 20th century. Eddie Robinson is an enthralling narrative..."
Review by Prof. Kevin L. Brooks, Paine College
in the Journal of African American History
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"A poignant and powerful story of a humble life that had monumental impact. It taught me much about this great American."
Chris Fowler
ESPN Game Day
"The Eddie Robinson biography by Denny Dressman is a must read for ALL Americans. It is thoughtful, honest, provocative and informative, and should be read by sports lovers and non-sports lovers alike."
Aubrey Bruce, Senior Sports Columnist,
The New Pittsburgh Courier
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"The book ties in events of Robinson's life and work with what was going on around him at the time in America. I couldn't recommend it more highly."
John Erardi, Columnist
The Cincinnati Enquirer
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"Denny Dressman's new biography... was partially written to educate those not familiar with (Eddie Robinson's) story and more than half-century at the Louisiana college. And it was written for those who didn-t live through the turbulent 1960s, a decade that helped define Robinson's legacy."
Reid Cherner, Eye-opener columnist
USA Today
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"Denny Dressman makes a compelling case that Eddie Robinson's contribution to American history was not confined to sports. His biography of this sports icon is also a social history of race relations in the U.S. from Jim Crow to the 21st century. An eminently readable book."
Dave Krieger
Denver Post sports columnist
"Mr. Dressman does not make Coach Robinson out to be a god, he instead allows him to be what he was—a strong American man. He lets you know that Eddie Robinson was not only the face of Grambling State University, the face of the city of Grambling, the face of Louisiana, or the face of Black college football. He was a true man among men. This is an insightful book about a man and his times in the country he called the greatest in the world."
Maricia D.C. Johns, Columnist,
Fort Worth Black News
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"The successful career of Robinson followed the progress of the Civil Rights Movement every step of the way. A recently released biography sums it up best in the title. Eddie Robinson "... he was the Martin Luther King of football" by Denny Dressman chronicles the life of Robinson and connects it with the Civil Rights Movement. Perhaps there is no better way to learn about the civil rights struggle than through the life of Robinson."
Kevin McGuire, College Football Examiner,
examiner.com
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"A thoroughly well-researched work. Denny Dressman has captured the life and legacy of Eddie Robinson. By incorporating the struggle of African Americans during the Jim Crow era with Robinson's own journey, one can appreciate why Eddie Robinson became a national treasure that transcended football and served as inspiration to all Americans."
Kent Stephens
College Football Hall of Fame historian
"This is a remarkable book that captures the story of a great coach and the life of a great American, who led generations of young African Americans through the treacherous years of the civil rights movement in the Jim Crow South and taught them how to be productive citizens, and great people."
John Belton
Chairman, Eddie G. Robinson Museum Commission
"A fascinating look at how an icon of college football steered his players through a tumultuous time in American history and taught them that the way to overcome was through hard work and perseverance."
Rick Morrissey
Chicago Tribune sports columnist
"The book... provides an impressive collection of interviews and stories of the legendary coach's life, one that needs no comparison."
Harrison Whitehouse, critic
A.V. Club, Boulder-Denver
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"If you followed college football or the history of the Civil Rights movement, you know how the book ends before you turn a page. But keep turning pages, and, in his words, 'you'll see how one man influenced a sport, helped generations of young, poor African-Americans become productive citizens, and contributed subtly but profoundly to racial progress in our country.'"
Gary Massaro
The Villager, Greenwood Village, CO
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"Dressman gives 'Rob' (a) fitting tribute... (He) has penned an excellent book..."
O.K. "Buddy" Davis, Sports Editor
Ruston (La.) Daily Leader
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"Denny Dressman's new biography of the late Grambling coach Eddie Robinson seeks to weave into a flowing fabric the man's well-known impact on the game of football and its players with the lesser-known impact he had on the civil rights movement."
Tom Munds, Community Editor
Englewood (CO) Herald
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"(Dressman) started looking for a biography of Coach Eddie Robinson that would document his civil rights work through football. The problem was, there was no such book. So, Dressman decided to write one..."
Nancy Burkhart
The Colorado Editor
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"Appropriately, for Black History Month, a wonderful book has been released about the great Eddie Robinson. Denny Dressman... not only captures the legacy of Robinson, but also captures life in the Jim Crow South through the Civil Rights Movement..."
Gloria Johnston, Editor
SwingVote.com e-magazine
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