Pistol

The Life of Pete Maravich

By: Mark Kriegel

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Pistol is more than the biography of a ballplayer. It's the stuff of classic novels: the story of a boy transformed by his father's dream and the cost of that dream. Even as Pete Maravich became Pistol Pete, a basketball icon for baby boomers, all the Maraviches paid a price. Now acclaimed author Mark Kriegel has brilliantly captured the saga of an American family: its rise, its apparent ruin, and, finally, its redemption. Almost four decades have passed since Maravich entered the national consciousness as basketball's boy wizard. No one had ever played the game like the kid with the floppy socks and shaggy hair. And all these years later, no one else ever has. The idea of Pistol Pete continues to resonate with young people today just as powerfully as it did with their fathers. In averaging 44.2 points a game at Louisiana State University, he established records that will never be broken. But even more enduring than the numbers was the sense of ecstasy and artistry with which he played. With the ball in his hands, Maravich had a singular power to inspire awe, inflict embarrassment, or even tell a joke. But he wasn't merely a mesmerizing showman. He was basketball's answer to Elvis, a white Southerner who sold Middle America on a black man's game. Like Elvis, he paid a terrible price, becoming a prisoner of his own fame. Set largely in the South, Kriegel's Pistol - a tale of obsession and basketball, fathers and sons - merges several archetypal characters. Maravich was a child prodigy, a prodigal son, his father's ransom in a Faustian bargain, and a Great White Hope. But he was also a creature of contradictions: always the outsider but a virtuoso in a team sport, an exuberant showman who wouldn't look you in the eye, a vegetarian boozer, an athlete who lived like a rock star, a suicidal genius saved by Jesus Christ.©2007 Mark Kriegel; (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"A delightfully written biography....Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)
"What Pistol Pete was to the no-look, 50-foot bounce pass, Kriegel may be to the sports biography: transcendent." ( Booklist)

What a life

The biggest takeaway is his faith in his savior Jesus Christ who brought him through so much to prepare him for his purpose.

A fun book for fans of the game

Pistol was an all time great. I did not get to see him play but have heard so many great stories from my father. Worth the credit it costs you.

A book for all men and women who love the game.

An excellent read for all those who desire to know more about the history of this game and American history during the 20th century. It's a book for all who have felt the pangs of this country's sordid racial and ethnic trials. It's also a book for men who want to know and please their fathers on Earth as in Heaven.
Jeff Winkowski, author of Get Hih

A Great Book

I grew up watching Pistol Pete in college and professional basketball.
I am amassed the difficult life he led and still played at a high level.

Must read for Pete fans

Tremendous insight into Pete’s life. A genius with a basketball in his hands. A true story of a father and son and their shared love of basketball. Loved this book, Pete was 50 years ahead of his time. R I P Pistol Pete.