Friday Night Lights

A Town, a Team, and a Dream

By: H. G. Bissinger

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

The 25th anniversary edition of the number-one New York Times best seller and Sports Illustrated's best football book of all time, with a new afterword by the author

Return once again to the timeless account of the Permian Panthers of Odessa - the winningest high school football team in Texas history.

Socially and racially divided, Odessa isn't known to be a place big on dreams, but every Friday night from September to December, when the Panthers play football, dreams can come true. With frankness and compassion, H. G. Bissinger unforgettably captures a season in the life of Odessa and shows how single-minded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires - and sometimes shatters - the teenagers who wear the Panthers' uniforms.

©1990 H. G. Bissinger (P)2015 Recorded Books

This is how it is....

This is a great story, told with unflinching honesty. I read it when the book was a new release. Decades later, the audiobook was the perfect choice for a drive across Texas.

Kudos to the author for keeping the kids in the center of the narrative. Kudos also for following up with them 25 years later.

Friday Night Lights is as true today as it was 30 years ago. If you are new to Texas - especially in a small town - this will tell you everything you need to know, including the uncomfortable truths hidden beneath the surface.

Great book

Sad. Honest. Enthralling. Poignant story about the sad reality when HS football is when one peaks. The thought that the best time of one's life could happen in HS is depressing.

Truly amazing

One of the best story tellings I’ve heard, tied with my favorite Sissy Spacek in To Kill A Mockingbird. The level of detail on the town and the team was just amazing. Bravo.

The authenticity of the love of Texas High School Football!

Amazing, a for sure will read again!! It gives great insight at this Texas towns love for high school football while also outlining the distractions that came with it, and what it meant to be a player in a football crazy town!

Wow -- timeless

Better than the movie or TV series, this book should be read and studied for years by American culture classes. What a story -- race, class, puberty, sexism, and overbearing parents, all swirling around the altar of West Texas football. Whenever you think journalism is dead, read this book, again and again. Great narrator, too.

Buzz came off as judgmental

I enjoy Buzz’ works and this one was no exception. Great story telling with good depth. The subjects in the book came to life and I felt empathy for them. I felt at times Buzz was to harsh and judgmental of the folks in Odessa. I found him overly critical of their values. Overall it was a good read.

compelling

Got completely rapped up in this must have book. It gives you an amazing look into the lives of these people and their communities in which you come to understand their fears and struggles and root for there success.

After 15 years…

I first read this book as a HS football player my sophomore year. It was hard to get me, or any other overly distracted kid to sit down and actually concentrate long enough to work through this, or any other book. I’m glad I took the time to revisit the story of the Permian Panthers. It hits a little closer to home as a young(er) adult.

Simply Phenomenal. A Treasure.

Anyone denigrating this book, or it's narrator isn't worthy of a review. Bizzenger's love of the people, and of the rugged landscape and chaotic history of West Texas is undeniable, and bleeds through onto every page. This is a work of non-fiction, but the author is part of the narrative, and thus has a perspective. That perspective is mostly fair, and unwavering in it's reporting of abhorrent behavior. Chapter 5 (Black and White) is a standout, and is merciless in it's reporting. Once the shock of it wears off, you can't help but laugh at the absurdity.

Even at its most methodical, this book crackles. Bizzenger's metaphors throughout the book add the touch of color and humor required to tackle his often beleaguered subjects. The Coin Toss chapter is another standout, and reads like a Twain short story.

Do not hesitate to purchase this audiobook. It's the best decision you'll make all day.

Story

I loved the story and all of the excitement of the book but there is so much crude language like the word “nigger” is repeated a lot. I understand that it is used because they need a way to show how racist people were but still. Especially page 97.