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.

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.

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.

More than just a football story

Talk about commitment. The author quit his job in the north east and moved to Odessa, Texas for a full year to do his research. He would have been hard pressed to pick a better year, with a robust set of players with talent and personality which helped bring the book to life. I grew up and played football within a decade of the 1988 season he picked. His descriptions of what high school football is to Texas is very eloquently done. He really dives into the lives of his 6 main characters. The book also does a great job of describing the history of the area, of oil, business and the politics of West Texas. His update of the 6 key players he covered 25 years later really brings a nice end to the story. The series is good, the movie is great, but the book bests them both. I loved the voice on the audio version. Found myself listening to the ends of chapters in my garage all the time.

Still relevant all these years later

Took me forever to get around to finally reading FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. I worried that it might seem dated so many years after its original publication. After all, the events in the book take place pre-Internet. Would the high school seem like a throwback? Would the story still seem relevant?

The answer is "yes" and "yes."

The book really is a classic, and no matter when you've played, coached, or watched high school football, many of the players and emotions will be recognizable. The immediacy and emotion of the story have not faded with time. Bissinger's writing is terrific and evocative.

A 25th anniversary addenda brings the reader up to speed on what some of the key people in the book are up to now that they've reached middle age.

If you love sports, don't wait to read this one. I regret it took me so long to finally enjoy it.

#ComingOfAge #Inspiring #Nostalgic #Texas #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Worth the wait

After listening to Three Nights in August by the same author and reading various reviews of Friday Night Lights in print, I was puzzled why there was not an audiobook. Perhaps the author was waiting for the 25th anniversary edition to come out. Whatever the reason, it was well worth the wait.