Review by Booklist Review
On December 31, 1967, the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys played for the NFL championship and a trip to Super Bowl II. When the game began, the wind chill was minus 45. By game's end it was minus 65. Fifty years later, veteran sports journalist Carlson re-creates the legendary game in fascinating detail. He doesn't go through every play in the text (thanks, Chuck) but does include a play-by-play in the appendix. He also includes rosters and season stats for both teams, as well as summaries of the key players' careers and post-football lives. The text itself is made up of a series of anecdotes and recollections by the participants. As brutal as the playing conditions were many players suffered the effects of frostbite and damaged lungs their memories of that day are mostly fond. Along the way, Carlson discusses what the game signified in terms of team history. Longtime NFL fans will be familiar with most of the content here but will enjoy it nonetheless, while fans unfamiliar with this remarkable event will have a chance to catch up on a great moment in NFL history.--Lukowsky, Wes Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Carlson (coauthor, Facing the Green Bay Packers) covered the Green Bay Packers for 11 years and has written several books on the team. On the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous games in football history, the 1967 championship between Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys and Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, Carlson revisits the contest known as the "Ice Bowl" because it was played in temperatures of -16°, with a wind chill of -45°. This slender title presents new perspectives from Packers' center Ken Bowman and Cowboys running back Dan Reeves, linebacker Lee Roy Jordan, and defensive tackle Bob Lilly. They discuss the difficulty of playing in bitterly cold conditions, how the game impacted both teams' futures and cemented a fledgling rivalry that continues to this day. This brief rendering is filled with season and game statistics, play-by-play moments, and where-are-they-now starting lineups. VERDICT Although not rising to the level of Ed Gruvers's The Ice Bowl: The Cold Truth About Football's Most Unforgettable Game, this is still a satisfying addition for all football lovers. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
