RISING TIDE Bear Bryant, Joe Namath, and Dixie's Last Quarter

The authors present a dual biographical history of quarterback Joe Namath and Paul "Bear" Bryant--two of college football's greatest figures. Alan Sklar alternates between sections on each man in a comforting voice. Not much of an accent is used for Namath, a Pennsylvania-born Southern transplant. But a subtle, commanding ever-so-slight twang is given to Bryant, whose gravitas is legendary. An especially detailed section on a famous First Amendment case involving a lawsuit between the Saturday Evening Post and Bryant is well researched, and the audiobook balances biographical, anecdotal, and game details. Sklar's serious tone brings home the importance of these two men, who were at the genesis of the storied Crimson Tide. M.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2013]