Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich

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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.

A renowned biographer -- People magazine called him "a master" -- Kriegel renders his subject with a style that is, by turns, heartbreaking, lyrical, and electric.

The narrative begins in 1929, the year a missionary gave Pete's father a basketball. Press Maravich had been a neglected child trapped in a hellish industrial town, but the game enabled him to blossom. It also caused him to confuse basketball with salvation. The intensity of Press's obsession initiates a journey across three generations of Maraviches. Pistol Pete, a ballplayer unlike any other, was a product of his father's vanity and vision. But that dream continues to exact a price on Pete's own sons. Now in their twenties -- and fatherless for most of their lives -- they have waged their own struggles with the game and its ghosts.

Pistol is an unforgettable biography. By telling one family's history, Kriegel has traced the history of the game and a large slice of the American narrative.

What Customers Say About Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich:

Much like many other misunderstood geniuses in other fields, questions still abound.What if.He had a coach in the pros who really understood how to harness his talent.A GM understood the type of team to build around him.He had a great big man, like Jabbar, Lanier or Chamberlain to pass to.He had signed with the ABA out of College.His standards were impossibly high, and his achievements, as great as they were, never measured up to his own perception of greatness.This book is cordoned off into three sections. But in the case of Pete Maravich, it is no exaggeration. The word "Icon" is becoming overused in much the same way as the words "Superstar" and "legend. The first is about Press Maravich, his father, and a fascinating case study in his own right. He was a household name, and very possibly the greatest college basketball player who ever played.His life was a sad, tragic, twisted affair punctuated by his mother's suicide, alcohol dependence, loneliness and a relationship with his father that never really brought any joy.Pistol Pete brought excitement and joy to huge numbers of fans at LSU and later, Atlanta, New Orleans and Utah. Although a decent man, his leadership was always questioned, and his presence, and his pocketbook brought jealousy to his teams and teammates.He was a true artist on the court, and played the game at a higher level than his contemporaries. The lion's share is about Pete, and the final section is about his two sons who were both children at the time of his shocking, untimely death at the age of forty.This book is full of mysticism and spectres. Maravich was a man of his times, New Age, but he was also searching for peace in his life.I found this book to be a riveting read, about a fascinating subject.

"PISTOL" IS SIMPLY WONDERFUL. HE WAS TRULY ONE OF THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER IN HISTORY RIVALING MICHAEL JORDAN AND LARRY BIRD. HIS BOOK REMINDS MANY OF US WHO HAVE FORGOTTEN HIM HOW TRULY REMARKABLE HE WAS.

However, instead of creating the most dominant player ever, he created the most flashy player. But, I ended up buying it off the cheap shelf and I'm glad I did. He was not socially adept, yet suddenly, he is idolized by millions. Press was an old school coach rooted in the fundamentals and devised a lot of unique drills for his growing son.

Why is this book worth reading. He was a pioneer for people like Marv Maranovich. He created a ubber-basketball player. I saw this book for over a year and had no interest in it because I had read Maravich's autobiography "Heir to a Dream." How would a stranger know more about Pete Maravich than Pete Maravich. You can't expect him to harshly criticize the man he idolizes, even when it seems obvious. Meanwhile, Pistol Pete felt the burden of living up to the legend he was becoming.

He faced resentment from teammates and resentment from old school opponents. He drank heavily and became depressed as he felt he could never live up to what others wanted, before finding redemption through Jesus Christ.

Mark Kriegel researched Pistol Pete and Press' lives in detail, interviewing countless others and telling the story from an outsider's view. The story of Maravich is unique because you can't tell it without telling the story of his father, Press Maravich, because they were joined at the hip.

Combined with Maravich's autobiography, it provides a three-dimensional look at the man. His goal was to make Pete the first million-dollar basketball player, so he trained Pete to throw outrageous passes, as opposed to say, learning defense.

When he coached Pete in college, he threw out everything he believed (team play and strong defense) and instead used blatant double-standards, all to make sure his son received individual glory and scoring titles. Maravich's autobiography is more sanitized.

Kriegel's a very good writer, and he wrote one of the better sports biographies.

Fantastic job by Kriegel. Amazing insight into who Pete was and the role Press (his dad) played in his life. Would have made a great fiction book, hard to believe the whole thing is actually true.Well worth the 99 cents plus shipping.

Didnt think I would find it so readable. Pistol is revealed to be into UFO's with contrasting ideas of holistic diet and alcohol consumption along with other ideas that are considered fringe. The mother seems ancillary and his pro career is overly detailed in some areas and not enough in others. I felt that there wasnt a well rounded portrayal of him. Too bad. Pistol Pete really was a big deal.

Remember him well from my school days. Today he is rarely mentioned. Like a lot of other reviews I thought this was a nice breezy read. In many cases they were not involved with Pete and contribute only minimal insight. Still, the details on him were actually, to me, better detailed and more relevant than those about Pete. Somehow these details just dont seem to tell the complete picture of Pete. Still, the book was really good and dont want to harp on the bad.

The reason for the 4 stars was the over-attention paid to Pete's father Press. Pleasant surprise. Before i knew it, his career was over. Commend the author on bringing him back to the fore. I understand that in order to get a complete picture of Pete, you have to get to know Press. I think much of the issues were with the relatively few sources in the book. Just good to see Pete back where he belongs.