Maravich Reviews

***** (5/5)

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is Pete's autobiography published in 1987, shortly before he died. Therefore, it covers his entire life except for the last few months of his life obviously. This was the very first book I ever read about Pete Maravich, and it really helped me understand him better. I felt like I knew Pete by the time I finished reading the book. The stories and memories were wonderful and written beautifully.

The entire book was warm, touching, and very personal, so it felt like I'd just finished a conversation with Pete every time I put the book down. As Pete says in the introduction, he did not candy-coat the story: he told the whole story, re-opening old wounds that made his life very painful at times.

I really don't know what else to say except that this book was marvelous! Truly amazing! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Pistol Pete Maravich and his life.

*** (3/5)

This was an interesting book to read. I suppose it probably isn't as bad as I am going to make it sound, but after reading Heir to a Dream I suppose every book would seem rather lackluster. This book was published in 1972, written directly after Pete finished his rookie year in the NBA. Therefore, it does not cover his entire life and so if you are looking for a book more on the life of Pete Maravich then this is not the book for you to read.

However, Bill Gutman had access to interview Pete and Press Maravich frequently, as there words are prominent and used a great deal throughout the book. Gutman also had first-hand accounts of several unique and entertaining stories that made the book fun to read. Gutman had several interviews with many of Pete's teammates and opponents, who all shared unique memories. Gutman also had good statistics and records to back up his data.

Nonetheless, Gutman's book did not flow very well. It seemed like there was no real story throughout the entire book. Pete's early life consisted of a few quotes from Press, Pete, and others on how he practiced constantly and such. It lacked the stories and feel of Heir to a Dream. It also seemed like the transition from boyhood to LSU was abrupt. I was sitting there reading, and then it said something about Pete at LSU, and I had to think, Oh, yeah, I guess he's at LSU now--when did this happen? Maybe I was just an inattentive reader, but it just seemed like there was little flow and little personal stories to make Pete's life come alive.

The book mainly focuses on Pete's career at LSU, as it was written in 1972, and there are some really good stories and memories included in this book. Also, there are some fun song lyrics ("The Ballad of Pete Maravich") and photographs that make the book worth reading. However, to me, it is more like a collection of newspaper articles. Pete scored so many points, quotes from a teammate, blah blah. It becomes monotonous quickly.

**** (4/5)

Wow! This was a fantastic book! It was published in 1999, so it covered Pete's entire life. It was very well written, and Phil Berger did a wonderful job of telling the dark and happy periods of Pete's life. He really made the pain and agonies come alive during Pete's unhappiness.

There were several wonderful first-hand accounts from old friends and neighbors told in this book, which were a delight to read. Berger also collected several newspaper articles that re-told various career highlights and downfalls in Pete's career.

I also enjoyed learning about Pete's life from a different point of view as opposed to hearing it from Pete's view. It was an interesting and entertaining read.

However, as I said, Berger did a wonderful job of telling about the unhappy periods in Pete's life. This was very good, as he did not "candy coat" Pete's life, but it seemed like the end came too quickly. He would spend thirty to fifty pages speaking about Pete's unhappiness in his NBA years, but when the end of Pete's life came--when he became a re-born Christian and was happy-- Berger probably only spent about fifteen pages talking about it. That, to me, is disappointing and sick. I would rather finish a book feeling happy rather than depressed. There was a lot of heartache and unhappiness in Pete's life, but in the end he considered himself to be truly happy and at peace with himself. Now why wouldn't an author want to convey that fact to the reader?

Overall, it was a good read, although the ending was a bit disappointing. I'd recommend it to anyone, though, who really wants to learn about the greatest showman of all time.

***** (5/5)

This has always been one of my favorite movies. It is not only a great story of the Pistol, but also an inspiring story the whole family can watch together and enjoy.

The story is very accurate and was developed by Frank Schroder, Darrell Campbell, and Pete Maravich (before he died). The movie was released in 1991. I could tell the story had been developed by Maravich, because several of the stories that occurred in the movie were performed in the movie.

It is a wonderful story, and a wonderful script--and perfect actors that played their roles wonderfully. The music was awesome, too!

The only downfall of the movie was that it did not include Ronnie Maravich, Pete's older brother. Ronnie should have been a senior on the high school team, wearing number twenty-three, but instead there was no Ronnie and Pete wore number twenty-three. That was the only minor problem I had with this film.

Other than that, I loved it! It was a great movie, fun to watch, and educational! I would recommend this movie to everybody--not just those who love the Pistol and want to learn more about him! I wish they could make more movies like this about Pete's entire life--they would be great!

***** (5/5)

This is a great collection to have about basketball's greatest showman. It is a collection of footage from Pete's career at LSU and interviews from people who knew him while he was there.

The footage is great, and fun to watch, a real treat. Also, the music that accompanies it is highly entertaining! The interviews, too, are great. There are several people who share their "Maravich Memories"--teammates, radio announcers, etc. Their memories re-enforce the fact that Pete Maravich really is the greatest.

This was a great look at Pete's stay at LSU, and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about his LSU career. The footage and interviews are great, and it is definitely a must-have for any Pistol Pete fan! A GREAT documentary!

***** (5/5)

This is a fabulous documentary produced about the Pistol a few years ago. It is a wonderful and accurate look at the Pistol's life.

There are several rare photos and footage that make this documentary a gem to watch. I also enjoyed the variety of interviews that were included in this documentary--his teammates, friends, neighbors, coaches, and even a rare interview from his wife, Jackie Maravich. They all shared wonderful stories and memories of Pete, and made his story come to life.

I love this documentary--it's detailed and accurate and fun to watch. It makes the viewer realize that it wasn't easy being Pistol Pete--there were some very dark and unhappy times in his life. But unlike Forever Showtime, I believe they do justice to Pete's happy periods in his life.

Overall, this is a great documentary and I recommend it to anyone wishing to learn more about Pete Maravich.