Knight

Before he turned forty, Bob Knight had already guided an unbeaten national champion, and at forty-three he led the final amateur American men's basketball squad to Olympic gold. This memoir follows his path from those early triumphs to a painful final year at Indiana University, where he was dismissed after nearly three decades on staff. He describes the anger and bewilderment that followed, told in his own voice.

Basketball dominates the story, and Knight shows how much of his life was shaped by the game. He played as a sophomore reserve on Ohio State's NCAA championship team, then became the first person to both play for and coach a title-winning squad. His 1975-76 Indiana team finished 32-0 and beat Michigan in the title game in Philadelphia. Indiana's teams also took NCAA crowns in 1980-81 and 1986-87. Knight writes about his six seasons at Army, where he coached through the Vietnam era, when recruiting for West Point was hard. He also argues that strong academics and championship teams can coexist.

The book also covers his fresh start at Texas Tech, which he approaches with the same frankness that has marked his public career. Along the way he recounts many stories, some funny, some touching and some heavy, and he does not shy away from the controversies that followed him for decades. Readers interested in basketball history, coaching or the candid life of one of college sports' most recognizable figures will find much to hold their attention.