Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero by Mike Freeman

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Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero by Mike Freeman

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Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero by Mike Freeman

The first, definitive biography of one of the most important, controversial, and outspoken athletes of the 20th century.

He intimidated people on and off the football field. He was brutal yet brilliant, narcissistic yet magnanimous, relentless yet unyielding. Most of all, he was the greatest football player of all time. He was Jim Brown. A legend in his own time, Jim Brown was revered as an athlete, actor, and unflinching symbol of black pride and self-reliance. In this moving book, Mike Freeman offers the first definitive portrait of the sports star. Based on interviews with Brown, his family, friends, and colleagues, Jim Brown is an honest, complete picture of the man and his turbulent times. Part biography, part cultural history, it is a quintessential American tale--a story of adversity, adulation, tenacity, inspiration, and pride.


Go beyond the highlight reels to discover the fierce, controversial, and brilliant man who changed more than just the game.


  • NFL Dominance: Explore the on-field genius that made Jim Brown the most feared running back in history, an athlete who redefined his position for the Cleveland Browns and walked away at the peak of his power.
  • Hollywood Pioneer: Discover how Brown shattered Hollywood barriers to become the first Black action hero, starring in films like The Dirty Dozen and sharing the screen with stars like Raquel Welch.
  • Unflinching Activist: Go beyond the field to Brown's crucial role as a civil rights leader, from founding the Black Economic Union to his unwavering support for Muhammad Ali and his lifelong fight for Black pride and self-reliance.
  • A Complex Legacy: Confront the controversies that marked his life, from his turbulent relationships and clashes with the law to the FBI surveillance that targeted him as a powerful Black leader.
  • Deeply Researched: Based on extensive interviews with Brown himself, his family, and his contemporaries, this is the definitive, multi-layered portrait of a true American icon.
Freeman, Mike: - For over thirty years, Mike Freeman has made a career out of his love for Memphis and regional history. He co-wrote, with Cindy Hazen, two books about Elvis Presley--The Best of Elvis in 1992 and Memphis Elvis Style in 1997--and a book based upon Patsy Cline's letters, Love
Always Patsy, Patsy Cline's Letters to a Friend, in 1999. For eight years he owned and lived in the first home Elvis purchased at 1034 Audubon Drive in Memphis. Mike has also written or co-written magazine articles about the area's fascinating personalities. In 2007, Mike helped create three DVDs: Elvis' Memphis and Beyond Elvis' Memphis with Artsmagic, Inc. (UK) and Elvis: Return to Tupelo with Michael Rose Productions. With his partner, Sue Mack, Mike continues to do research today and offers guided tours of the region. This biography of Clarence Saunders was actually his first project and his MA thesis. Until now, only excerpts of this work were published in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly (1992) and Tennessee Encyclopedia (1997).
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780060776831
ISBN 10 0060776838
Title Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero
Author Mike Freeman
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Year published 2007-10-16
Number of pages 320
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.