The Glory of Titletown (1997)

From the book description: “For the first time, more than 150 of the best photos from Vernon Biever's historic archive have been gathered into one keepsake volume. The Glory of Titletown is a celebration of both sports photography and the game of football, a sincere appreciation of a gifted photographer, and an inspiring tribute to a spectacular team.” There is not much else to say. In terms of Packers historical photography, Vernon Biever was THE MAN. 

Front and back flaps. 

Sample photo: Ted Fritsch runs around the end of the line in 1942. 

Sample photo: James Lofton grabs one over the middle in 1981. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

The Glory of Titletown: The Classic Green Bay Packers Photography of Vernon Biever
By Vernon Biever (1997)
Taylor Trade Publishing
264 pages

Football Legends Series (1997)

From the book description: “Mooney offers a straightforward account of Favre's football career. Part of the Football Legends series, Brett Favre opens with information about Favre's family (his father was his first coach, and his brother was one of the first athletes that he looked up to) and continues chronologically into his high-school and college football days. However, the focus is on Favre's professional sports career, with detailed accounts of yards run and passes thrown. His family history and determination are what got him named MVP in 1995 and made him the quarterback to take the Green Bay Packers to victory in the 1997 Super Bowl. A Brett Favre chronology, a statistics sheet up to 1996, and an index of names close the book. This is a good choice for fans of Favre, the Green Bay Packers, or football in general.” 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Brett Favre (Football Legends for Ages 9 and up)

By Martin Mooney (1997)

Chelsea House Publications

64 pages 

Another “geared for kids” book like the Favre version, this volume on head coach Vince Lombardi acquaints children with the greatest pro football coach of all time. Giving an overview of his life, it covers all of his years of success in Green Bay, and later with the Redskins in Washington, D.C. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Vince Lombardi (Football Legends for Ages 9 and up)

By John Wiukovits (1997)

Chelsea House Publications

64 pages 

Whether or not the whole series was ever published, we have not explored.

Brett Favre: Uncovered (1997)

One of the many Brett Favre-related publications to come out after the Packers “returned to glory,” Brett Favre: Uncovered is photo-filled and features stories and anecdotes by his family, friends, and teammates. An oversized volume, it is harder to scan, and so we’ re only featuring the front and back covers. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Brett Favre: Uncovered
By The People Who Know Him Best (1997)
Beckett Publications
127 pages

Brett Favre: Huck Finn Grows Up (1997)

Capitalizing on the recent Super Bowl XXXI victory, Brett Favre: Huck Finn Grows Up tells the story of Packers ’ QB Brett Favre up to that point, which was after his fifth season on the team. One of the early biographies that are out there. The official book description: “Named the Green Bay Packers' Most Valuable Player for his performance in last season's Super Bowl, Brett Favre's illustrious career with the team is profiled in this fascinating book.” 

The center of the book features color photographs from his life and young career. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Brett Favre: Huck Finn Grows Up
By Steve Cameron (1997)
Masters Press; Rev Updated Edition
256 pages

Titletown Trivia Teasers (1997)

From the book description: “Who holds the Super Bowl record for the longest kickoff return? Who was the Pack's first Turkey Day opponent? Which famous Packer QB was sacked the most times in a single game? Whose NFC records did Brett Favre break when he threw 39 TD passes in 1996? You'll find the answers to these and 425 more questions in this clever book which has been revised and updated to include trivia from the early 21st century. Use it at Packer parties, at Lambeau tailgate parties, on car trips — any place where the Green-and-Gold faithful meet. Green Bay Packers Titletown Trivia Teasers is the most fun you can have without actually bonding to a bench at Lambeau Field in January!”  

The layout isn't flashy. In the words of Joe Friday, “Just the facts, ma’am.” 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Green Bay Packers (Titletown Trivia Teasers)
By Don Davenport (1997)
Quiz Master Books
130 pages

NFL Record & Fact Book (1997)

The league’s official stat book featured Packers’ QB Brett Favre on the cover in 1997, an honor usually bestowed to a player from the team that won the Super Bowl after the previous season. If you love details and history, the NFL Record & Fact Book is still a good read each year. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

The Official National Football League 1997 Record and Fact Book
By The National Football League (1997)
Workman Publishing Company
480 pages

A Mini-Jordy for Your Shelf

For those of you in Packerville who semi-collect these figures from McFarlane (we get only the Packers-related ones, of course), there is a new “Jordy Nelson” coming out in August. It is from the NFL Football Series 32, also featuring Ray Rice, RG III, Antonio Brown, Vernon Davis, Arian Foster, Andy Dalton. and Peyton Manning. You can check out their page here. 

The packaging you’ll find on the “shelf” at Amazon.com, Big 5, Card Stadium, Clarktoys.com, FYE, Hastings Entertainment, Toys 'R' Us, Toys 'R' Us Canada, Toys 'R' Us Express, and presumably, the Packers Pro Shop.

Strive to Excel (1997)

From the book description: “In the twenty-five years since his death, Coach Vince Lombardi has continued to be known for his ability to motivate and inspire those around him. Strive to Excel: The Will and Wisdom of Vince Lombardi brings together the best of the legendary coach’s quotations and insights that have challenged many on and off the field.” 

The front and rear flaps. 

The pages are filled with Lombardi sayings, some spreads featuring photographs. 

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

Strive To Excel: The Will and Wisdom of Vince Lombardi

By Jennifer Briggs (1997)

Thomas Nelson Publishing

144 pages

The Packer Chronicles (1997)

Focusing on the editorial cartoons of Lyle Lahey, The Packer Chronicles: Waiting for the Pack to Come Back is a compilation from the days when Green Bay had two daily newspapers. Today, only the Green Bay Press-Gazette remains, but the Green Bay News-Chronicle gave it a valiant fight for readership for many years. You can read about this former publication here. The book has cartoons from the end of the Lombardi era through it’s publication in 1997, after the Super Bowl XXXI championship.

 Cartoon from the Bart Starr era.

Cartoon from the Forrest Gregg era. The Packers had their share of players’ problems with the law at one time as well.

The back cover.

Find your copy here.

The Packer Chronicles: Waiting for the Pack to Come Back
By Lyle Lahey (1997)
The Green Bay News-Chronicle
222 pages

NFL Camps Info

This is the part of the NFL year that is informally known as “the dead zone,” because there isn’t much happening at all before training camps crank up at the end of July. Well, things other than players being arrested and charged with murder and whatnot, that is. We’ll be posting our continuing series on books about the Green Bay Packers, but here is the schedule for all the NFL teams and their camps for 2013.