Tom Landry: An Autobiography

Until 1989 Landry, hired in 1959, was the only coach the Dallas Cowboys had ever had. Here, writing with Lewis ( Am I Alive ), he covers the early years, when his team had an abysmal record of 0-10-1, through 1965, when Dallas finally broke even at 7-7, and the five Super Bowl appearances between 1970 and 1978, including two championships, to the descent into mediocrity in the late '80s. Discussed are Landry's debt to Paul Brown, whose coaching philosophy inspired him, Cowboys owner Clint Murchison and general manager Tex Schramm, who left him free to run the team on the field. We're told that the coach has an introverted personality, which makes many judge him cold and remote. Heavy with nostalgia and permeated with Landry's deep religious faith, the book will disappoint football fans expecting insider gossip and a suggestion of the rough-and-tumble of their sport. $160,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Aug.)