Great Men Die Twice: The Selected Works of Mark Kram

This is nothing less than a treasure chest of remarkable writing by a gentlemen the esteemed Frank Deford thought was the best magazine nonfiction writer in America. Sort of like Gordie Howe calling you his toughest opponent. Kram's profile of star crossed soccer icon George Best alone is worth the price of this volume as it serves as both a magnifying glass for and crystal ball of the Man United wingers brilliant on field ballet and inevitable self destructive denouement. This is a volume I savor and is on bedside table reserved for the few sports writers in his league whose number include Ring Lardner and his boys, John Schulian, Frank Deford, Bob Ryan, Jim Murray, Ray Fitzgerald, Leigh Montville, Glenn Stout, Bill Heinz, Red Smith, Charlie Pierce,George Kimball, Brian Glanville, Simon Kuper, and David Halberstam among others.

If you like sports at all, you will love this book. It takes you on journeys and into lives, bright, dark and rich, of sports heroes and villains we all thought we knew. I wasn't familiar with Mark Kram's work until I read this book. How much I missed over the years. I love a good book. I'm a fan of the written word. When I "discover" someone altogether original I just have to share it. And Mark Kram was an unquestioned "original". Cerebral and heartfelt, his style is his alone and you can't help but keep turning those pages. How proud he must be with the work of his son in making this book possible. So worth a few hours of your time you won't want back! Can't recommend it more highly.

Mark Kram is an outstanding writer. If you're interested in sports from the '60s and '70s, this book is for you.

Mark Kram was a great sports writer. I'm enjoying rereading pieces I read years ago, and reading others for the first time.

A little dated, but great writing