"Manning" by Archie and Peyton Manning was about a football family dynasty. Archie was a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints back in the 70s and early 80s, and while he was a good player the Saints weren't a great team and he ended up never having a winning season or going to the Super Bowl, something both of his sons have now done. The book was written in 2000, when Eli first started college at Ole Miss, and Peyton had just finished his second season with the Colts, so it begs to be updated. It sounds like Archie and Olivia Manning were great parents, and they raised three great and highly talented kids. ( )

One of the better biographies /autobiographies that I have read. This is an excellent view into the heart of America's first family of Quarterbacks as they existed 10+/- years ago when the book first came out. At that time no one had won a Superbowl, Eli had yet to break any of Archie's Ole Miss records, and there were no Oreo commercials. Most of the book is actually espoused in ever lessening degrees by Archie who is the primary focus. Secondarily there is Peyton then Cooper, Ms. Olivia and Eli. All come across as very open and very well spoken. The narrative flows from voice to voice with neither break nor confusion. Mr. Underwood acts as moderator with very small but communicative passages as required. Not just for football fans but for anyone looking for a story of a good God loving family and their journey together through life. ( )

An interesting look at the world of Manning in the NFL when it was only Archie and Peyton - Eli was still at Ole Miss when this was published. It was a very interesting look into the family, the raising of the boys and how that shaped their football careers. In New York, far removed from some of the insanity of college football I could not believe the death threats that the Mannings received when Peyton chose to go to Tennessee. ( )

A story about football and family. Sound a little hokey? Maybe. But Manning is a really enjoyable story about a very solid family in the world of professional sports, a world in which class is at a premium. I live in Oxford, where Archie Manning is revered next to God, but he seems to have remained really genuine and grounded. The surprise star of the book, however, is Cooper, who comes off as quite the charmer. ( )