{"product_id":"kingdom-on-fire-kareem-wooden-walton-and-the-turbulent-days-of-the-ucla-basketball-dynasty-9781668020494","title":"Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn the tradition of \u003ci\u003eBlood in the Garden \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThree-Ring Circus \u003c\/i\u003ecomes a bold history of the iconic UCLA Bruins championship teams led by legendary coach John Wooden, \u003c\/b\u003e Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Walton\u003cb\u003e--set against the turmoil of American culture in the 1960s and '70s. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFew basketball dynasties have reigned supreme like the UCLA Bruins did over college basketball from 1965-1975 (seven consecutive titles, three perfect records, an eighty-eight-game winning streak that remains unmatched). At the center of this legendary franchise were the now-iconic players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton, naturally reserved personalities who became outspoken giants when it came to race and the Vietnam War. These generational talents were led by\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eJohn Wooden, a conservative counterweight to his star players whose leadership skills would transcend the game after his retirement. But before the three of them became history, they would have to make it--together. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLos Angeles native and longtime sportswriter for the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, Scott Howard-Cooper draws on more than a hundred interviews and extensive access to many of the principal figures, including Wooden's family, to deliver a rich narrative that reveals the turmoil at the heart of this storied college basketball program. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMaking the eye-opening connections between UCLA and the Nixon administration, Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, and others, \u003ci\u003eKingdom on Fire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eputs the UCLA basketball team's political involvement and influence in full relief for the first time. \"Perceptive and exciting, this is a slam dunk for college hoops fans\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScott Howard-Cooper has covered professional and college sports since the 1980s for some of the most prominent outlets in the country, including the \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e, ESPN, and more. His work has earned multiple national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Professional Basketball Writers Association for projects, game coverage, features, and columns. He graduated from USC with a degree in political science and lives in northern California.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Atria Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50590320099602,"sku":"9781668020494","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e355ae9f-832f-4a13-9091-943c71e9ef9a.jpg?v=1744226652","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/kingdom-on-fire-kareem-wooden-walton-and-the-turbulent-days-of-the-ucla-basketball-dynasty-9781668020494","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}