SynopsisAccording to coauthor Rich Wolfe, Jim Zabel is a "god" in Iowa. Over 50 years of University of Iowa football and basketball broadcasts have made him a weekly guest in millions of Iowa households. If Howard Stern is the voice of all our malevolent dark thoughts, Jim Zabel is the good angel on the other shoulder, providing the voiceover soundtrack for all the grain-fed young Hawkeyes of the Heartland. Jim Zabel: 65 Years of Fun and Games is a marvelous, funny, and true account of the absolutely incredible career of the "voice of Iowa." Never-before-told, behind-the-scenes stories mixed with great humor plus dozens of priceless photos make this book a must-read for the hundreds of thousands of Jim Zabel fans. The remembrances are all here, from his youth growing up in Davenport and his match race with Jesse Owens to his days as a University of Iowa student and his relationships with presidents, movie stars, and hall of famers. If a basketball or a football could talk, it would sound like Jim Zabel. The included CD is an audio collection of his greatest calls -- which more specifically are Iowa Hawkeyes highlights of game-winning passes/baskets for which he was the radio broadcaster., According to coauthor Rich Wolfe, Jim Zabel is a "god" in Iowa. Over 50 years of University of Iowa football and basketball broadcasts have made him a weekly guest in millions of Iowa households. If Howard Stern is the voice of all our malevolent dark thoughts, Jim Zabel is the good angel on the other shoulder, providing the voiceover soundtrack for all the grain-fed young Hawkeyes of the Heartland. Jim Zabel: 65 Years of Fun and Games is a marvelous, funny, and true account of the absolutely incredible career of the "voice of Iowa." Never-before-told, behind-the-scenes stories mixed with great humor plus dozens of priceless photos make this book a must-read for the hundreds of thousands of Jim Zabel fans. The remembrances are all here, from his youth growing up in Davenport and his match race with Jesse Owens to his days as a University of Iowa student and his relationships with presidents, movie stars, and hall of famers. If a basketball or a football could talk, it would sound like Jim Zabel. The included CD is an audio collection of his greatest calls — which more specifically are Iowa Hawkeyes highlights of game-winning passes/baskets for which he was the radio broadcaster.
Jim Zabel's book is a supremely great history of Iowa sports.
The late Jim Zabel was one of my best friends. He sent me an autographed copy of his book before it was released for sale to the public. I sent him a letter telling him that I almost never read any book twice. But I did read his book twice. I strongly recommend Jim Zabel's book to all of my acquaintances to both of my friends.