Description
At the University of Iowa Hospitals, a strikingdisplay case once held the cast-bronze hands of several prominent artists, writers, and physicians affiliated with the university. One pair of hands--reaching up and out, as if to seize their observer--belonged to Danny Mack Gable, the greatest figure in the history of American wrestling. Gable's place in the university's pantheon was earned through his remarkable coaching career; for the past twenty-one years, Dan Gable's Iowa Hawkeyes have dominated wrestling to an extent rarely seen in any sport. In "A Season on the Mat," award-winning reporter Nolan Zavoral explores Iowa's storied wrestling program and Gable's record of excellence in an unprecedented, intimate look at the man and his methods. Gable grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and quickly became a wrestling legend in a place where there was no higher aspiration. He charged through his high school years unbeaten--64-0--and then won 117 straight matches at Iowa State University before losing, in a shocking upset, in the NCAA finals of his senior year. Gable used the memory of that defeat as a spur to greater glory in the 1972 Olympics,… (more)
Library's review
For twenty-one years, Dan Gable's Iowa Hawkeyes dominated wrestling to an extent rarely seen in any sport: twenty-one consecutive Big 10 titles and fifteen national championships. In A Season on the Mat, award-winning reporter Nolan Zavoral explores Iowa's storied wrestling program and Gable's
A Season on the Mat chronicles the dramatic 1996-97 season, in which Gable led his team -- far from his most talented -- to a record-breaking performance at the national championship, at which it scored the most points in collegiate wrestling history. Zavoral takes the reader behind the scenes into the stifling heat of the wrestling room, where young men from places like Rock Falls, Illinois, or Philip, South Dakota, sacrifice everything they have just to be a part of the Hawkeye program.
From his difficult upbringing, interrupted by the tragedy of his sister's brutal murder, through the single defeat that haunts him to this day, to the ups and downs of his phenomenal coaching career, Gable has come to symbolize to many all that is special about this demanding, elemental sport. Part biography, part chronicle, part portrait of this unique subculture, A Season on the Mat is the best and most thorough look at one of the most important and most overlooked figures in American athletics.
Amazon Review-Had Dan Gable played baseball or basketball instead of wrestled, not only would ad campaigns have been built around him, but also a wing in the hall of fame. Gable, a true athletic icon, dominated his sport--a virtually obscure one by American standards--as no one has before or since. An Olympic champion, Gable was virtually unbeatable. As a coach, he's been dauntingly invincible. His Iowa Hawkeyes have won 10 straight national championships--15 altogether--and every Big 10 title in the sport since Gable took over the program in the mid-1970s. A Season on the Mat is the engrossing narrative of Iowa's 1996-97 Cinderella season, Gable's finale as coach, and the intriguing hold wrestling has on its participants. Still, Gable is the clear star here. With drama and pathos, author Nolan Zavoral profiles him as a fiercely driven and competitive man, wracked by physical and emotional pain as he grapples with the life-altering decisions that he knows it's time to make. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"One of the year's best sports books and the finest wrestling title to hit the mat in a long time" -- The Library Journal
"Finally, wrestling has a classic to call its own." -- The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
"The ring of truth is unmistakable. . . . Some of the best writing on wrestling since John Irving wrote about 'Gorgeous Dan' for Esquire magazine." -- Des Moines Sunday Register
I'm a high school wrestler and avid Dan Gable fan. I could not have been more thrilled to get this book. It was a good book if you're an avid wrestling fan. The only problem was, like many people said, it was shallow and neglected to convey the emotion and the blood, sweat, and tears all these wrestlers have put in their whole lifes for this sport. It also neglected to talk much about Gable's wrestling career, just giving quick stats here and there. I think it would have been a lot better if a wrestler wrote it (Nolan Zavoral is obviously not). Other, than that it was a page turner and I finished it in about 4 days. Pretty good for a guy who had never previously read a book all the way through. -Pat Mosher
...but you can't help but be taken in by the story of Dan Gable. The lessons that he preaches, and embodies, go way beyond the mat--perserverance, hard work, dedication, and perhaps most importantly, leading by example.
For that reason, I enjoyed the book, and got through it pretty quickly. I would have no reservations about recommending this book based on that alone.
But, I'll admit, it gets bogged down quite a bit as it becomes a point-by-point recap of the season. Starts to feel like the same things over and over again. I'll agree with other posters who say that it may have lacked some of the intensity and emotion that it could have had. For that, I would recommend "Four days to Glory." An awesome book on high-school wrestling that seems to be to do a better job of making you feel the drama of what wrestlers go through and why they do what they do.
I'd say buy both of these books for a pretty complete picture of Iowa wrestling "from cradle to grave." The afterword in the paperback version of "A season on the mat" does a good job of bringing closure to both books (hard to explain, but you'll see what I mean). -F. Dupp
A Season on the Mat is a story with three main characters: 1) Dan Gable, 2) The University of Iowa wrestling team, and 3) The team's varsity starters. The book is written in a compelling manner with excellent character development. I found myself cheering (sometimes almost out loud) when reading of the success of the team and the team's key athletes. Similarly, I found myself sorrowful when reading about their rare moments of failure.
Nevertheless, the key character within the book is wrestling icon Dan Gable. Zavoral does an excellent job of providing an objective portrayal of Gable that should satisfy both the amateur wrestling aficionado and the uninitiated. I enjoyed reading about the life of Dan Gable; his relationship with his parents, his wife, his children, the state of Iowa, the University of Iowa administration, his assistant coaches, and his wrestlers; and the two key life moments that motivated him to worker harder than anyone else to reach the pinnacle as a wrestler and coach. Moreover, whereas most Gable biographies are written by sycophants who communicate only Gable's venerable qualities, Zavoral is equitable in also discussing Gable's eccentricities.
Most reviewers have written favorably (and I would say accurately) regarding A Season on the Mat. Yet, a minority of reviewers have stated that the book lacks "justice," is "cheerless," and is "shallow." To this specious minority I say, "We must not have been reading the same book." The book provides justice in its balanced and detailed depiction of Dan Gable. Furthermore, I found myself almost cheering out loud when Gable's athletes overcame adversity via sweat and hard work to finally reach the podium at the culmination of a long and arduous season.
Yes, the book is a little "shallow" when detailing the histories and experiences of the team's varsity starters or when describing the rigors of weight cutting or a Dan Gable practice. However, the book is not intended to be a 900 page tome that provides each character the same importance and coverage as the title character, Dan Gable. Nor is the book intended to be an encyclopedia of everything one needs to do to succeed at wrestling. Rather, the book is intended as a chronicle of the trials, tribulations, travails and outcomes relative to Gable's last season as Head Coach of the University of Iowa wrestling program. Therein, the book is highly successful as a quick, entertaining, page turner that tells a meritorious story of personal and athletic achievement. -CPT Traine
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record of excellence in an unprecedented, intimate look at the man and his methods during his final season as a head coach.A Season on the Mat chronicles the dramatic 1996-97 season, in which Gable led his team -- far from his most talented -- to a record-breaking performance at the national championship, at which it scored the most points in collegiate wrestling history. Zavoral takes the reader behind the scenes into the stifling heat of the wrestling room, where young men from places like Rock Falls, Illinois, or Philip, South Dakota, sacrifice everything they have just to be a part of the Hawkeye program.
From his difficult upbringing, interrupted by the tragedy of his sister's brutal murder, through the single defeat that haunts him to this day, to the ups and downs of his phenomenal coaching career, Gable has come to symbolize to many all that is special about this demanding, elemental sport. Part biography, part chronicle, part portrait of this unique subculture, A Season on the Mat is the best and most thorough look at one of the most important and most overlooked figures in American athletics.
Amazon Review-Had Dan Gable played baseball or basketball instead of wrestled, not only would ad campaigns have been built around him, but also a wing in the hall of fame. Gable, a true athletic icon, dominated his sport--a virtually obscure one by American standards--as no one has before or since. An Olympic champion, Gable was virtually unbeatable. As a coach, he's been dauntingly invincible. His Iowa Hawkeyes have won 10 straight national championships--15 altogether--and every Big 10 title in the sport since Gable took over the program in the mid-1970s. A Season on the Mat is the engrossing narrative of Iowa's 1996-97 Cinderella season, Gable's finale as coach, and the intriguing hold wrestling has on its participants. Still, Gable is the clear star here. With drama and pathos, author Nolan Zavoral profiles him as a fiercely driven and competitive man, wracked by physical and emotional pain as he grapples with the life-altering decisions that he knows it's time to make. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"One of the year's best sports books and the finest wrestling title to hit the mat in a long time" -- The Library Journal
"Finally, wrestling has a classic to call its own." -- The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
"The ring of truth is unmistakable. . . . Some of the best writing on wrestling since John Irving wrote about 'Gorgeous Dan' for Esquire magazine." -- Des Moines Sunday Register
I'm a high school wrestler and avid Dan Gable fan. I could not have been more thrilled to get this book. It was a good book if you're an avid wrestling fan. The only problem was, like many people said, it was shallow and neglected to convey the emotion and the blood, sweat, and tears all these wrestlers have put in their whole lifes for this sport. It also neglected to talk much about Gable's wrestling career, just giving quick stats here and there. I think it would have been a lot better if a wrestler wrote it (Nolan Zavoral is obviously not). Other, than that it was a page turner and I finished it in about 4 days. Pretty good for a guy who had never previously read a book all the way through. -Pat Mosher
...but you can't help but be taken in by the story of Dan Gable. The lessons that he preaches, and embodies, go way beyond the mat--perserverance, hard work, dedication, and perhaps most importantly, leading by example.
For that reason, I enjoyed the book, and got through it pretty quickly. I would have no reservations about recommending this book based on that alone.
But, I'll admit, it gets bogged down quite a bit as it becomes a point-by-point recap of the season. Starts to feel like the same things over and over again. I'll agree with other posters who say that it may have lacked some of the intensity and emotion that it could have had. For that, I would recommend "Four days to Glory." An awesome book on high-school wrestling that seems to be to do a better job of making you feel the drama of what wrestlers go through and why they do what they do.
I'd say buy both of these books for a pretty complete picture of Iowa wrestling "from cradle to grave." The afterword in the paperback version of "A season on the mat" does a good job of bringing closure to both books (hard to explain, but you'll see what I mean). -F. Dupp
A Season on the Mat is a story with three main characters: 1) Dan Gable, 2) The University of Iowa wrestling team, and 3) The team's varsity starters. The book is written in a compelling manner with excellent character development. I found myself cheering (sometimes almost out loud) when reading of the success of the team and the team's key athletes. Similarly, I found myself sorrowful when reading about their rare moments of failure.
Nevertheless, the key character within the book is wrestling icon Dan Gable. Zavoral does an excellent job of providing an objective portrayal of Gable that should satisfy both the amateur wrestling aficionado and the uninitiated. I enjoyed reading about the life of Dan Gable; his relationship with his parents, his wife, his children, the state of Iowa, the University of Iowa administration, his assistant coaches, and his wrestlers; and the two key life moments that motivated him to worker harder than anyone else to reach the pinnacle as a wrestler and coach. Moreover, whereas most Gable biographies are written by sycophants who communicate only Gable's venerable qualities, Zavoral is equitable in also discussing Gable's eccentricities.
Most reviewers have written favorably (and I would say accurately) regarding A Season on the Mat. Yet, a minority of reviewers have stated that the book lacks "justice," is "cheerless," and is "shallow." To this specious minority I say, "We must not have been reading the same book." The book provides justice in its balanced and detailed depiction of Dan Gable. Furthermore, I found myself almost cheering out loud when Gable's athletes overcame adversity via sweat and hard work to finally reach the podium at the culmination of a long and arduous season.
Yes, the book is a little "shallow" when detailing the histories and experiences of the team's varsity starters or when describing the rigors of weight cutting or a Dan Gable practice. However, the book is not intended to be a 900 page tome that provides each character the same importance and coverage as the title character, Dan Gable. Nor is the book intended to be an encyclopedia of everything one needs to do to succeed at wrestling. Rather, the book is intended as a chronicle of the trials, tribulations, travails and outcomes relative to Gable's last season as Head Coach of the University of Iowa wrestling program. Therein, the book is highly successful as a quick, entertaining, page turner that tells a meritorious story of personal and athletic achievement. -CPT Traine
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User reviews
LibraryThing member tylerstigall
this book is very good if you like wrestling. it tells you how 4x national champion dan gable trained to win the nationals and the olympics. In this book it tells you that Dan gable use to train so hard at practice that people would have to carry him out sometime because he didnt have enough energy
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to walk out of practice, and the book tells you about his life and how he is a couch at Iowa now. Show Less
ISBN
684847876
Publication
Simon & Schuster