Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty

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Scott Howard-Cooper

Kingdom on Fire

Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty

Scott Howard-Cooper

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English

Atria Books
25 February 2025

Biography: sport; History of the Americas; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; Basketball

In the tradition of Blood in the Garden and Three-Ring Circus comes a bold history of the iconic UCLA Bruins championship teams led by legendary coach John Wooden--set against the turmoil of American culture in the 1960s and '70s.

Few 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 John 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.

Los Angeles native and longtime sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times, 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.

Making the eye-opening connections between UCLA and the Nixon administration, Ronald Reagan, Muhammad Ali, and others, Kingdom on Fire puts 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"" (Publishers Weekly).

By: Scott Howard-Cooper
Imprint: Atria Books
Dimensions: Height: 213mm, Width: 141mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 295g
ISBN: 9781668020500
ISBN 10: 1668020505
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 25 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Scott Howard-Cooper has covered professional and college sports since the 1980s for some of the most prominent outlets in the country, including the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, 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.

Reviews for Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty

""Kingdom on Fire topped of all my expectations."" --Buffalo Sports Page ""Howard-Cooper elegantly weaves together sports, political, and cultural history, presenting a trenchant portrait of college basketball's most successful dynasty against the backdrop of a country wracked by political upheaval. Perceptive and exciting, this is a slam dunk for college hoops fans."" --Publishers Weekly ""Portraits of [Wooden, Kareem, and Walton] are developed with nuance and sensitivity."" --The Wall Street Journal ""Recaptures the complexities of John Wooden's UCLA dynasty...[placing] readers back in more interesting times, before the stories they tell were sanded down or inflated or forgotten."" --Washington Post (Two great new basketball books set the mood for March Madness)