West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life

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More About This Book

Overview

He is one of basketball's towering figures: "Mr. Clutch," who mesmerized his opponents and fans. The coach who began the Lakers' resurgence in the 1970s. The general manager who helped bring "Showtime" to Los Angeles, creating a championship-winning force that continues to this day.

Now, for the first time, the legendary Jerry West tells his story-from his tough childhood in West Virginia, to his unbelievable college success at West Virginia University, his 40-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his relationships with NBA legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Unsparing in its self-assessment and honesty, WEST BY WEST is far more than a sports memoir: it is a profound confession and a magnificent inspiration.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

When most of us think of Jerry West, we remember "Mr. Clutch," the perennial NBA All-Star who graduated to become a successful coach and general manager. Not many of us know that this future Hall of Famer grew up poor, physically abused, and unhealthy in West Virginia, so frail that he needed vitamin shots to sustain him. This autobiography recaptures his charmed, tormented life.

— Lisa Echenthal

Publishers Weekly
A pressure-embracing superstar with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1960s and 1970s, West (called “Mr. Clutch”) was so revered that the NBA used his silhouette for its famed logo. After a legendary Hall of Fame playing career, West became the Lakers’ general manager, helping to assemble squads that won eight world championships in the 1980s and 2000s. Such lofty accomplishments did little to abate a self-destructive competitive spirit and crippling bouts of depression, the results of a miserable childhood in West Virginia. West’s beloved older brother, David, was killed in the Korean War; their father regularly beat the skinny, younger, West, inspiring a murderous, unforgiving hatred. “And the real enemy is myself, “ writes West, in this candid and self-reflecting autobiography. That willingness to share, however, extends little beyond his tortured soul, as he holds back in detailing his occasionally tense relationships with coaches like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley and storied players such as Kobe Bryant (who declined to be interviewed for the book). West’s reluctance to detail his dealings with others coupled with the authors’ anecdotal style lead to a lack of perspective and narrative heft that doesn’t befit the rich, complex life of such an iconic sports figure. 16 pages color photos, 14 b&w photos. (Oct.)
More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews
Library Journal
Most basketball fans know West, All-American, NBA Hall-of-Famer, the basis for the silhouette on the NBA logo, and, later, coach and team executive, a Lakers veteran. He coauthored an autobiography, Mr. Clutch, in 1970, but now new generations of readers will get to know him much better. Certainly, here are the requisite accounts of games, players, and coaches (including insights and opinions about Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and Phil Jackson), but West, who ironically makes a point about having never visited a mental-health counselor, spends much of his time "on the couch" baring a soul that was tortured by an abusive father and the death of an older brother in the Korean War. Likewise, he writes of those seven NBA championship series defeats of the Lakers by the Boston Celtics (six with West as a player, one with him as general manager). Such losses, personal and professional, were dangerous stuff for someone with a family history of depression. VERDICT Despite West's bleak moods and obsessions it is clear that he has achieved at the highest level both on and off the court, and, from that, readers may draw inspiration. This will appeal to the basketball fan who wants a look at the man behind the statistics.—Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL
Kirkus Reviews

From the player so iconic his silhouette forms the NBA logo, a memoir intended to explain himself to fans and to...himself.

Jerry West is on everyone's list of the greatest basketball players ever. As the general manager of the Lakers, he assembled six championship teams. He's so beloved and admired, there's a statue of him outside Los Angeles's Staples Center. Who wouldn't want to be Jerry West? Well, maybe Jerry West, for one. He played basketball, he writes, "to try and feel good about myself when everything else in my life was confusing and frustratingly unexplainable." An abusive father, an emotionally remote mother and the Korean War death of a favorite older brother accounted for this withdrawn, overly sensitive youth who turned to basketball to feel alive and in control. The game became a sanctuary, but did nothing to repair a tormented soul and perhaps even exacerbated some "weird" tendencies that have complicated his life. Notwithstanding all his on-court success, his reputation as "Mr. Clutch," this tortured perfectionist remains "scarred" by his failures: a one-point loss in the 1959 NCAA championship game, six NBA Finals losses to the '60s Celtics, not winning the MVP award for his outstanding 1969-70 season. Hardcore fans will relish West's reflections on the game that has obsessed him, stories about teammates and opposing players and his selections for an all-time Dream Game. They'll likely be surprised by his erudition—he peppers the narrative with allusions to writers as disparate as Malamud, Merton, Didion, Gladwelland Joseph Campbell—and the numerous, unflattering personal revelations. West makes scalding comments about people as diverse as Douglas MacArthur, Jesse Jackson and Phil Jackson, but he reserves his harshest commentary for himself as a brother, father and husband. Hegrapples with the role of a sports hero, a mantle he's loath to embrace, and appears to have made a sincere, if not always successful, attempt at self-awareness.

In a genre notorious for merely waving pompoms, West offers an unusually candid account of his personal and professional life.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780316053495
  • Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
  • Publication date: 10/19/2011
  • Pages: 338
  • Sales rank: 13,180
  • Product dimensions: 6.40 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 1.40 (d)

Meet the Author

Jerry West
Jerry West

Jerry West is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. After retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers in 1974, West went on to lead the team— first as a coach, and then as the general manager. He lives in California and West Virginia.

Jonathan Coleman is the bestselling author of Exit the Rainmaker, At Mother's Request, and Long Way to Go. He is a former producer and correspondent with CBS News.He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 20 )

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  • Posted September 5, 2011

    THE MOST AUTHENTIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY I'VE EVER READ

    WEST BY WEST: My Charmed, Tormented Life, is a powerfully revealing work that puts a human face on the whole notion of "heroism." Reading it is like having Jerry West in the room, not the icon of the NBA but a real man who breathes and bleeds just like the rest of us. Each page is unbelievably personal...very compelling. Though filled with many first-hand accounts about other NBA greats and his life with the Lakers and much more, the real story is West's brave decision to tell the hard truth about himself. Took courage to write this book. An entertaining read, it's also an inspiration to all of us facing life's most difficult challenges. WEST BY WEST, in sharp contrast to typical egocentric celebrity, is by far the most authentic autobiography I've ever read. Doug Washington

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 1, 2011

    Hard to follow...

    I am not a basketball fan but enjoy reading about successful people and I am a fan of Jonathan Coleman's books. I think a basketball buff would get a lot out of this book but i found it difficult to follow - jumped around a lot. Also, I think his personal revelations lacked the depth and detail expected.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 17, 2011

    A deep and honest book that helps you understand a sports star's motivation

    Growing up as a basketball junkie, I first read about Jerry West as a kid in some old book pulled off my brothers' bookshelf. I tried to model my practice habits after his own, spending hours outside shooting all on my own. Even then I was fascinated by him, by his great drive. So I was glad to see this book come out. It's only now that I've read West by West that I understand what motivated him, at least in part. Jerry is very brave in writing the book and telling the honest details of his life and in sharing so many of his thought processes and emotions. An interesting man who thinks widely and deeply about many things-his childhood and family, the pain that fueled him, his career in basketball, happiness, nature, music, art, his relationships, friendships, his loyalty to people and places, education, race, spirituality, life and death-Jerry West looks back and explores his past (and present) candidly. As tough as his public façade may be, he shows that he has great compassion for others and a tender, fragile heart. He describes himself as a wounded boy/man who's continually asking questions, trying to learn and understand more and more about himself and the world. The book is often very sad, so much so that you can feel the depression he battles and understand his frustration in not being able to overcome it-though it does end with some measure of hope that he has begun to find peace in working through his past. Far more than a shallow tell-all autobiography by a former sports star. Jonathan Coleman, the author who wrote the book with Jerry West, did a great job of staying out of the way and keeping the book in Jerry's voice.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 2, 2011

    Very disappointing

    The book was a little too whiny and very poorly written. I would have expected better writing from a West Virginia University graduate. He's not the first person from an abusive home or the first to have lost a brother to war. He comes off like an elitist. Sadly, he's no longer one of my heroes.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted December 2, 2011

    Recommended

    Book title and author: ¿West by West,¿ By: Jerry West
    Title of review: West Review
    Number of stars (1 to 5): ****

    Introduction
    The Book, ¿West by West,¿ by Jerry West is a very well-written nice autobiography that can even be described as distressing, and gloomy. West is a West Virginia native who grew up in nearby Cheylan, WV. West is known as many different names, ¿Mr. Clutch,¿ ¿The logo,¿ and his least favorite, ¿Zeke from Cabin Creek.¿ He is actually the logo of the NBA (National Basketball League.) There is a side to West that most people don¿t know.
    Description and summary of main points
    West grew up in an abusive household that was not well to him. He practiced basketball for hours on end. He said, (once to his parents after eating a bowl of vegetable soup that had been leftovers from other nights before,) ¿I can¿t eat his anymore.¿ It¿s stated that his father took him out from under the bed a beat him so bad that his mother finally said, ¿Cecile your going to kill him.¿ West became a basketball phenom in high school. He was visited by multiple college coaches, but chose WVU (West Virginia University.) He led West Virginia to their only national championship game, they lost and he has never forgiven himself for any of those losses. After retiring, West struggled working for the Lakers, because of a troubled relationship with Phil Jackson. The most interesting, yet freighting part of the book is where Jerry was driving home from a game in his white Ferrari, and noticed he was being followed the car quickly sped away. A couple years later West was reading a book about the Manson family, when all of a sudden he stumbled upon a sentence on page 357, ¿ As we approached the white sports car Charlie turned to me, and said, pull up at the next light I¿m going to kill the driver. He often wondered if that was him. This book will take you through a journey of what seems as an exciting life, but you will quickly find out that it was very tough.
    Evaluation
    Jerry West star basketball player, lives a life covered by fame, the untold story of his personal life that was covered up by fame, the book is brutally honest and truly amazing, and for that I commend Mr. West.
    Conclusion: Fame really can cover up one¿s personal life. West beaten by his father, painful losses and many more. I recommend this book to all ages.

    Your final review

    The book taught me a lot, and I bet it was good for Mr. West to get it out there

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  • Posted October 9, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Amazing Autobiography about the man behind the American legend

    Description:
    West By West is the autobiography of L.A. Lakers All-Star Jerry West. The autobiography is a detailed account of Jerry's entire life from his birth in WV in 1938, to his experience in the 1960 Rome Olympics, even his years as a L.A. Laker and a coach/adviser; and everything in-between.

    Review:
    Let me begin by saying that I have never been a fan of basketball, not of any sport in particular, but when I read the pre-release for this book I felt compelled to request a copy. I do love a good autobiography, one written by the person themselves always seems more authentic than one pieced together by a secondary source. But when I began reading West By West, I immediately noted how genuine it was. It wasn't just another look at a celebrity's career and faux pas, but a completely honest and compelling look at Jerry West, the real man behind all of the celebrity/sports star persona. As Jonathan Coleman writes,"this was an opportunity to peel back the onion, layer by layer, to try and get at, by whatever means necessary, the riddle and enigma that Jerry West had always represented to me..." At this, both Jerry and Jonathan succeeded. The personal feel of every account is apparent; from the abuse Jerry suffered as a child, to the death of the brother he looked up to, the wins and losses both on and off the court, and the struggle with his own inner demons. As for the writing style, it emotes highly and goes perfectly with the content. I may not be a sports fan, but after reading West By West, I feel like I know Jerry West personally, his life, his career, and his hardships. Amazing autobiography, not just for the sports oriented.

    Rating: Bounty's Out (4.5/5)

    ***I received this ARC from Little, Brown and Company in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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