"A marvelous job of unveiling the rich and intriguing tapestry of George Varnell's life."
- Daniel James Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat
"This deeply researched book relays the facts about Varnell while imparting the essence of the man, particularly his love of sports and sportsmen."
- Timothy P. Brown, author of How Football Became Football: 150 Years of the Game's Evolution
"George Varnell lived the kind of century-filling life that almost sounds like it's made up: star athlete, Olympian, coach, sports writer, editor, and Seattle journalism legend. Jeff Burlingame does an excellent job of putting that life into the historical context of the times. With detailed research and skilled writing, Burlingame has crafted a compelling book I couldn't put down."
- Charles R. Cross, New York Times bestselling author of Heavier Than Heaven
George Varnell's story once was stored in bits and pieces of bits and bytes-online mentions in newspaper articles, on sports websites, and in digitized archives of the many universities whose athletic teams he either cursorily or profoundly impacted. Now pulled together in George Varnell: The Life and Times of a Pioneering Sportsman, those mentions tell the more-than-noteworthy tale of a silently influential man. This meticulous biography illustrates Varnell's life as:
The unheralded story of this athlete, groundbreaking Gonzaga University basketball coach, record-setting Rose Bowl referee, renowned sports writer, and dedicated family man will appeal to sports fans as well as those who find themselves intrigued by the humble human spirit.