I don't think I've ever read a better sports biography. Although I'm a Giants fan, I love Peyton just as much as I love Eli. I thought I was ready for 18's retirement after he missed the season due to injury, but this season has been hard. This book? I cried ugly tears.

Anderson drew a fair bit from [b:Manning|725096|Manning|Archie Manning|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347292786s/725096.jpg|711316], but it has been a long while since I read that book and as a result, this didn't feel redundant at all. I feel like we learned a lot more about how Buddy's suicide affected Archie and in turn, the boys even if Archie didn't speak much about it. In addition to there being significantly more about Eli and his career, Anderson fleshed out the stories of Archie's time with the Saints and Peyton's with Tennessee. I'm glad that he addressed the situation with the trainer in a neutral manner rather than pretending it never happened or vilifying Peyton.

Perhaps the best thing about this book was the flow of the narrative. It helped tie new info together with oft-repeated stories of the boys and their father. Anderson devoted the perfect balance to each Manning's story and in an order that flowed well despite being three and a bit (with Cooper) men and three distinct careers. I was surprised not to see a little more mention of the Super Bowls that Peyton's teams lost, especially with the matchup against their hometown team in the first.

A wonderful read for any football fan.