I am so happy to share a funny, interesting, and (joyfully) timely book! The Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline, written by Dave Birkett and published by Reedy Press, is an excellent read and visual treasure.

Dave Birkett is an award-winning sports journalist who has covered the Detroit Lions for the Detroit Free Press since 2010. A four-time Michigan Sportswriter of the Year, Birkett graduated from Michigan State before embarking on a storytelling career that also has had stops at the Northern Virginia Daily, Oakland Press and AnnArbor.com. He was named one of the top 10 beat writers in the country by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2017, is one of 49 voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is president of the Detroit chapter of the Pro Football Writers Association.

In this book, Birkett vividly recounts the most important people, games, and moments of the franchise’s first 90 seasons, from the early days of Earl “Dutch” Clark, the team’s first superstar, to the 10 Hall-of-Famers who played for the team in the ‘50s, to the spine-tingling performances of Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson and the team’s resurrection under beloved head coach Dan Campbell.

The photos are stellar...bringing to life each era, with players, coaches, owners, and important personnel. The great plays, the action shots, the uniform trends (those old leather helmets! My goodness!), and the very humanness of the game are beautifully illustrated. Birkett's writing brings those photos to life, with a backstory and his wry sense of humor.

I remember as a child attending Lions games at the Pontiac Silverdome with my grandfather, learning how to score, how to keep track and think ahead, how to watch the ball, what to look for in plays, and who to root for. We wore Honolulu blue shirts, and got there early to hopefully avoid parking issues. Our time spent together at the game was always such a joyful reward, even if the Lions lost. He instilled in me my love for football (thank you!), and the knowledge that the players were real people, doing the best they could at their job, no matter the outcome.

As such a lifelong Lions fan, I was laughing at Birkett's great sense of humor when writing about some of the less than stellar seasons (70 of them!?). It was refreshing to look at the years of depressing losses (despite having extraordinary players!) with a smile on my face, instead of sort of blocking it out and thinking about the Pistons or the Spartans instead (which also have years of depressing losses, but let's not go there).

"The Lions are one of 13 NFL franchises to win four or more championships and one of three to go winless in a full season in the Super Bowl era. They've employed some of the greatest players to ever play the game, first-ballot Hall of Famers who would be legends in any era, and they suffered the worst tragedy imaginable on the field. 

My goal in writing this book was to immerse you in all those moments, good and bad. The Lions are a storied franchise with a history that dates back to the 1930s. They were an NFL power in the 1950s, they were one of the league's worst teams for decades, and they are chasing glory again under Campbell."

While not addressing the 2024 season, readers learn much about familiar faces (including favorites Sonic and Knuckle: Gibbs and Montgomery). I love how his writing creates a flow from one year to the next, unfolding seasons, people, and games. The book gives an excellent sense of the historic shape of a team, and includes fascinating tidbits that make you fall in love with the team even more.

Whether you are a long-time Lions fan or just joining in, this is one book to read and cherish. 

Highly, highly recommended!