Out of print for more than 30 years, now available for the first time as an eBook, this is the controversial story of John Wooden's first 25 years and first 8 NCAA Championships as UCLA Head Basketball Coach. Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps said, "I used this book as an inspiration for the biggest win of my career when we ended UCLA's all-time 88-game winning streak in 1974."

Compiled with more than 40 hours of interviews with Coach Wooden, learn about the man behind the coach. Click the Book to read the players telling their stories in their own words. This is the book that UCLA Athletic Director J.D. Morgan tried to ban.

Click the book to read the first chapter and for ordering information.

Cassandra’s Dream (10/10)

by Tony Medley

Woody Allen is something like the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead. When he’s bad, he’s very, very bad, but when he’s good he’s wonderful. In this 108-munute film, which he wrote and directed and filmed in London, he’s wonderful. Let me add here that one thing I’ve always admired about Woody is his statement that no film should be longer than 90 minutes, with which I wholeheartedly agree. But I have no complaint that this ran almost 20 minutes over his limit, because it is a compelling story with acting that is off the scale.

Once again he’s working with top actors, Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Wilkinson. But great actors without a great script and an accomplished director don’t add up to much. Fortunately, Farrell, McGregor, and Wilkinson caught Woody at the top of his game.

Terry (Farrell) and Ian (McGregor) are brothers. Terry is an addict. He’s addicted to gambling and drugs and he’s in a deep relationship with his girlfriend, Kate (Sally Hawkins, who gives an exceptional performance in an understated roll). Ian is a dutiful son who helps out his old man at the family restaurant, but has dreams of owning hotels in California.

Ian becomes besotted with actress Angela Stark (a gorgeous newcomer, Hayley Atwell). Ian courts her by driving hot cars that he borrows from Terry, who works as a mechanic working on luxury sports cars. Eventually they both get in financial trouble and look to their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson), a successful entrepreneur. He has problems of his own and wants them to help him by doing a horrible deed. Ian is for it, Terry not. The rest of the film is them trying to come to grips with the horrible dilemma in which they find themselves. It’s a gripping drama of decisions, family loyalty, selfishness, and how one can drift into disaster.

Casting a newcomer was sort of a change for Allen who seems to have A-list actors line up to do his films for scale. “I had never heard of her,” says Allen, “and then I got this audition tape when I was casting.  And I found her to be a very fine actress and lovely to look at.  She seemed to me exactly what I wanted for that young woman.”  

“Hayley is wonderful,” says McGregor.  “She’s a very confident young actress.  And it was nice to work with her at the beginning of her career.”

Everyone does a terrific job of acting, but Farrell does the best work of his career, as does Woody.