Author chooses greatest Browns players of all time | Book Talk

Who was the greatest fullback in Cleveland Browns history? It will be no surprise to learn that Jim Brown is the pick of North Canton writer Roger Gordon, author of “The Cleveland Browns All-Time All-Stars: The Best Players at Each Position for the Browns.”

But what about wide receiver? How does one choose between Paul Warfield and Dante Lavelli? For every position, including head coach, Gordon nominates two to five candidates and lays out a strong advocacy for each, citing statistics and the opinions of more than 60 players and others he has interviewed. He then announces his choice, or in some cases more than one, and those who “did not make the cut.”

From an immense field, Gordon chooses five finalists for quarterback; from five candidates for wide receiver, he chooses three, with six also-rans. Six other categories have multiple winners. Even the most casual fans will recognize names like Ozzie Newsome and Doug Dieken, while die-hards may have to stretch their memories to recall Abe Gibron and Lou Rymkus. Gordon provides the evidence for their inclusion and testimonials from their teammates. Even after a disappointing season, there are more all-stars in the future.

“The Cleveland Browns All-Time All-Stars” (272 pages, softcover) costs $19.95 from Lyons Press. Roger Gordon also is the author of “Blanton’s Browns: The Great 1956-69 Cleveland Browns.”

'All is Fair'

Jan Orlinski isn’t related to famous fighter pilot Bolesław Orliński, but he is able to get into the Polish Air Force academy anyway based on his instructor’s recommendation. In “All is Fair,” a historical novel by Michael Kenneth Smith of Akron, 18-year-old Jan proves to be a skillful pilot with some issues, like failing to look behind him.

When Germany attacks Poland, Jan and his fellow pilots spring into action, getting into dogfights with Messerschmitts. Jan is forced to bail out and is taken in by a farm woman whose husband had been killed by a bomb the day before. It is only the first of five times Jan crashes.

As Poland is now occupied and Jan and his comrades no longer have an air force to serve in, they travel through neutral Romania to France, where they are given inferior planes with engines that overheat and parts that fall off in flight. Jan crashes again.

Jan then goes to England for further training, where he meets a beautiful young woman and becomes close to her. In July 1940, German bombers cross the English Channel and Jan earns his first kill, but he crashes again, in the middle of a swanky dinner party. A month later, he crashes yet again, this time into freezing water.

An altercation with a fellow pilot spells trouble for Jan, but his problems are overshadowed by another crash, capture, interrogation, escape and recapture. Almost 14 months in a Spanish prison camp occupies less than 10 pages in the book, which emphasizes the monotony of his time there. Jan’s determination to avenge Poland is admirable; he has other qualities that are less so. He is an accomplished pianist, which allows him to ease himself into social situations and several times helps him to be overlooked by pursuers.

A pair of maps in the back of the book show Jan’s travels over the course of six years.

“All is Fair” (278 pages, softcover) costs $14.99 from online retailers. Michael Kenneth Smith, a mechanical engineer and retired from his auto parts business, is the author of “The Postwoman,” about World War II Belgian resistance leader Andrée de Jongh, a minor character in “All is Fair.” He also has written four Civil War novels.

Literary honor

“Pursuing John Brown: On the Trail of a Radical Abolitionist” by Hudson resident Joyce Dyer was on the list of Best Civil War Books of 2022 published by Civil War Monitor. It was given an honorable mention by a Civil War historian.

Events

Medina County District Library: Ghanaian-American physician Shirlene Obuobi talks about her debut romance novel “On Rotation,” about a struggling medical student whose boyfriend dumps her, in a Zoom event from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Register at medina.lib.oh.us.

Hudson Library & Historical Society: Historian Daphne Geanacopoulos talks about “The Pirate’s Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd” in a Zoom event at 7 p.m. Monday; at 7 p.m. Thursday, Marketwatch editor Nathan Vardi discusses “For Blood and Money: Billionaires, Biotech, and the Quest for a Blockbuster Drug,” about the development and marketing of cancer drugs. Register at hudsonlibrary.org.

Lakewood Public Library (15425 Detroit Ave.): John Kropf, whose family founded the American Crayon Co. in Sandusky, talks about “Color Capital of the World: Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company,” 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Anche Chesed Fairmount Temple (23737 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood): Michael Twitty speaks at the Shabbat evening service honoring Martin Luther King Jr., discussing “KosherSoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew,” 6:15 p.m. Friday. Those wanting signed copies can order them at loganberrybooks.com.

Cuyahoga County Public Library (Beachwood branch, 25501 Shaker Blvd.): Former U.S. Capital Police Chief Steven A. Sund discusses “Courage Under Fire: Under Siege and Outnumbered 58 to 1 on January 6,” 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Register at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Music Box Supper Club (1148 Main Ave., Cleveland): The Cleveland Stories Dinner Party series continues with Rick Porrello, author of “To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia” and “There’s More Bodies Out There: The True Story of a Mafia Associate and a Cop Who Emerge as Suspected Serial Killers,” 7 p.m. Thursday. Dinner is $25; the lecture is free. Go to musicboxcle.com.

Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Author chooses greatest Browns players of all time in new book