Paddy on the Hardwood: A Journey in Irish Hoops
was an absolute pleasure to read. It is not often that a book about basketball is written by a man who is both an expert on the game but also holds a Masters in Creative Writing. The prose flow like few other basketball-related books I have read (and I have read just about all of them). I have to thoroughly disagree with the reviewer on Amazon who gave the book three stars claiming that "the writing is confusing and at times long winded." The somewhat confusing nature of the book fits perfectly with the larger theme of Bradford searching for greater meaning and clarity in his life, his relationships, and his future.I must admit, I knew I would like this book from the outset. It combines my love of Irish travel literature - yes, this to me is its very own genre - (favorites in this "genre" are Round Ireland with a Fridge
, McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery In Ireland
, and The Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland)
with an international basketball story (other favorites in this genre include Expatriate Games: My Season of Misadventures in Czech Semi-Pro Basketball
and Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond
). So if you like either of those two genres half as much as I do, I enthusiastically recommend this book. If you are only a fan of the NBA or US hoops, there are probably other books you would enjoy reading more.
