Few teams in the NFL have delivered as much heartbreak to their fans as the Minnesota Vikings. Founded in 1961, the Vikings have a rich history of producing dominant teams that have not quite reached the NFL’s summit. Minnesota appeared in four Super Bowls between 1969 and 1976, losing them all. Since then they have appeared in the NFL Championship Game six times, with all of those ending in defeat.
Even so, the Vikings have a significant place in NFL history, through legendary players like Cris Carter and John Randle as well as dominant groups like the Purple People Eaters, the ferocious defensive line that terrorised opponents for a decade from the late 1960s. Anchored by Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, the unit helped the Vikings dominate the NFC under head coach Bud Grant. With their motto, “Meet at the quarterback,” the Purple People Eaters are one of the greatest defensive fronts in NFL history.
Despite their successes, the Vikings have not been the subject of many major NFL books. There are entries in the usual fan-focused series, such as Tales From The Sidelines and 100 Things Vikings Fans Should Know, but not a wealth of others. With that in mind, here are five titles worth reading for anyone who wants to dive deeper into Vikings history.
1The Vikings Reader by Armand Peterson (editor)
If there haven’t been many great books about the Vikings, there has certainly been plenty of reporting over the years. This University of Minnesota title gathers some of the best, including writing from Peter King, Frank Deford and Sid Hartman. Retired engineer and Minnesotan Armand Peterson adds context to the material, which covers the team from the very beginning until the end of the 2000s.
Published: University of Minnesota Press, 2009
Buy the book: Amazon US | Amazon UK
2Will the Vikings Ever Win the Super Bowl? by Jim Klobuchar
Jim Klobuchar was a long-serving journalist in Minnesota who wrote a handful of Vikings-related books. This one tells the story of the 1976 Minnesota Vikings, whose season ended with a Super Bowl loss – the fourth appearance and fourth loss by the Vikings. At the time of writing, it remains the team’s last Super Bowl.
Published: Harper & Row, 1977
Buy the book: Amazon US | Amazon UK
3I Did It My Way: A Remarkable Journey to the Hall of Fame by Bud Grant, with Jim Bruton
As the title says, Bud Grant is a Hall of Fame head coach. This is the autobiography of the man who took the Vikings to four Super Bowls – and remains the only head coach ever to take the team to the NFL’s biggest game. It tells the story of his time as a player in the NFL and in Canada in the CFL, followed by his Grey Cup wins as a CFL head coach before he took the Vikings job in 1967.
Published: Triumph, 2013
Buy the book: Amazon US | Amazon UK
4Minnesota Vikings: The Complete Illustrated History by Patrick Reusse
Originally published in 2008 and updated two years later, this book offers lots of photos from the history of the Vikings, with commentary written by Minnesota sports journalist Patrick Reusse. The foreword is by Senator Amy Klobucher, whose father Jim wrote the second book on this list.
Published: MVP Books, 2008
Buy the book: Amazon US | Amazon UK
5Every Day is Game Day by Fran Tarkenton, with Jim Bruton
Fran Tarkenton, the Vikings’ Hall of Fame QB, has written at least four autobiographies and several titles about his successful consultancy career after football. This book, written with Jim Bruton, who also worked on the Bud Grant book listed above, is his most recent autobiography and is primarily about his on-field exploits, though it does cover his business career too.
Published: Triumph, 2009
Buy the book: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Photo: Amy Meredith
