<DIV><p>The Minnesota Vikings are one of pro football's most successful franchises, with seventeen divisional championships, twenty-five postseason berths, and four Super Bowl appearances to their name. Yet as any Minnesotan can attest to, life as a Vikings fan can be a maddening affair-while the Vikings were the first team to appear in four Super Bowls, they were also the first to lose four Super Bowls.</p><p>Armand Peterson's <i>The Vikings Reader</i> is the fascinating, yard-by-yard chronicle of fifty years of Vikings football from the perspective of the sportswriters and other commentators who were there as the stories unfolded. Through a wide range of regional articles, national columns, and book excerpts-all framed by Peterson's own insightful narrative-this impressionistic history invites readers to relive such defining moments as:</p><p>?Fran Tarkenton's four touchdowns as the Vikings beat the Chicago Bears in their first game on September 17, 1961<br>? the inspirational "40 for 60" team of 1969 and the Vikings' first Super Bowl appearance<br>? the dominance of the 1970s, the vaunted "Purple People Eaters" defense, and three more crushing Super Bowl defeats<br>? the 1998 Vikings' NFL scoring record, led by Cunningham, Carter, Moss, and Smith<br>? roller-skating cheerleaders, the "Last Great Tailgate Party" at Met Stadium, ownership controversies, and Adrian Peterson's single-game rushing record<br>? classic reportage from Jim Klobuchar, Sid Hartman, Frank Deford, Patrick Reusse, Peter King, Jim Murray, and many others</p><p>From the early days of Fran Tarkenton to the rushing records of Adrian Peterson, from the bleachers of Met Stadium to the locker rooms of the Metrodome, <i>The Vikings Reader</i> revels in the plays that have brought generations of purple and gold fans to their feet-or left them groaning in their seats-and brings Vikings football to life for fans everywhere.</p></div>