Minnesota Vikings: The Complete Illustrated History | Southern California Viking Club

By: Patrick Reusse

They started play as an expansion team in 1961, and within a decade, the Minnesota Vikings were among the NFL’s elite---and most popular---franchises. From the formative years under Norm Van Brocklin to the Super Bowl squads of Bud Grant, to the ups and downs under Jerry Burns and Dennis Green, Minnesota’s football team has had its share of dramatic triumphs and heart-wrenching defeats. Through it all, the fans have come out in droves to cheer on the Vikes, whether in the cold winter air at Metropolitan Stadium or the hyper-loud surroundings of the Metrodome.

Lavishly illustrated and featuring all the key moments, stats, and people behind the stories, Minnesota Vikings: The Complete Illustrated History is the ultimate celebration of an iconic football franchise. It honors the great squads and all the legends and colorful characters who have donned the purple and gold, including Fran Tarkenton, the “Purple People Eaters,” Chuck Foreman, Ahmad Rashad, Randall McDaniel, John Randle, Cris Carter, Anthony Carter, Robert Smith, Randy Moss, and more. Written by one the state’s most revered sports columnists, this is a book that no Vikings fan should be without.

Follow the Minnesota Vikings from the team’s beginnings in the 1960s through its four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s to its present status as an elite football franchise. Here are the eyebrow-raising performances, colorful characters, legendary players, and historic moments that have made the men in purple and gold some of the most beloved sports heroes in American football history. Fully illustrated and featuring all the details of the stories and people behind this iconic franchise, this volume is one that no Vikings fan should be without.