At this point, some fifteen years after the serious glory days ended, Redskins fans are used to spin. In that light, the Redskins Encyclopedia ifs, his stories invite one to wonder such matters as what would have happened in 2000 if Norv Turner had been allowed to finish the season rather than being fired when the team was 7-6. Add to that biographies on the Redskins' greatest players and coaches and full records of team statistics up through the 2006 season, and the result is a treasure trove for the dedicated Redskins fan.

As I write this, the Redskins are 4-2, and off contender or another also-ran team. Either way, this book belongs in their hands.

Though my family's from Texas, I spent a lot of time growing up in the Washington, DC, suburbs, so I certainly appreciate the history and occasional runs of glory of the Redskins franchise and the integral role the team plays in the city's identity and sense of itself (far more than, for example, the Seahawks do here in Seattle). So from that basis, I can comfortably say that 'Skins fans of most any vintage will find a lot in this "encyclopedia" to treasure. It's a book that lends itself both to random open-up-and-reading and serious research.

The bulk of "The Redskins Encyclopedia" is a season-- or indeed, color of any kind. Apart from one small text box on page 87 discussing the origins of the Indian-head logo, there is no discussion ... and still less any depiction ... of the team's uniforms or logos over time (small print on the book's cataloguing page says "This book is not sanctioned heavy, photo-light book. The sections read -- and look -- like newspaper articles, and often even have newspaper-like headlines ("Resourceful Redskins Put Muzzle on Ditka, Bears" on page 148, for example). Given Michael Richman's journalistic background, I suppose that isn't surprising, but I often found the style uninspiring. That combined with the lack of color almost led me to give this three stars instead of four.

What salvaged the four-star rating was largely the remarkable amount of information available to the reader here. I'm sure my lovely bride, a lifelong Redskins fan, and any number of football fans in general, will enjoy having this around.

Written as the definitive history of the Washington Redskins Football Franchise, it is hard to argue that this is anything other than that. It is a large format book and there is tons of interesting information in here. Season recaps, top player bios, playoff game summaries, and lots and lots of BW photography (no colors). A great gift for a Redskins fan.