Al Silverman was born Elwyn Harmon Silverman in Lynn, Massachusetts on April 12, 1926. After graduating from Boston University and serving stateside in the Navy during World War II, he became a freelance writer for various magazines including Sport. In 1960, he became editor in chief of Sport. In 1972, he joined the Book-of-the-Month Club mail-order concern as executive vice president and editorial director. He spent 16 years there and became president and later chief executive before joining Viking Books as a general editor.
He wrote several books including Football and the Single Man written with Paul Hornung; It's Not Over 'Til It's Over: Stories Behind the Most Magnificent, Heart-Stopping Miracles of Our Time; and The Time of Their Lives. I Am Third written with Gale Sayers on was adapted into the television movie Brian's Song in 1971. The movie won the 1972 Emmy Award for outstanding single program. Silverman died on March 10, 2019 at the age of 92.
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