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War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Rosenberg
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $26.99
Buy New: $13.49
You Save: $13.50 (50%)
New (31) Used (10) from $13.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 2334
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0446580139
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.3320922
EAN: 9780446580137
ASIN: 0446580139
Publication Date: September 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
For many, the late 1960s and early 1970s meant a country in total turmoil. Campus sit-ins. Vietnam War protests. Kent State. Don't trust anyone over 30. Nixon was "not a crook" - or so he claimed. At the other end of the spectrum was the intense rivalry between Woody Hayes, the legendary Ohio State football coach, and his nemesis, Bo Schembechler from Michigan. To them, the American heartland was still "pure and sacred," and they were totally in command of their football troops. Hayes idolized General Patton, the great American war hero. Schembechler idolized President Ford, a former All-American football player from Michigan. Michael Rosenberg sets the stage brilliantly for this coming clash of cultural differences, as Hayes and Schembechler try desperately to win a national football championship while coping with a shifting political landscape. It all leads to a climatic, and in part tragic, downfall of an important era gone by. This is far more than a sports story. This is an American coming of age story, as experienced by two of the most successful coaches of our time. Rosenberg's extensive research and interviews perfectly captures what life was truly like on two major college campuses during this remarkable time.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Classic Woody and Schemblechler Rivelry October 12, 2008
This is a detailed account of the rivelry of Woody and Bo. They hated each other on the field but loved each other in their hearts. A book that people who followed Michigan and Ohio State football should read.
War As They Knew It October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
An excellent chronicle of an intense athletic rivalry set against the background of one of the most politically and socially tumultuous eras in modern American history. Rosenberg's in depth research and behind-the-scenes insights offer a glimpse of how two genuine titans in collegiate sports met the period's unique challenges of impacting young men...all the while establishing winning football programs in the traditional sense. Most deninitely "a story worth telling." Very well done!
 A stunning, well-crafted piece of sports history and American history September 29, 2008
One of the finest books on football, and a turbulent era in American history, to come along in years. Like a great novelist, Michael Rosenberg deftly weaves together multiple stories and complex characters, while making all of the original connections and conclusions of a fine historian.
"War" as I saw it. September 14, 2008
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
Michael Rosenberg did a superb job illuminating the larger than life personalities of coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. How do I know Rosenberg did a superb job? I know nothing about football except that two teams, wearing two different uniforms come together on a large field. Yes, I am a woman almost totally ignorant of testosterone-soaked sports. Yet I have to admit I was completely enthralled by "War." My family is from Ohio and though my husband isn't, he attended OSU during Woody's early era. So, I had some familiarity with the Ohio coach and wanted to learn more about him. Though the author is grounded in Michigan, I never felt that he treated one rival at the expense of the other. Rosenberg was completely fair and even-handed in his appraisal of the two men.
Those in the know about football (which is probably almost everyone else in the world), will enjoy the specifics of the plays. Though I could not because of my lack of experience, I will confess I raced to the end of the description to find out how the games turned out. What made the book compelling to me, though, was how the author reveals the depth of character of the two coaches. Through thoroughly researched primary sources, Rosenberg authentically sets each scene. The reader comes to know the two coaches as if one had known them firsthand. And, in doing so, one both loves and loathes them at the same time. At times I found I wanted to grab them by the neck, shake them and discipline them like children. But then I had to remind myself that the very quality I was reacting to was what made them the competitive fighting animals they were. And how they played off each other. Their antipathy compounded at the same time by their respect for and understanding of each other, was exquisite. Place all of this in the context of the tumultuous times of the 60's and 70's and you're in for a great ride. I especially loved learning about Don Canham, an ancillary character, whose luck, pluck and instinct, propelled him to success.
I highly recommend this book to people interested in sports, in football, in life. How Hayes and Schembechler chose to live their lives in their time in history has relevance for us today. If we could take away with us, the best of them, we would not do poorly.
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