Review of "Fields of Friendly Strife"

In a Facebook group dedicated to college football literature, I saw a post about this book and I was very curious.  After picking this book up and giving it a read, I am very glad that I did and wish to thank the leaders of that group for pointing out this book.  Here is my review of "Fields of Friendly Strife."

Title/Author:

“Fields of Friendly Strife: The Doughboys and Sailors of the WWI Rose Bowls" by Timothy P. Brown

Tags:

Football (American), college, military

Publish date:

November 28, 2017

Length:

519 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding) 

Review:

College football fans usually think of the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences when the Rose Bowl is the topic.  However, early in the history of the bowl game, that was not the case and during World War I, the game was actually played between teams composed of service members.  This book by Timothy P. Brown not only is about those games, but it also is an excellent reference for an in-depth look at the life of soldiers, sailors and Marines during this time.

While the football writing and description of the teams and games is excellent, what makes this book really stand out is the research.  Nearly every player is mentioned for not only their athletic ability but also for their service in the Great War, their military or civilian careers after the war and personal lives as well.  This is not an easy endeavor and Brown pulls this off extremely well.  The organization of the book is good as well.  Tables, charts and pictures are used frequently throughout the book to augment the information found in the text.

The teams from the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Mare Island and Camp Lewis were the teams that participated in the two Rose Bowl games in 1917 (Camp Lewis and Mare Island) and 1918 (Great Lakes and Mare Island).  The politics, scheduling and other aspects of being able to pull off these games during not only a time of war, but also a health pandemic was nothing short of amazing, and these actions are covered just as well as the games and the war.

This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys reading about college football (even though these were not considered college teams) or World War I. Readers will enjoy this through book on the Rose Bowl games during those two years and the men who participated.               

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Fields-Friendly-Strife-Doughboys-Sailors/dp/0999572318/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=