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=

 

Review of "You Can't Make This Up"

Every sports fan has a Al Michaels memory.  Whether is it the 1980 US-USSR hockey game, the 1989 World Series interrupted by an earthquake or a memorable NFL game on Sunday or Monday night, he has been behind the mike for many great sporting events.  His autobiography takes readers back to many of them, plus a whole lot more and is a terrific read.  Here is my review of "You Can't Make This Up." 

Title/Author:

“You Can’t Make This Up: Miracles, Memories and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television” by Al Michaels with L. Jon Wertheim

Tags:

Broadcasting, football, hockey, baseball, autobiography, memoir

Publish date:

November 18, 2014

Length:

459 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

“Do you believe in miracles?  Yes!” That is one of the most famous lines in sports broadcasting history.  It made Al Michaels, who was already established as a respected broadcaster, a household name in households where sports may not mean much. Of course, the line came at the end of the hockey game between the United States and the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics. This was just one of the many highlights and stories Michaels shares in this terrific autobiography.

While there is an entire chapter dedicated to this iconic game, there is much more to Michaels’ career.  He has been a baseball broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants before becoming a network (first ABC, then NBC) announcer.  His baseball resume is also impressive with the networks, with his finest work coming during the 1989 World Series when an earthquake struck the San Francisco area just prior to the start of game three.  His calm demeanor during that time has been well-documented but he is very humble in his recalling of that event – which is typical for all the anecdotes throughout the book.

He is also funny in many parts of the book as well.  One of the best stories is in the chapter about Howard Cosell when Cosell got out of a car to break up a fight among gang members in Kansas City. There is also a great line when he was doing Giants games when he encouraged listeners to come to Candlestick Park so they could see for themselves how badly the team was playing.

His most notable assignment in the last decade has been as the voice of “Monday Night Football” on ABC, then “Sunday Night Football” on NBC is also well-documented.  He doesn’t take the credit himself, however, as he speaks highly of his two partners during most of these football seasons, John Madden and Cris Collinsworth. 

While the book covers his entire life, the bulk of the book is his broadcasting experience.   While there are plenty of times he talks lovingly of his wife Linda and their children, don’t expect to read a lot about his personal life in this book.  It concentrates mostly on his sports career and that made the book flow very well while reading it.

Overall, this was one of the better memoirs that I have read in that the author has a LOT of stories to tell, he tells them in a humble manner and does so in an engaging manner that any reader can enjoy.

Did I skim?

No

Pace of the book: 

For a fairly long book, it read quite quickly and I was mesmerized by some of Michael’s stories, especially during the Olympics and his brief time as a horse owner.

                                         

Do I recommend? 

Just about every generation of sport fan currently alive has some memory of an Al Michaels broadcast – if so, it is probably mentioned in the book.  Any reader could probably pick out a few of the stories and think, "Oh, I remember that!"  This makes it a good read for many people.

Book Format Read:

E-book (EPUB)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Make-This-Television-ebook/dp/B00IMHS3S4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433810677&sr=1-1&keywords=al+michaels+you+can%27t+make+this+up&pebp=1433811038670&perid=05KB1E189466V8VP05D0b

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-cant-make-this-up-al-michaels/1118735395?ean=9780062314963  

An update on a prevous post

For total transparency I should note a point I made in responding to comments on a previous post. Recently I listed the best franchises in each of the four professional leagues in North America. One of the criteria that I used for this was that players for the franchises did not create negative publicity for himself or the team. It was why I did not select the commenter's favorite baseball team. I now have to change the model NFL franchise after this week's events that lead to arrest of a player on that "model" NFL franchise. Yes, it isn't fair to blame an organization for the actions of a lone player. But right now, if you think about that team you don't think football. So, staying with the same criteria, the current model NFL franchise is...and as a Vikings this is painful...the Green Bay Packers. Add them with the Cardinals, Spurs and Red Wings for the best franchises in sports.