War As They Knew It: Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest (Hardcover)

by Michael Rosenberg (Author)
Key Phrases: brain coach, goal from the one, Ohio State, Woody Hayes, Rose Bowl (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The yearly battle between Ohio State and the University of Michigan is one of the most intensely fought rivalries in college football, and one of its greatest eras began in 1969, when Bo Schembechler arrived in Michigan as the team's new head coach. Schembechler had been a former protégé of Woody Hayes, the legendary coach of Ohio State—who was so intimidating that one player used to be terrified that Hayes would kick him in the testicles during practice, despite never having seen him do it to another player. Rosenberg, a sportswriter for the Detroit Free Press, tracks how the two coaches pushed their players to greatness over the next nine years (until Hayes was fired after punching an opposing player in the middle of a game) while trying to adjust to the social upheavals of the 1970s. His attempts to bring the radical student underground into the story are an intermittent distraction—the most powerful drama is out on the football field and in the locker room when every year Schembechler and Hayes went head-to-head. The story has its strong moments, including one of history's most notorious missed field goals, but it's the dual portrait of the old-school coaching legends that's the real attraction. (Sept. 10)
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Review
'WAR AS THEY KNEW IT is a wonderfully crafted collision course of a book...By the final page, you have glimpsed deeply into the soul of both college sports and America' - MITCH ALBOM

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (September 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446580139
• ISBN-13: 978-0446580137
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,264 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "War" as I saw it., September 14, 2008

By	Cheryl Weinstein (New London, NH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars War As They Knew It, October 8, 2008

By	P. Newell (Burr Ridge, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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. As a player on Bo's early Michigan teams I can attest to the book's authenticity. Most deninitely "a story worth telling." Very well done!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Football Story, Along with Social History, December 14, 2008

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

War As They Knew It is an ingeniously created look at the intense rivalry between Ohio State coach Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler in a time of political unrest. Set in a world of political scandals and the Vietnam War, this book is an excellent narrative of the two coaches careers and their game-winning plays. From the social unrest at the campuses to the vivid description of key games, this book draws the reader in and keeps their heart pounding until the last page is turned. The author has a fair, unbiased look at both of these college giants and their careers, and makes the reader both love and hate them for traits that are the reason why they are the competitive monsters they are considered to be in the college football world. This book is definitely a great buy as anyone can enjoy it, football fan or not.