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

Product Description:
The Vietnam War . . .

Nixon . . .

Kent State . . .

The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of total turmoil in America-the country was being torn apart by a war most people didn't support, young men were being taken away by the draft, and racial tensions were high. Nowhere was this turmoil more evident than on college campuses, the epicenters of the protest movement.

The uncertain times presented a challenge to two of the greatest football coaches of all time. Woody Hayes, the legendary archconservative coach of Ohio State, feared for the future of America. His protégé and rival, Bo Schembechler of the University of Michigan, didn't want to be bothered by these "distractions." Hayes worshipped General George S. Patton and was friends with President Richard Nixon. Schembechler befriended President Gerald Ford, a former captain and team MVP for the Wolverines.


In this enthralling book, Michael Rosenberg dramatically weaves the campus unrest and political upheaval into the story of Hayes and Schembechler. Their rivalry began with Schembechler arriving in protest-heavy Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the height of the Vietnam War. It ended with Hayes wondering what had happened to his country. War As They Knew It is a sobering and fascinating look at two iconic coaches and a different generation.

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Customer Reviews

Rating: - The Football Parts are Great
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1D0CGF09AHIEA But the politics angle is poor; however, that doesn't diminish the excellence of his two subjects as men.
Rating: - Two Great Men at a Very Tough Time On College Campuses
Unlike one of the reviews I read, this actually spent more than one chapter on the era of college unrest.It mentions the "long hairs", the players actually speaking for them selves about their "rights", and the asst. coaches coming forward and standing up to Woody and Bo (which was unheard of earlier in their careeres).The games play and talked about even reflect some of this era.I know first hand.I was at Ohio State Univ. during those riots and protests.I was at the rally where Woody spoke ... Read More
Rating: - Mostly not what I expected...
I thought this book would talk more about campus unrest during the Vietnam war.

It did talk about that, but the campus unrest was only 1 chapter in a much longer book.

The book was still enjoyable although a bit long - lots of long passages describing football games.If you like that, this is the book for you.

I skimmed those parts and the book went pretty quickly.Still, I hate to spend money on a book that I am not really going to read.
Rating: - the greatest of rivals...
For a 10 year span amidst the most confusing decade of US History, Michigan v.s. Ohio St, Bo vs. Woody was the ultimate rivalry game in all of sports. This wonderful book captures the times, the teams, the coaches and pulls it all together in a fascinating story. College football fans should devour this book but it's subject goes way beyond college football. The book beautifully captures the cultural clash of the 70's. These two old-school coaches lived and died by running the football. Good stuff!
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Rating: - Happy Michigan fan....
Thanks for the prompt delivery, even at Christmas.The book was in pristine collection.