A Rivalry for the Ages
First and foremost, It would be unfair of me to fail to mention that I am a Buckeye- born of two proud graduates of THE Ohio State University. That said, I want to say that this book is a heart warming and sometimes heart stopping must read for anyone familiar with this cherished rivalry between two very worthy opponents. The times were turbulent and a fitting backdrop for the tales told here of two venerable teams and the legendary coaches that made them so very great. At this time,with "the GAME" as both sides prefer to call it coming up this weekend, I know Ohio State fans will join me in saying that despite U.of M.'s rebuilding right now which hasn't resulted in their traditional strength and record of Big 10 dominance,they are a formidable presence in every sense of the word and will be back, fighting for the champinship one day soon. (The WAR continues you see and history continues to be made between these two teams)We look forward to that day- but pray it won't be this weekend! Michigan and Ohio State never play a better game than they do against eachother, and the book will tell you why! This is the game to win this weekend and for the season, for both teams. War As They Knew It will explain it all to of those who can't grasp the intensity of feeling between these archrivals. Some just cannot fathom that either team would rather win this game than a bowl game. This book will give the reader the history and background of the men behind this rivalry and their many on and off the field connections. Truly a holiday gift that a student, new grad. or many of the greatest generation, whether they shout Go Bucks! or Go Blue!, will really treasure. If this is available on tape or CD, please buy an extra copy of this book in audio format as a gift to a retirement home in Ohio or Michigan. You'll give them the gift of priceless memories brought to life again!

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions
The story of sports is not in a vacuum and Michael Rosenberg does an outstanding job in delving into a pair of coaches in one of the college gridiron's most bitter rivalries during a tumultuous time in American history.

Woody Hayes of Ohio State - who was a student of military history - and Bo Schembechler - once an assistant to Hayes at OSU - started the "10-Year War" in 1968, with both teams so dominant in the Big 10, that the conference earned the moniker, "Big Two, Little Eight," during this decade.

But with the excellence on the field was the unrest that was growing on college campuses nationwide and on Main Street, USA, as such issues as the Viet Nam War, the rise of the New Left and the push of counter-culturalism against societal norms were dividing the nation. Rosenberg successfully juxtaposes the times outside the stadium with the game inside the vast edifices.

Hayes and Schembechler were successful in a time when it appeared - at least on the surface - that the times were changing rapidly and their form of leadership and teaching was quickly fading away. That they became iconic figures largely for what they accomplished during this time period is a story that Rosenberg succinctly tells, as if carrying the pigskin for a classic "three yards and a cloud of dust."

Wow! Great Book!
This is an awesome book about Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. Good from the beginning to the end. Lots of inside stuff I never heard or read about! Hard to put it down with Ohio State-Michigan game coming up soon. A must read for any fan of either school!

War Is Hell . . .
That quotation, attributed to one of Woody Hayes' military heroes (William Tecumseh Sherman), sums up the 10 year rivalry in which Ohio State and Michigan players, coaches and fans went to the Gates of Hell and back in their battles against each other, virtually every of which determined in whole or part the Big Ten and National Championship. Fast paced, competently written, this book will appeal to those (this reviewer included) who lived through that decade of hope and fear (which marks every war). Much of the ground covered about head coaches Hayes and Bo Schembechler will be familiar to Buckeye and Wolverine fans, and the effort to provide a new angle, via the cultural backdrop of the late 60's and 1970s, feels forced and collateral to the main story. But the descriptions of the games -- their prelude, playing and aftermath -- will immediately revive memories for fans on both sides that they will carry to their graves.

Football Rivalry Set in Context of the Times
I gave this book to a huge Michigan fan. I had heard the author interviewed and the book sounded very interesting. He had over 200 people tell him anecdotes about Bo and Woody, telling them not to worry about whether it fit his book or not. He then culled what he could use and put them in order.

Unlike most sports books, the author jucstaposed the football programs at the two schools with the events occurring on the campuses at the time. Remember, the ten year long Bo-Woody War started in 1969. The military precision demanded by the coaches was at odds with the campus demonstrations and drug use prevalent at the time.

Many of the anecdotes in this book were unknown to my friend and me, as well as others who have read it. My friend raved about the book, calling it an "incredible" work. He even grew to understand and grudgingly admire Woody Hayes, the commanding general of the hated Buckeyes!