Michigan Football Book Suggestions

I second the "Bo's Lasting Lessons" suggestion. Great stuff. It still defines what I think/hope Michigan is about.

http://mgovideo.com/tracker.php?page=torrent-details&id=347892f71571a9683f09cc4a5d1a256873229594

The Ten Year War is the next one I'll read.  Have you read Bo's Lasting Lessons?  It was a great read and was very inspirational for me personally.  If not, read it!

Rosenberg can still suck a bag of dicks, but the book is actually kind of interesting.  Not terribly well done, but it puts a lot of the Ten Year War stuff in context with what was going on nationally/politically in a way that is informative and does a nice job contrasting A2 (guys embarassed to be known as "fascist" football players on campus pre-Bo) and Columbus (cult of Woody) at that time.  Most of the younger folks probably aren't aware of the stuff about bombings on campus or guys being thrown in jail for having a joint on them.  Also some neat drug stories about the starting backfield for OSU (Who knew you could snort blow and play football at the same time?).

Not to get all curmudgeny, but the contrast between the Falls and Albom books largely defines what is wrong with Albom.  I loved Bo, but Albom's book was likely written in an afternoon or two, allowed both men to jam a great deal of money in their pockets and allowed Albom to again be chronicler of all important sporting matters in Michigan.  Just didn't care for it.

this book, 100 times over. they have analogous books for other schools and some pro teams (I have the one for the wings). rites of autumn was also a very fun read, if not specifically about Michigan. also, and not football, I know, but if you can get your hands on a copy of fab five by albom, it is well worth your time.

Great read. If you are a Michigan fan you must read it. Clears up a lot of stuff.

I second Soderstrom's "The Big House" ... He writes so well. And I grew up playing soccer with his son - just a top notch family all around. I know this book was one of his dreams and it turned out very well.

For something non-Michigan, I would read Jaworski's "Games That Changed The Game". It is a great football history book that explains the birth of the blitz, cover two, west coast offense. Good read.

I do realize society as a whole was much more civil in 1950 as compared to today. However, it is significant to realize the year he won the Heisman was one year before Woody took over as the head man in Columbus, so it is not as if he played in an era that made it impossible to compare his accomplishments to today's players.  No one, before or since, and this is one year before the man that would command Ohio during the ten year war took up residence in Columbus, ever received a standing ovation from the opposing fans, at their stadium no less.                                ^While it's true all sports have experienced tremendous evolution, be it through technology, specialiaztion of one sport, inclusion and other significant historical data, what this man accomplished during his three year career is, due to the two platoon system-and with total respect to Sir Charles, is probably impossible to duplicate.  We can base accomplishments based only on historical eras in most cases. We all know Jim Brown was far better than Paul Hornung during Hornung's Heisman year. And although both had great careers in the NFL, there is no way Hornung was at the same level as Jim Brown.      ^However, what Harmon accomplished, no matter the era, no matter who was and who was not playing is more than likely never going to be closely duplicated no matter how long we watch the game.   His stats are in the record book and although surpassed on certain levels on both sides of the ball, I don't even know if there is a player playing today that could do the things he did on the football field.  What he did in his portrayal of "Goodbye Columbus" was far superior to the film ot two decades later. In Columbus, OH he rushed for 136 yds and scored two tds in doing so. He threw for 153 yards on 11 of 12 passes, again for two tds and for good measure on offense added four extra points.  On defense, he simply intercepted three passes, one good for a TD return, and also averaged 50 yards per punt. I simply cannot think on another player we've seen that could do all those things, and this is 63 years later.  And back to the point of society being much more civil as a whole. I will go out on a limb and suggest that if anyone, wearing either the maize and blue or scarlet and grey could come close to duplicating what he did that day, they too might experience the fans on the opponent's home field stand in unison and salute him with a standing ovation upon the game's conclusion.  5 Tds. three defensive takeaways, one punctuated with a TD and four extra pts to boot. Has anyone else, despite the era, all playing against the best competion of that era, ever come remotely close to such a performance?  So   very, very special.