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Fields of Battle: Pearl Harbor, the Rose Bowl, and the Boys Who Went to War
In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the 1942 Rose Bowl was moved from Pasadena to Duke University out of fear of further Japanese attacks on the West Coast. Shortly after this unforgettable game, many of the players and coaches left their respective colleges, entered the military, and went on to serve around the world in famous battlegrounds, from Iwo Jima and Okinawa to Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge, where fate and destiny would bring them back together on faraway battlefields, fighting on the same team.
Fields of Battle is a powerful story that sheds light on a little-known slice of American history where World War II and football intersect. Author Brian Curtis captures in gripping detail an intimate account of the teamwork, grit, and determination that took place on both the football and battle fields.
Fields of Battle is a powerful story that sheds light on a little-known slice of American history where World War II and football intersect. Author Brian Curtis captures in gripping detail an intimate account of the teamwork, grit, and determination that took place on both the football and battle fields.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2016
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319 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 26, 2019
A real disappointing book for me after looking forward to reading it. The subject of the book should have made for a great read, but the author really did not do the story justice. It focuses on the Rose Bowl of 1942 just weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and this game has still been the only Rose Bowl to be played outside Pasadena due to invasion scares in California. It follows the histories of both schools, Duke and Oregon State, their coaches and the history of the Rose Bowl, and the lives of a few players throughout their schooling and service in the military, but the book lacks focus and jumps around too much between the men and makes one just lose interest in the book. A big miss for me and it is such a pity.
December 16, 2018
[3.5 stars]
This was definitely a very interesting book that falls outside of my usual reading. I'm glad I read it, but I can't say I loved it. I think at its core, this book is trying to do way too much, so you only get a very high-level look at each person and what they went through on the football field and in battle. Also I don't know that much or care too much about college football, so some of the parts about the games being played and how much detail is given was a bit irrelevant to me. I think I may have enjoyed this more as a documentary with interviews, footage or photos, etc. Nothing about this book was bad, by any means, I just don't know if the medium fit the story that well. Or perhaps if it had only focused on a few people and gone deeper following them from college to war and their return back to America, I may have been more invested.
This was definitely a very interesting book that falls outside of my usual reading. I'm glad I read it, but I can't say I loved it. I think at its core, this book is trying to do way too much, so you only get a very high-level look at each person and what they went through on the football field and in battle. Also I don't know that much or care too much about college football, so some of the parts about the games being played and how much detail is given was a bit irrelevant to me. I think I may have enjoyed this more as a documentary with interviews, footage or photos, etc. Nothing about this book was bad, by any means, I just don't know if the medium fit the story that well. Or perhaps if it had only focused on a few people and gone deeper following them from college to war and their return back to America, I may have been more invested.
January 6, 2017
Last Monday the University of Southern California and Penn State University met in one of the most thrilling Rose Bowl games in history with the Trojans winning on a last second field goal 52-49. Before the game, in keeping with the remembrance of the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, one remaining player from the 1942 Rose Bowl, and survivors of December 7, 1941 were honored. In the wake of the attack the game was moved from Pasadena to Durham, NC. Oregon State University, the underdog, played Duke University and the Blue Devil campus opened its arms to their opponents who had to travel across America by train in the wake of the Japanese action. As players practiced for the game British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt met to discuss preparations for war, and allied strategy that would greatly impact these Rose Bowl participants. Brian Curtis’ new Book, FIELDS OF BATTLE: PEARL HARBOR, THE ROSE BOWL, AND THE BOYS THAT WENT TO WAR catalogues a little known slice of American history describing what took place on the grid iron, the battlefields of World War II, and how many of these football players readapted to civilian life after the war. Curtis’ style reminds one of John Feinstein’s approach in A CIVIL WAR: ARMY VS NAVY: A YEAR INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S PUREST RIVALRY as he delves into the personalities and military careers of the coaches, players, and many of the faculty at Oregon State and Duke.
Wallace Wade who hailed from Gibson County, TN played football at Brown, enlisted in World War I, and after missing out on combat in 1918 returned to civilian life and became a football coach at the University of Alabama. He was successful and had the reputation of getting the most out of his players, and after winning a national championship moved to coach Duke in 1930. By September, 1941 the Duke’s football team was down to 49 players as with war in the air, 6 players had already enlisted. Alonzo “Lon” Stiles, Jr. the Oregon State University coach grew up in Nebraska and was able to turn a small agricultural school into a major football power. However, by March, 1941 OSU was still seen as one of the weaker teams in the Pacific Coast Conference. Curtis provides a history of the football programs at both schools and introduces the reader to the important players ranging from Don Durdan, the son of a banana farmer in Eureka, CA; Bob Dethman from Hood River, OR, a person who had it all, good looks athletic talents, and strong academically for OSU to Frank Parker, a rambunctious and driven person; to Jack Yoshihara, the only Japanese–American on the Duke squad.
After reviewing the 1930s and the eventual war in Europe, the American role in the world before Pearl Harbor, the author focuses on how the United States evolved into “the arsenal of democracy.” Curtis integrates OSU and Duke into his discussion of military preparedness with new courses oriented to technological innovation and military needs, bringing in soldiers to take specialized courses to enhance their military training, along with the standard ROTC programs.
Curtis describes the football season for both teams in detail and is able to use certain players and place them in their historical context, i.e., Jack Yoshihara, a Duke player that was interned along with his entire family after Pearl Harbor was attacked. By the first week in December both schools were invited to participate in the Rose Bowl and began practicing and making plans when the Japanese attacked. Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt was Commander of the 4th Army and responsible for protecting the west coast. DeWitt was an intolerant individual and a racist and the author should have delved into DeWitt’s actions and policies in greater detail, particularly when he opposed moving the Rose Bowl east, and had the FBI arrest Jack Yoshihara in front of his teammates, banned him from playing in the bowl game, eventually moving his entire family from “internment camp,” to “internment camp.” Curtis does present the standard history of how the internment camp policy was implemented, describing conditions in the camps and how Japanese-Americans adjusted. Curtis does detail the plight of the Yoshihara family, as US citizens they still lived in demeaning conditions, having lost their possessions and being separated from Jack.
Curtis integrates wartime events into his narrative and how they affected the game and the players once it was moved to the Duke campus. Curtis describes team preparation, the game itself, and what happened to the players following its conclusion. Once the game was completed the author does a nice job dealing with how the war affected each campus. College administrators sped up graduation requirements to allow men who were enlisting or being drafted to complete their education. Further, scientific research became a staple as Nobel Prize winning scientists like Enrico Fermi and Arthur Compton worked on a “uranium weapons program,” the early stages of the Manhattan Project” which had ties to Duke facilities and faculty.
As he watched his players join the services, Wade, age 49 decided to reenlist as he wanted to do what he had always asked his players to do, ending his coaching career. Eventually receiving command of the 272nd Artillery Battalion, Wade saw action in France after Normandy. Stiner was too old to enlist, but he followed his players avidly putting a map up in his home and using stick pins to follow their progress in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. However, the 1942 football season continued as Washington viewed it as a useful distraction from the war. OSU and Duke would lose a significant number of players to graduation and the military. They would present weaker rosters and their poor performance did not match fan expectations. One of Duke’s former players, Walter Griffith who served in the 8th Marines, Second Division was the first Rose Bowl participant killed in the war at Guadalcanal, a battle that provided evidence to the allies how fierce the fighting would be to defeat Japan. The former players would soon find out that “war was hell,” from the outset. One of those was Wallace Wade, Jr. who had enlisted before his father and as an officer with the 9th Division Artillery made his way across Algeria and Tunisia, later crossed the channel into France through Belgium and Germany where he was close to breaking down. With all his combat experience, Wade, Jr. concluded that “Sherman’s description of war was a great understatement.”
Through the eyes of former players Curtis effectively describes the course of the war and the major battles these men participated in. As he does this, Curtis places their experiences in the full context of the war, i.e., when Charles Haynes, leader of the Second Platoon, Easy Company, 349th Regiment, 88th Division deployed to Italy, an allied strategy designed to weaken Nazi defense of Germany by having them pick up the pieces after Mussolini was captured. In fact, Charles Haynes of Duke would run into Frank Parker of OSU on the battlefield, then later Parker would carry the severely wounded Haynes to a medical station. Later in the war Lt. Colonel Wallace Wade, Sr. would come across OSU’s Stanley Czech, a field artillery observer, and of course Czech offered the “old man” a cup of coffee.
By constructing his narrative in this manner for the final third of the book, Curtis offers a bird’s eye view of what these football players experienced during the war; fighting in the Ardennes Forest, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Guadalcanal, Sicily, and numerous other historical battles, and why the 70 players and coaches that played or coached in the 1942 Rose Bowl who served in the armed forces, less 4 of which had been killed, were treated as heroes upon their return. What truly enhances Curtis’ work are the personal stories he tells concerning how these men readapted to civilian life after the war. Some dealt with the effects of the war well, others not so, but all in all these men made a tremendous contribution to their country.
Wallace Wade who hailed from Gibson County, TN played football at Brown, enlisted in World War I, and after missing out on combat in 1918 returned to civilian life and became a football coach at the University of Alabama. He was successful and had the reputation of getting the most out of his players, and after winning a national championship moved to coach Duke in 1930. By September, 1941 the Duke’s football team was down to 49 players as with war in the air, 6 players had already enlisted. Alonzo “Lon” Stiles, Jr. the Oregon State University coach grew up in Nebraska and was able to turn a small agricultural school into a major football power. However, by March, 1941 OSU was still seen as one of the weaker teams in the Pacific Coast Conference. Curtis provides a history of the football programs at both schools and introduces the reader to the important players ranging from Don Durdan, the son of a banana farmer in Eureka, CA; Bob Dethman from Hood River, OR, a person who had it all, good looks athletic talents, and strong academically for OSU to Frank Parker, a rambunctious and driven person; to Jack Yoshihara, the only Japanese–American on the Duke squad.
After reviewing the 1930s and the eventual war in Europe, the American role in the world before Pearl Harbor, the author focuses on how the United States evolved into “the arsenal of democracy.” Curtis integrates OSU and Duke into his discussion of military preparedness with new courses oriented to technological innovation and military needs, bringing in soldiers to take specialized courses to enhance their military training, along with the standard ROTC programs.
Curtis describes the football season for both teams in detail and is able to use certain players and place them in their historical context, i.e., Jack Yoshihara, a Duke player that was interned along with his entire family after Pearl Harbor was attacked. By the first week in December both schools were invited to participate in the Rose Bowl and began practicing and making plans when the Japanese attacked. Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt was Commander of the 4th Army and responsible for protecting the west coast. DeWitt was an intolerant individual and a racist and the author should have delved into DeWitt’s actions and policies in greater detail, particularly when he opposed moving the Rose Bowl east, and had the FBI arrest Jack Yoshihara in front of his teammates, banned him from playing in the bowl game, eventually moving his entire family from “internment camp,” to “internment camp.” Curtis does present the standard history of how the internment camp policy was implemented, describing conditions in the camps and how Japanese-Americans adjusted. Curtis does detail the plight of the Yoshihara family, as US citizens they still lived in demeaning conditions, having lost their possessions and being separated from Jack.
Curtis integrates wartime events into his narrative and how they affected the game and the players once it was moved to the Duke campus. Curtis describes team preparation, the game itself, and what happened to the players following its conclusion. Once the game was completed the author does a nice job dealing with how the war affected each campus. College administrators sped up graduation requirements to allow men who were enlisting or being drafted to complete their education. Further, scientific research became a staple as Nobel Prize winning scientists like Enrico Fermi and Arthur Compton worked on a “uranium weapons program,” the early stages of the Manhattan Project” which had ties to Duke facilities and faculty.
As he watched his players join the services, Wade, age 49 decided to reenlist as he wanted to do what he had always asked his players to do, ending his coaching career. Eventually receiving command of the 272nd Artillery Battalion, Wade saw action in France after Normandy. Stiner was too old to enlist, but he followed his players avidly putting a map up in his home and using stick pins to follow their progress in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. However, the 1942 football season continued as Washington viewed it as a useful distraction from the war. OSU and Duke would lose a significant number of players to graduation and the military. They would present weaker rosters and their poor performance did not match fan expectations. One of Duke’s former players, Walter Griffith who served in the 8th Marines, Second Division was the first Rose Bowl participant killed in the war at Guadalcanal, a battle that provided evidence to the allies how fierce the fighting would be to defeat Japan. The former players would soon find out that “war was hell,” from the outset. One of those was Wallace Wade, Jr. who had enlisted before his father and as an officer with the 9th Division Artillery made his way across Algeria and Tunisia, later crossed the channel into France through Belgium and Germany where he was close to breaking down. With all his combat experience, Wade, Jr. concluded that “Sherman’s description of war was a great understatement.”
Through the eyes of former players Curtis effectively describes the course of the war and the major battles these men participated in. As he does this, Curtis places their experiences in the full context of the war, i.e., when Charles Haynes, leader of the Second Platoon, Easy Company, 349th Regiment, 88th Division deployed to Italy, an allied strategy designed to weaken Nazi defense of Germany by having them pick up the pieces after Mussolini was captured. In fact, Charles Haynes of Duke would run into Frank Parker of OSU on the battlefield, then later Parker would carry the severely wounded Haynes to a medical station. Later in the war Lt. Colonel Wallace Wade, Sr. would come across OSU’s Stanley Czech, a field artillery observer, and of course Czech offered the “old man” a cup of coffee.
By constructing his narrative in this manner for the final third of the book, Curtis offers a bird’s eye view of what these football players experienced during the war; fighting in the Ardennes Forest, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima, Normandy, Guadalcanal, Sicily, and numerous other historical battles, and why the 70 players and coaches that played or coached in the 1942 Rose Bowl who served in the armed forces, less 4 of which had been killed, were treated as heroes upon their return. What truly enhances Curtis’ work are the personal stories he tells concerning how these men readapted to civilian life after the war. Some dealt with the effects of the war well, others not so, but all in all these men made a tremendous contribution to their country.
October 13, 2016
I absolutely LOVED this book!
I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in college football, especially with relation to Duke and Oregon State Universities, and World War II.
This story has the flavor of "Boys in the Boat", but this story is about the boys who played in the 1942 Rose Bowl, which took place on New Year's Day, just a few short weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a place that most people had never heard of.
Because of the fear of the Japanese possibly bombing the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, this game (and the only one in history) was played outside of the Rose Bowl. After many suggestions and much consideration, it was decided that this game would be held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. What made this extraordinary is that this gave Duke "home field" advantage over Oregon State University.
As the players and coaches (who we get to know well throughout the course of this book) prepared to do battle on the field, America was preparing for war, and it was difficult for these participants not to think of what was going on beyond the gridiron. There is a side story about Oregon State player Jack Yoshihara and his experience as a Japanese-American during World War II that will absolutely break your hear.
Finally, on New Year's Day, the two teams clashed in front of a crowd of 56,000 (they had to bring bleachers in from other schools), playing one of the most unforgettable games in history (you'll have to read the book to find out what happened, but you should also read the book to see the type of welcome .
Shortly afterward, most of the players and coaches (including Wallace Wade, Sr, Duke's Head Coach) entered the military and quickly became brothers on the battlefield -- literally!
The rest of the book takes us through each of their stories. These boys fought at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Porkchop Hill, the Argonne Forest, Iwo Jima, and other hot areas during World War II.
Some survived the war, one was taken as Prisoner of War, while others paid the ultimate price. We learn what happened during the good, as well as the bad.
Some interesting quotes and information:
"I know nothing that is a better preparation for a young man who is going into the army than football. The greatest benefit that football gives to a young man is that it teaches him to be a competitor, to never give up, to get back up after you're knocked down. Success in both football and war depends on morale, loyalty, and sound fundamentals." -- Wallace Wade Sr. Head Football Coach, Duke University
"There are no great men, just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstance to meet." -- Admiral William Halsey Jr., United States Navy
In mid-September 1943, Oregon State, Washington State, and Idaho canceled their football seasons, joining Oregon, which had just done the same a month earlier.
I loved the story that tied Frank Parker (Oregon State) and Charles Haynes (Duke) together during the war!
At the end of the book are brief bios (including what happened to them after the war) of each of the "key players." On a most interesting note, Wallace Wade Sr. eventually became commissioner of the Southern Conference, which Duke and other schools were a part of until they left (in 1953) to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Wade Sr. (because Wade Jr. is also in this book) was eventually honored for his years of service to Duke (first as its Head Football Coach and later as its Athletic Director) that, in 1967, they renamed their football stadium in his honor. Today, this stadium still bears his name -- Wallace Wade Stadium.
FABULOUS!
I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in college football, especially with relation to Duke and Oregon State Universities, and World War II.
This story has the flavor of "Boys in the Boat", but this story is about the boys who played in the 1942 Rose Bowl, which took place on New Year's Day, just a few short weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a place that most people had never heard of.
Because of the fear of the Japanese possibly bombing the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, this game (and the only one in history) was played outside of the Rose Bowl. After many suggestions and much consideration, it was decided that this game would be held at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. What made this extraordinary is that this gave Duke "home field" advantage over Oregon State University.
As the players and coaches (who we get to know well throughout the course of this book) prepared to do battle on the field, America was preparing for war, and it was difficult for these participants not to think of what was going on beyond the gridiron. There is a side story about Oregon State player Jack Yoshihara and his experience as a Japanese-American during World War II that will absolutely break your hear.
Finally, on New Year's Day, the two teams clashed in front of a crowd of 56,000 (they had to bring bleachers in from other schools), playing one of the most unforgettable games in history (you'll have to read the book to find out what happened, but you should also read the book to see the type of welcome .
Shortly afterward, most of the players and coaches (including Wallace Wade, Sr, Duke's Head Coach) entered the military and quickly became brothers on the battlefield -- literally!
The rest of the book takes us through each of their stories. These boys fought at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Porkchop Hill, the Argonne Forest, Iwo Jima, and other hot areas during World War II.
Some survived the war, one was taken as Prisoner of War, while others paid the ultimate price. We learn what happened during the good, as well as the bad.
Some interesting quotes and information:
"I know nothing that is a better preparation for a young man who is going into the army than football. The greatest benefit that football gives to a young man is that it teaches him to be a competitor, to never give up, to get back up after you're knocked down. Success in both football and war depends on morale, loyalty, and sound fundamentals." -- Wallace Wade Sr. Head Football Coach, Duke University
"There are no great men, just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstance to meet." -- Admiral William Halsey Jr., United States Navy
In mid-September 1943, Oregon State, Washington State, and Idaho canceled their football seasons, joining Oregon, which had just done the same a month earlier.
I loved the story that tied Frank Parker (Oregon State) and Charles Haynes (Duke) together during the war!
At the end of the book are brief bios (including what happened to them after the war) of each of the "key players." On a most interesting note, Wallace Wade Sr. eventually became commissioner of the Southern Conference, which Duke and other schools were a part of until they left (in 1953) to form the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Wade Sr. (because Wade Jr. is also in this book) was eventually honored for his years of service to Duke (first as its Head Football Coach and later as its Athletic Director) that, in 1967, they renamed their football stadium in his honor. Today, this stadium still bears his name -- Wallace Wade Stadium.
FABULOUS!
December 16, 2018
This was a book I truly looked forward to reading. A World War II book with a football angle? Sounds like it was written just for me. Now that I've finished it I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Curtis had a can't-miss story, the tale of the only Rose Bowl played anywhere other than Pasadena, California. Since the Duke-Oregon State game was played by young men of draft age less than one month after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, there was the added storyline of young men about to go off to war. Somehow out of this material Curtis fashioned a narrative that is hard to lose yourself in. This book should have not have taken me as long to finish as it did. Now that I'm finally done I think his biggest problem is a lack of focus. He chooses to follow too many of the players and coaches, creating a choppy tale without a compelling character or two at its center. For example, the tale of Duke player Charles Haynes and Frank Parker, the Oregon State player who later saved his life on a battlefield in Italy during the war, should have been much more of the story than it was. Oregon State's Jack Yoshihara, the OSU player called off the practice field to be questioned by the FBI, and his experience as a young man of Japanese ancestry, got short shrift too. By the end, as we learn of the postwar lives of these men, there is none of the suspense or anticipation that a good book should have created. The tale of the 1942 Rose Bowl is still awaiting a compelling retelling.
December 7, 2016
I suppose it is ironic to finish this book on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. This book starts with the 1942 Rose Bowl between Duke and Oregon State, and then follows the participants of that game during their experiences in the war. I'm very surprised that the author, who supposedly writes for Sports Illustrated and has at least co-written several other books, is such a poor writer. The book is replete with sentence fragments, non sequiturs, and totally muddled narrative. The only thing keeping my attention was my curiosity of how the stor(ies) would end.
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July 1, 2019The peculiar circumstances of Duke and Oregon State's legendary 1942 Rose Bowl game that was moved to Durham, North Carolina after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Virtually all the players and coaches on both teams ended up fighting in the war. One notable exception is Jack Yoshihara, an end for OSC who was the only Japanese-American college football player in the U.S. who was taken off the practice field a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and interned despite the pleas of his fellow players. In 1985, he was finally given his Rose Bowl ring, a game that he never got to play, and in 2008 he finally got his diploma.
January 11, 2025
I am a big sports fan and have always loved reading or studying history. This book is very well written and I enjoyed reading it. Learning about the history of college football, the Rose Bowl, WWII and the people involved in all three. I would recommend this book to anyone as it discusses the human experience. Some of the people experienced tragic lives and some became very successful in life. But all became extraordinary when the need became part of their lives.
March 31, 2020
I enjoy reading history, but it usually is in the form of fiction with female protagonists, so this biographical documentary-like nonfiction book was a bit of a departure from my usual genre (and somewhat of a "dad book", haha). I have had this book on my To-Read list for a few years after loving two other similar books that combine sports with WWII history: Boys in the Boat and Unbroken. The focus is on the 1942 Rose Bowl contenders, Duke University and Oregon State, which was the first and only time the championship game was played elsewhere than the coastal Pasadena, California. But this was weeks after the tragic events of Pearl Harbor and officials were nervous about such a highly-anticipated game that brought thousands of spectators to the stadium, to be held near the coast in case the Japanese were planning additional attacks. The decision to even have a game at all was highly controversial since America joined the war and a football game seemed inconsequential in comparison. But many fought for the game to be continued as a way to show that their spirit would not be destroyed by the attacks. On New Years Day of 1942, the game was full of drama and suspense, with a victory that caught everyone by surprise. Soon after, the majority of the players from both teams made their way to the various theaters of the war, including the Pacific (Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima), Europe (Normandy, Italy, Germany), and North Africa. One of the Oregon State players, however, was a Japanese American and his story is incredibly devastating as it includes years in internment camps on American soil during a time when Americans were incredibly suspicious of even those who were born in America but had Japanese heritage. Curtis' writing reads like a novel, full of suspense and intrigue within the intricate details and descriptions. Though I am not a football fan and some of the terms were over my head, I still followed it easily, but I was far more interested in his depictions of various Rose Bowl players (and the Duke coach) during war and adjusting to a new post-war "normal" (which was very sad since there was not a lot of knowledge on PTSD and many suffered long after the war ended). This would make a gripping documentary or motion picture from both the athletic as well as war aspect. I also liked how Curtis linked some of the life lessons learned on the football field as being beneficial (and in at least one case, life-saving) on the battle field. From a personal standpoint, I also enjoyed the book because, as a former Oregonian, I recognized a lot of the towns mentioned.
Rated: PG to PG-13 (due to violence that is hard to read at times; trigger warning: suicide)
Reminded me of: Unbroken, Boys in the Boat (both non-fiction) and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter ad Sweet (fiction), all phenomenal books!
Rated: PG to PG-13 (due to violence that is hard to read at times; trigger warning: suicide)
Reminded me of: Unbroken, Boys in the Boat (both non-fiction) and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter ad Sweet (fiction), all phenomenal books!
May 20, 2024
The author provides the reader with an actual account of the lead up to the two teams that participated in the 1941 Rose Bowl. The special aspects that surrounded the game. The individual players, coaches from Oregon State and Duke Universities. The first part of the book addresses the aspects of football, won lose records and steps towards selection to the Rose Bowl game and the decision suspend the game following the bombing of Pearl Harbor thrust Americans into WWII. The decision to move the game to Durham. The game itself in the uncertain world the people of the day lived in. Following the win by Oregon State many went into varies branches of service and were sent around the world to serve. The writer give various accounts on individual players and the actions they endured during WWII. There were those who died in various actions both in Europe and the Pacific. Some of these men crossed paths with both teammates and opponents. The close of the book provides an insight into the lives following WWII both good and bad. It was a very interesting read that provided historical prespective of the pre-war, war and post war of two groups of people.
December 24, 2018
This book does an excellent job of covering the 1941 football season and the events of December 1941 that caused officials to move the Rose Bowl from Pasadena to Durham, NC. The Rose Bowl is only about the halfway point of the book, however, as the author recounts the experiences of the players and coaches who went off to World War II. The research is thorough and the pace is excellent. With several events to cover, including the beginning of the war, Japanese internment of one of Oregon State's players, and the wartime service of players and coaches, Brian Curtis does a good job telling as many stories as possible without spending too much time on any one. This places human faces on the massive enterprise we know as World War II. I recommend this book for any sports or military history buff.
August 11, 2022
It's a nice idea but this book isn't what I was hoping for.
It seemed like it was going to be about the buildup to the 1942 Rose Bowl, which was moved out of Pasadena because of the fear that Japan would invade any day. In the end, Oregon State and Duke played in North Carolina and provided some semblance of normalcy.
I expected a long buildup and finally the game, with an epilogue or a couple of chapters about what happened to the participants after. Instead, we're done with the game before you know it (all in one chapter), and the rest of it is a history of some of the major battles of World War II. Some of them don't even have a connection (or have a tenuous connection) to any of the players or coaches.
I expected something different, more about the teams' seasons and conflicts. There are some good stories about the men in the war here, but it wasn't the best book on WWII that I've ever read.
It seemed like it was going to be about the buildup to the 1942 Rose Bowl, which was moved out of Pasadena because of the fear that Japan would invade any day. In the end, Oregon State and Duke played in North Carolina and provided some semblance of normalcy.
I expected a long buildup and finally the game, with an epilogue or a couple of chapters about what happened to the participants after. Instead, we're done with the game before you know it (all in one chapter), and the rest of it is a history of some of the major battles of World War II. Some of them don't even have a connection (or have a tenuous connection) to any of the players or coaches.
I expected something different, more about the teams' seasons and conflicts. There are some good stories about the men in the war here, but it wasn't the best book on WWII that I've ever read.
January 1, 2018
As a football fan, I was aware that the 1942 Rose Bowl following Pearl Harbor was moved. However, I was not aware of the stories of the coaches and players involved. As an amateur historian, I am always interested in reading about the past and applying the lessons learned to current events. This book was a perfect marriage of both interests. I enjoyed the context and the story of the game, the personal histories of those involved during World War II, and their struggles and triumphs as they tried to live out their lives in post war America. Great way to end the year and am looking forward to watching tomorrow’s Rose Bowl and hearing the personal stories of those involved.
November 29, 2017
There is a lot of interesting history in this, but it's mostly about the two football teams and the 1942 Rose Bowl game that was move to the Duke campus after the bombing of Pearl Harbor for fear the Japanese might attack during the big game. The problem is that the author tries to follow too many people -- like every player plus the coaches on the Duke and Oregon State teams after the game and they want off to serve during World War II. You just don't get to know any of them very well, so it's hard to get involved in what happens to them.
May 29, 2019
If you like military history and are a college football fan, Fields of Battle is a book for you. This book offers a unique perspective on the men fighting on the gridiron and follows them onto the battlefields of WWII. The story follows the coaches and players from the 1942 Rose Bowl and their call to service following the Duke vs Oregon State bowl game. I really enjoyed learning about Coach Wallace Wade’s coaching and leadership style and how his personal philosophy on leading men in the locker room transitioned into the military.
December 26, 2020
“They were heroes because, like so many others, they were ordinary boys who did an extraordinary thing by teaching us that heroic self-sacrifice should be an ordinary American virtue” - Brian Curtis.
Examples of this quote jumps from the pages! Although I’d heard about the one Rose Bowl played outside of Pasadena, until this year, but now my education is enhanced in the reason behind the game. The men who were just playing a kids game when that season began, would walk off that field in North Carolina to enter into a world war. This book tells their incredible story!
Examples of this quote jumps from the pages! Although I’d heard about the one Rose Bowl played outside of Pasadena, until this year, but now my education is enhanced in the reason behind the game. The men who were just playing a kids game when that season began, would walk off that field in North Carolina to enter into a world war. This book tells their incredible story!
July 15, 2019
An interesting look at the men involved in the Rose Bowl of 1941, the history of the rise of college football and these men's contributions to World War II.
The game was played between Oregon St and Duke. Perhaps the most interesting storyline was of the lone Japanese American player from Oregon St and his struggles with being forced into interment camps with his young wife.
Some great stories from places like Pelilue, Italy and Iwo Jima of the courage of these men.
The game was played between Oregon St and Duke. Perhaps the most interesting storyline was of the lone Japanese American player from Oregon St and his struggles with being forced into interment camps with his young wife.
Some great stories from places like Pelilue, Italy and Iwo Jima of the courage of these men.
January 14, 2018
I enjoyed this book and particularly enjoyed learning more about Wallace Wade. My only complaint is that I would have like to learn about a wider range of players and their lives during WWII and beyond. The author selected a limited number to profile, which helps with the narrative, but it felt like something was missing.
February 11, 2018
Quite a detailed history of 1941 Rose Bowl game played in Durham between Oregon State and Duke. Book outlines decision to move and play game after Pearl Harbor and follows lives of many of players as they become participants in WWII. Many antidotes from game as well as battlefield and life after military service. Obvious point: war is not like a football game.
January 24, 2020
Well, this was definitely a niche read! I heard about this game from my dad several times throughout the years. It happened before his Duke football playing days, but he was still proud of it, despite the fact that Duke lost. I'm sorry he passed away before this book came out, because he (the former Duke football player and quite the history buff!) would've enjoyed it even more than I did.
June 26, 2023
Interesting read. I didn’t know the Rose Bowl had been moved until I came across the book. It was a good look at the players of the 1942 game and their roll during WW2. I just wish there was more look at the game or even the season for both teams. Otherwise I learned a good bit on some areas I didn’t know about.
February 24, 2018
Wonderfully written about the players and coaches on the 1942 Duke and Oregon State football teams. I liked the historical aspect of sports and WWII. Once again, gives great appreciation for those that fought and sacrificed for the nations freedom.
January 16, 2019
Incredible story that was mostly lost to time. Despite the passing of nearly all the combatants in the 1942 Rose Bowl, the author weaves a compelling story of the coaches and players in the game, and their subsequent service in WWII.
September 2, 2020
The first part of the book that leads to the Rose Bowl and game itself was excellent and interesting. The latter half regarding the war was ok. It was sad to read about the later lives of some of the players. The author ended with a well-written conclusion at the end.
September 27, 2020
Highly recommended book. Brian Curtis did a great job telling the story of not only the 1942 Rose Bowl (the only one played outside of Pasadena), but also the players who went off to war shortly after and their post-war lives.
January 11, 2023
So fun and interesting to read when you're a football and history fan from Oregon.
Curtis' style was a bit too wordy and Pauline for me; I would love it if he would vary his sentence length. But overall, a great story.
Curtis' style was a bit too wordy and Pauline for me; I would love it if he would vary his sentence length. But overall, a great story.
February 1, 2017
Well written interesting History, Short Biographies of some of the Greatest Generation of Americans. A Good Read
October 2, 2017
The connection between sports and war really interested me, and I think this would interest anyone who enjoys sports and war.
March 22, 2018
More of a 3.5. Interesting history.
July 22, 2018
A solid read that dragged a bit in places.
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