Fields of Friendly Strife: The Doughboys and Sailors of the WWI Rose Bowls

by Timothy P. Brown

Set in the context of the evolving game of football and America’s mobilization for WWI, Fields of Friendly Strife tells the story of the players and teams from the military training camps of WWI that played in the 1918 and 1919 Rose Bowls. We follow the Camp Lewis and Marine Island teams through the 1917 season, culminating in the 1918 Rose Bowl, before the players complete their training and ship to Europe, seeing action at Belleau Wood, the Meuse-Argonne, and in Flanders. Back home, a new set of servicemen train for war while playing in the 1918 season, which is upended by the federalization of America’s colleges and the Spanish Flu. By season's end, teams from the Great Lakes and Mare Island training camps battle in the 1919 Rose Bowl, completing one of the most remarkable periods in the history of American football. Fields of Friendly Strife follows these men after the war, tracing their impact on the game of football—including the development of the NFL—as well as America’s military.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, History, Football, American History

452 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2017

About the author

Timothy P. Brown is the author of Hut! Hut! Hike!, How Football Became Football, and Fields of Friendly Strife. Tim combines years of research experience and the insight of a former college football coach to illuminate football’s past and its relevance to the modern game.

Empty nesters, Tim and his wife, Carolyn, live in southeast Michigan.

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

College football fans usually think of the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences when the Rose Bowl is the topic. However, early in the history of the bowl game, that was not the case and during World War I, the game was actually played between teams composed of service members. This book by Timothy P. Brown not only is about those games, but it also is an excellent reference for an in-depth look at the life of soldiers, sailors and Marines during this time.

While the football writing and description of the teams and games is excellent, what makes this book really stand out is the research. Nearly every player is mentioned for not only their athletic ability but also for their service in the Great War, their military or civilian careers after the war and personal lives as well. This is not an easy endeavor and Brown pulls this off extremely well. The organization of the book is good as well. Tables, charts and pictures are used frequently throughout the book to augment the information found in the text.

The teams from the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Mare Island and Camp Lewis were the teams that participated in the two Rose Bowl games in 1917 (Camp Lewis and Mare Island) and 1918 (Great Lakes and Mare Island). The politics, scheduling and other aspects of being able to pull off these games during not only a time of war, but also a health pandemic was nothing short of amazing, and these actions are covered just as well as the games and the war.

This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys reading about college football (even though these were not considered college teams) or World War I. Readers will enjoy this through book on the Rose Bowl games during those two years and the men who participated.

https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...

[Timothy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I not only read the book, but I wrote it as well, so I had to give it five stars.

If you are interested in the topic, read the introduction on one of the sites to get a flavor for the book. It tells the story of the players and the teams of the 1918 and 1919 Rose Bowls, games played by doughboys and sailors from the training camps of WWI. The story is set in the context of the development of the game of football and American society leading up to the war. It follows the teams during their seasons, and then tracks the players from the 1918 Rose Bowl as they ship to Europe and enter battle, where some are killed in action and a number are wounded.

Following the Armistice, it tracks the players during their college, major league, and NFL careers - including three NFL Hall of Fame inductees - as well as those who enter the civilian community and the five players who become USMC generals.

I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to your reviews.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! Started it yesterday and ended up staying up all night just to finish it. If you are interested in history, I strongly recommend picking this one up!