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Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame
Jim Dent, author of the New York Times bestselling The Junction Boys returns with the remarkable and inspiring story of one of the biggest comebacks in college football history. Back in the 1960s, Notre Dame’s football program was in shambles. For five straight years, from 1958 through 1963, the home of Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy could not produce one winning season. Plagued by a series of bad coaching choices, inept management, and a loss of institutional support, no one could be sure if the Fighting Irish would ever return to glory. When “Touchdown Jesus” was erected in 1964, it presided over a team so hopeless that the entire football program was on the brink of collapse. Little did anyone know, help was on its way in the form of Ara Parseghian, a controversial choice for head coach---the first one outside of the Notre Dame “family”---who had only set foot on Notre Dame soil when his football teams played (and won) there. It was now his responsibility to rebuild the once-proud program and teach the Fighting Irish how to win again. This was no small task. The men of Notre Dame football were a bunch of unlikelies and oddballs, but Parseghian transformed them into a a senior quarterback who would win the Heisman Trophy two weeks before he picked up his first letter jacket; a five-foot-eight walk-on who would go on to make first team All-American; and an exceptionally rare black player, who would overcome much more than his quiet demeanor to rise to All-American, All-Pro, NFL Hall of Famer, and to justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Parseghian would change everything, from the uniforms and pads to the offensive strategy. He switched players from position to position like pieces on a chessboard, and just before the season opener, he hung a motto over the locker-room What tho the odds Be great or small Notre Dame men Will win over all It would be a huge gamble against great obstacles, but Ara Parseghian had that look in his eye. . . . New York Times bestselling author Jim Dent chronicles one of the greatest comeback seasons in the history of college football---the first season in what is known as the “Era of Ara.” Once again confirming his position as one of the top sportswriters in the country, Dent writes with passion, humor, and incredible insight, bringing the legends of Notre Dame football to life in an unforgettable story of second chances, determination, and unwavering spirit.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 25, 2015
Great book... f you like sports, that is.
July 29, 2020
One of the better college football books I read. Notre Dame is legendary
October 19, 2020
Jim Dent did an excellent job with "The Junction Boys"--the story of how a young Paul "Bear" Bryant took over the Texas A & M football team and brought it to a higher level than anyone expected. Therefore, I read this book expecting an insider's view of the revival of the Notre Dame program.
Instead, this book is composed of a patchwork of seemingly unrelated anecdotes combined with numerous repetitive references to how things were under the previous coaches, Joe Kuharich and Hughie Devore. My impression is that Dent interviewed a few former players and pasted those into articles provided by sportswriters and others. There were a few points of interest but those were buried under, for example, an extended description of the summer vacation of one of the players. And I quickly wearied of the repetitive "Devore said this" or "Kuharich did that" I understand that neither coach was a positive. But the constant return to how things were deprives readers of what things were like under Parseghian.
In addition, there are numerous factual errors. The passenger aircraft used by the team was an "Electra", not an "Electric" A player who worked at a summer camp in Michigan worked at Camp Algonquin near Hastings, not "Algonquin"--there is no such town, village or city by that name in Michigan. And a '64 Pontiac GTO with a 389 has dual exhausts, not one. A 389 had three two-barrel carburetors, not a "triple double-barrel" (sic) carburetor. The popular term was, "Three deuces" C'mon, Jim. Hire an editor.
This was a disappointing read.
Instead, this book is composed of a patchwork of seemingly unrelated anecdotes combined with numerous repetitive references to how things were under the previous coaches, Joe Kuharich and Hughie Devore. My impression is that Dent interviewed a few former players and pasted those into articles provided by sportswriters and others. There were a few points of interest but those were buried under, for example, an extended description of the summer vacation of one of the players. And I quickly wearied of the repetitive "Devore said this" or "Kuharich did that" I understand that neither coach was a positive. But the constant return to how things were deprives readers of what things were like under Parseghian.
In addition, there are numerous factual errors. The passenger aircraft used by the team was an "Electra", not an "Electric" A player who worked at a summer camp in Michigan worked at Camp Algonquin near Hastings, not "Algonquin"--there is no such town, village or city by that name in Michigan. And a '64 Pontiac GTO with a 389 has dual exhausts, not one. A 389 had three two-barrel carburetors, not a "triple double-barrel" (sic) carburetor. The popular term was, "Three deuces" C'mon, Jim. Hire an editor.
This was a disappointing read.
August 10, 2018
This is a great book for Notre Dame football fans. Jim Dent balances the story of the Fighting Irish 1964 football season with the necessary history of the university and its iconic football program. Dent’s writing flows naturally as he connects individual stories of players, coaches, and fans to both the program and the 1964 season. Well researched, Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame is an enjoyable read. Dent makes it evident that in addition to being a great coach, Ara Parseghian was an outstanding person in an incredibly unique place at a time he was desperately needed. GO IRISH!
August 30, 2021
Resurrection details Ara Parseghian's inaugural season as head coach at Notre Dame. Dent does a great job of detailing the facets of the season while providing the necessary historical context and background. Having that context not only gives the reader important information, but it makes them more invested in the players and Notre Dame itself.
Dent's best work comes when recapping the climactic Notre Dame/USC game that takes place towards the end of the season. It is fundamentally impossible to read this section without becoming completely immersed. While Dent's writing elsewhere in the book is fine, it really shines through in this section.
Dent's best work comes when recapping the climactic Notre Dame/USC game that takes place towards the end of the season. It is fundamentally impossible to read this section without becoming completely immersed. While Dent's writing elsewhere in the book is fine, it really shines through in this section.
September 18, 2021
The book that made me an ND football fan.
October 18, 2025
Shout out ND
July 26, 2011
Jim Dent is an excellent college football writer and I have enjoyed a couple of his works over the years. "Resurrection - The Miracle Season that Saved Notre Dame" is a fine piece of work that takes football fans back to the gloom days of Notre Dame football and showed how Ara Parseghian turned the program around and sent it back toward greatness.
One of the qualities I found about Dent's writing is that a story like this has multiple characters that together show how Notre Dame made a dramatic recovery from a 2-7 football club in 1963 to a team that was a couple of poor officiating calls from an undefeated season in 1964. (Parseghian would win national titles with Notre Dame in 1966 and 1973).
Read the story of John Huarte -- ignored by Hughie Devore and others for three years -- and his emergence to not only lead the Irish at quarterback in 1964, but also win the Heisman Trophy in doing so. The stories on Nick Rassas, Tony Carey, Jack Snow, Nick Eddy and the others who endured poor coaching, and a lack of administration support told how a program that had seen good athletes finally get a chance to excel under Parseghian's leadership and love of the game.
Notre Dame football has had its ups and downs over the years since Parseghian's retirement from coaching in 1974. Numerous coaches have led the Irish, with only Dan Devine (1977) and Lou Holtz (1988) claiming national titles. But the Notre Dame faithful will always look back to 1964 -- the year Ara Parseghian brought Notre Dame back into National prominence. This book shows how he and the athletes did it. Excellent read.
One of the qualities I found about Dent's writing is that a story like this has multiple characters that together show how Notre Dame made a dramatic recovery from a 2-7 football club in 1963 to a team that was a couple of poor officiating calls from an undefeated season in 1964. (Parseghian would win national titles with Notre Dame in 1966 and 1973).
Read the story of John Huarte -- ignored by Hughie Devore and others for three years -- and his emergence to not only lead the Irish at quarterback in 1964, but also win the Heisman Trophy in doing so. The stories on Nick Rassas, Tony Carey, Jack Snow, Nick Eddy and the others who endured poor coaching, and a lack of administration support told how a program that had seen good athletes finally get a chance to excel under Parseghian's leadership and love of the game.
Notre Dame football has had its ups and downs over the years since Parseghian's retirement from coaching in 1974. Numerous coaches have led the Irish, with only Dan Devine (1977) and Lou Holtz (1988) claiming national titles. But the Notre Dame faithful will always look back to 1964 -- the year Ara Parseghian brought Notre Dame back into National prominence. This book shows how he and the athletes did it. Excellent read.
October 21, 2009
The fallen icon, the struggle for redemption and a climactic ending make Jim Dent's book about the 1964 Notre Dame Football team difficult to put down. The narrative style and the focus on a few main characters all going from being unappreciated and all but tossed out to helping rebuild the iconic football team adds even more to a story that is interesting on its own. Dent adds in a little bit of the changes beginning to take shape in the country and the November 1963 assassination of JFK that will forever be a "where were you when" moment. To a lesser extent but still in the background the book provides the final glimpses of 1950s America before Vietnam and the Civil Rights struggles where hard work, humility, family values and perseverance were thought the keys to making your dreams come true.
But mainly it was about college football, its players and coaches. I was born after the time of the story so my unfamiliarity with it and ensuring I stayed away from the internet searches on the subject allowed me to follow the season Dent describes just he must of followed as an 11 year old boy in Arkansas. My heart was pounding on the final game against USC to see if # 1 Notre Dame completes an unbeaten miracle season after almost a decade of losing seasons. The Irish were leading with 1:37 left and USC had the ball at the Notre Dame 15 with 4th down and 7. USC Quarterback drops back with a ND blitz on and Ken Maglicic just a half second from a sack. Then .......
But mainly it was about college football, its players and coaches. I was born after the time of the story so my unfamiliarity with it and ensuring I stayed away from the internet searches on the subject allowed me to follow the season Dent describes just he must of followed as an 11 year old boy in Arkansas. My heart was pounding on the final game against USC to see if # 1 Notre Dame completes an unbeaten miracle season after almost a decade of losing seasons. The Irish were leading with 1:37 left and USC had the ball at the Notre Dame 15 with 4th down and 7. USC Quarterback drops back with a ND blitz on and Ken Maglicic just a half second from a sack. Then .......
September 3, 2009
This book is about how Notre Dame was a football powerhouse from 1920-early 50's. Then a man took over and wanted to turn ND into Acadamia school and not a football school. As a result, hired sub par coaches and took a way over 2/3 over scholarships. Notre Dame lost 7 of their 8 seasons until Ara Parseghain was hired.
During the losing years Notre Dame still got great players to come to school just not as many as before due to lack of scholarships. So, they had great players, but coaching was putrid.
What make hiring of Ara Parseghian such a big deal? He was the first caoch ND ever hired that wasn't a ND Alumn and not Catholic.
This book talks about ND's legacy, it struggles in late 50's and early 60's and how Ara Parsghian used motivational tactics, leadership, God (remember he wasn't Catholic) and hard work to turn an ND program around and put ND back on Map.
Presonally, I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed Ara's speeches to motivates his team and the simbol of a fist to bring ND back to prominence. Would recommend this book to anyone who is a football/ND fan. Or to someone who likes to see how motivation, leadership, togetherness and hard work can = greatness!!
During the losing years Notre Dame still got great players to come to school just not as many as before due to lack of scholarships. So, they had great players, but coaching was putrid.
What make hiring of Ara Parseghian such a big deal? He was the first caoch ND ever hired that wasn't a ND Alumn and not Catholic.
This book talks about ND's legacy, it struggles in late 50's and early 60's and how Ara Parsghian used motivational tactics, leadership, God (remember he wasn't Catholic) and hard work to turn an ND program around and put ND back on Map.
Presonally, I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed Ara's speeches to motivates his team and the simbol of a fist to bring ND back to prominence. Would recommend this book to anyone who is a football/ND fan. Or to someone who likes to see how motivation, leadership, togetherness and hard work can = greatness!!
February 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this tale of Ara Parseghian's first year at Notre Dame. The first half of the book is actually cover the events leading up to the season. Dent does a great job telling all the individual stories of the players and coaches from the '64 season. He also explains how Father Hesburgh, who I have always heard as a champion for Notre Dame program, came aboard in the 1950's and wanted to decelerate the program because it was overshadowing the university as a whole. This lead to a period from Leahy's departure to Parsegian's entrance of poor and embarrassing teams and overwhelmed coaches. Give Hesburgh credit for bringing on Ara, and allowing him access to thinks like more scholarships. The 1964 team was trouble a bunch of underdogs, who took Notre Dame to the brink of a national championship. Only a couples of phantom calls, and I great comeback from USC (painful to say, but true) keep a 2-7 team in 1963 from going 10-0 in 1964. If you are a fan of the Irish, this is a great read as well as anyone who loves to see the underdog have success.
February 26, 2010
Despite some glaring errors on years (e.g., National Championship years, particular cars) this is a very solid and engaging college football read. I didn't know Ara was all set to coach the Miami Hurricanes before Notre Dame (Ted & Ned) made their call. Also, the fact that George Steinbrenner was involved with college football (coaching at Northwestern and Purdue) was new to me. Resurrection reminded me that ND has a long tradition of hiring some excellent coaches (Ara, Devine, Holtz) and some terrible ones (Faust, Weis, Devore, O'Leary, Kuharich). The disclosure of the inept Kuharich/Devore era before Ara, echoed the blundering Weis' years (losing to Navy & Syracuse) to a T with talent all over the field and no direction. All in all, a great off-season read while we wait for Brian Kelly to hopefully turn ND football around with "passion and purpose."
March 16, 2011
Another amazing book by Jim Dent, author of my favorite book, 12 Mighty Orphans. It was hard to get excited for a Notre Dame book since I've never been a fan of the team, even though I like their campus and the movie Rudy, but this book was great. Well written and well researched. I actually didn't know the coach was still alive.
I really like the stories on Nick Rassas, one of the players. It seems he was Rudy before Rudy, only he was good and ended up playing a lot. The information on Ara, Rockne, Jack Snow, Huarte, and Page was also very good. I didn't know the entire story of the team or how the season ended, so this book kept me wanting to read a chapter more each day. I recommend this book to any fan of football, especially the college game. Well done.
I really like the stories on Nick Rassas, one of the players. It seems he was Rudy before Rudy, only he was good and ended up playing a lot. The information on Ara, Rockne, Jack Snow, Huarte, and Page was also very good. I didn't know the entire story of the team or how the season ended, so this book kept me wanting to read a chapter more each day. I recommend this book to any fan of football, especially the college game. Well done.
February 16, 2011
I highly recommend this book to all Notre Dame fans and all sports fans in general. The period of the late 1950s and early 1960s were the darkest period of Notre Dame football, and the 1963 season was their worst season in history. This is the story of the 1964 season when a new, young coach, Ara Parseghian, nearly took one of the worst teams in the country and won a national championship. Jim Dent's excellent writing help this come to life for us and allows us to experience this uplifting, underdog story.
October 24, 2010
I found this an interesting book to read about some of Notre Dame's football history. It follows years from Knute Rockne to Ara Parseghian, with closer looks at both coaching staff and some major players. For anyone who likes the game, or for anyone who likes to know about the school, I would suggest you give this book a try.
November 7, 2014
This was a great book about overcoming obstacles and team unity, everyone on this team had a different story and upbringing. It great to see the changes they all made and how much they improved together. After the coaching staff changed everything was uphill from there and the overcame it all en route to being the number one team in the country.
August 7, 2011
I always enjoy Jim Dent - he is the best at what he does. His most recent effort covered the return of Notre Dame to the top of the pile in college football. As with most Dent books the emphasis is more on the people and the times they lived in than the game alone.
January 24, 2012
Definitely a good read, especially in light of the tragedies occurring in the Penn State program (not that a losing season can compare, but you get to see the rebuilding process and how it takes the right kind of coach to come along to pull a team together.
April 17, 2012
A great book about the resurrection of the Notre Dame football program in 1964 by first-year Head Coach Ara Parseghian. It's a story about restoring pride and a work ehtic to a bunch of motivated kids who with the right leadership overcame the de-emphaiss of a once proud program.
June 23, 2012
A wonderful look into the miraculous 1964 season of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. After over a decade of mediocrity, Jim Dent describes the hiring of Ara Parseghian, and the magical 1964 season that put Notre Dame back on the national scene.
October 20, 2012
Dent does a decent job giving us a flavor of the times and feeling around Notre Dame when the Era of Ara began. It's almost too big a story for a book of this size. Still, this was time well spent between the covers.
January 18, 2010
A good read. The parallels between what Ara faced and now are definitely evident. Dent can be a bit corny at times with the typical forced metaphors of sports writing, but a good read.
Read
July 20, 2010Looking forward to another Jim Dent book about football.
March 7, 2011
Simply Fantastic....gives you the feeling you know the cast of characters personally.
I wish my father was alive to read this book.
I wish my father was alive to read this book.
April 26, 2011
Tough to go wrong with me with a book about Notre Dame football, but this came across a bit flat and uninspired. Somewhat entertaining but not great.
July 24, 2011
Unbelievable!!
October 6, 2022
Great book!
This is a great book, just like all of Dent's others. Dent is one of the best sports book writers ever.
This is a great book, just like all of Dent's others. Dent is one of the best sports book writers ever.
January 7, 2013
Great book. Once you start you cannot stop. I learned things about ND I never knew.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews