Conquest: Pete Carroll and the Trojans' Climb to the Top of the College Football Mountain

by David Wharton, Gary Klein, Pat Haden (Foreword)

A look at Pete Carroll and the rebuilding of USC, this investigation revisits the ups and downs and critical moments that have gone into rebuilding the Trojans into one of the best football programs in the country. Readers are given the inside story on the Trojan's downward spiral and long road back through stories such as why Coach Pete Carroll wasn't the Trojan's first choice as head coach, the history of how losing became the norm, how Carson Palmer went from disappointing to Heisman Trophy winner, recaps of key victories that sent the Trojans on a remarkable winning streak, and the sweet victory in the 2005 Orange Bowl vs. the Oklahoma Sooners.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conquest was about the USC Trojans' return to the top of the college football mountain. Don't get it twisted, this book wasn't just about the 2002 through 2004 seasons-----the seasons where the Trojans were either climbing their way back to the top of the college football mountain ('02) or they were were already on top ('03 and '04)-----no, this book also spread the ink around with chapters about Trojans football history, which was done to give you an idea about where the Trojans used to be and where they were headed.

This book was hard for me to put down (it took me around four days to finish it) because I've followed Trojans football since 1991, which means I related to much of the material in this book.

The co-authors of this book knew who their core audience was for this book, which was die-hard and casual Trojans fans. So this book was written like what a highlight football video would look like, except this was a book where the highlights were the written analyses of successful and special seasons in Trojans football history, especially the 2002 through 2004 seasons.

In conclusion, Conquest was written for USC football fans and for those who wanted to learn a little bit more about how the Trojans' made their ascent up the college football ladder from 2002 to 2004.

[Wellington · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, I admit that I'm a USC alumni. The book largely reminded me of the return of the USC football program and brought a smile to my face. My review could be quite biased but if you have "Fight On" worked in your daily vocabulary, read the book.

[Diego Palomino · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to relive those wonderful years. Prior to that we fans experienced decades of misery. I particularly enjoyed the bit of history provided about the program and the insight into lives of the main characters. A must read for all fans.