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Timelines and photographs complement the text, providing a deep sense of how the sport has evolved. Moreover, the author uses a variety of sources, giving readers bits of poetry, fight-song lyrics, and famous or insightful quotes, along with play-by-plays and a lively narrative. Whittingham put careful thought into his selections, readily admitting the difficulty of winnowing down the lists, and he even includes notes on those that barely missed the cut.
As Whittingham summarizes, "The game itself--violent, tactical, demanding of skills, strength, and endurance--evoked the very essentials of classic drama: conflict, suspense, excitement, competition, triumph, and failure. It is hardly surprising then that it became such a fertile ground for the cultivation of legends." The roar of a crowd, the sense of place or destiny--all of the factors that have led to greatness are described, with statistical support, in this informative, oversized book. Rites of Autumn is for football fans everywhere. --Michael Ferch
Richard Whittingham takes us through the history of college football, from the Ivy League dynasties of the 1880s to the 1920s, through Army's dominant years in the 1940s, to today's powerhouse teams and superstar coaches. Along the way, we meet many of the great players and coaches, look at many historic photographs, and read engrossing descriptions of memorable games. The photos are well-chosen and impressive, the writing fast-paced, and the book's layout appealing and easy to read.
For any serious and knowledgeable fan, this book can be fodder for countless hot-stove league debates (I know "hot stove league" is a baseball expression, but work with me here). Whittingham makes a case for his choices for best team in each of the decades from the 1900s to the 1990s. He also picks "games worth remembering" from each of the great bowl games, analyses many of the game's great rivalries, and even lists the best (or, to be fair, his favorite) school fight songs and mascots.
This is a fascinating, entertaining, and memorable book -- and as a lifelong Roger Staubach fan, I found his foreword an extra bonus. I find it hard to believe that any college football fan wouldn't appreciate receiving it ... and could easily see some of the more serious fans becoming quite passionate about it. It's definitely worth checking out.
Don't stop to stomp ants when the elephants are stampeding.
My friends, I am here to tell you of the wonderous continent known as
Africa. Well we left New York drunk and early on the morning of February 31.
We were 15 days on the water, and 3 on the boat when we finally arrived in
Africa. Upon our arrival we immediately set up a rigorous schedule: Up at
6:00, breakfast, and back in bed by 7:00. Pretty soon we were back in bed by
6:30. Now Africa is full of big game. The first day I shot two bucks. That
was the biggest game we had. Africa is primerally inhabited by Elks, Moose
and Knights of Pithiests.
The elks live up in the mountains and come down once a year for their
annual conventions. And you should see them gathered around the water hole,
which they leave immediately when they discover it's full of water. They
weren't looking for a water hole. They were looking for an alck hole.
One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas, how he got in my
pajamas, I don't know. Then we tried to remove the tusks. That's a tough
word to say, tusks. As I said we tried to remove the tusks, but they were
imbedded so firmly we couldn't get them out. But in Alabama the Tuscaloosa,
but that is totally irrelephant to what I was saying.
We took some pictures of the native girls, but they weren't developed.
So we're going back in a few years...
-- Julius H. Marx [Groucho]
