Reviews
"In this remarkable book, Curtis masterfully connects two seemingly unrelated events: the 1942 Rose Bowl and WWII...This book has much in common with Laura Hillenbrand''s best-selling Unbroken (2014) and should evoke similar strong emotions." --Booklist "A fine sports book with a stirring extra dimension." -- Kirkus Reviews "Fields of Battle is a compelling true tale of how a Pacific wind blew the Rose Bowl from the West Coast to the East Coast and scattered its participants around the world to win history''s largest war." --James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers and The China Mirage "Brian Curtis''s gripping story about the Greatest Generation reminds us that the freedom we enjoy today came at a steep price. Fields of Battle vividly captures the uncertainty, fear, sacrifice, and heroism of a critical time in our history, and serves as a tribute to those who carried the scars of war with them--and to those who never came home." -- Senator John McCain, author of Faith of My Fathers "With meticulous research and elegant writing, Brian Curtis has put together a page-turning narrative about a group of football players turned war heroes, men who entered gridiron lore and then did their part as members of the Greatest Generation. Football fans will enjoy reading about the unusual circumstances that enveloped the 1942 Rose Bowl, but all readers will appreciate the chance to learn about the times these men lived in and the sacrifices they made for all of us. This is a terrific piece of work." -- Seth Davis, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated and author of Wooden "College football aficionados know that the 1942 Rose Bowl was played in North Carolina, but the stories of the men who played that game and went on to fight in World War II were, until now, largely unknown. In Fields of Battle, Brian Curtis brings the WWII generation alive through the stories of these young men who moved so rapidly from the big game to the war to defeat the German, Japanese, and Italian fascists. Curtis gives us a vivid, invaluable portrait of life as it was lived in the face of so much uncertainty and danger, when nothing less than the fate of the free world hung in the balance." -- Jeremy Schaap, author of Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler''s Olympics and Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History "In Fields of Battle , Brian Curtis takes you back to a time when honor and duty were more than mere video game taglines and athletes placed their patriotic duty above sport. Yes, it''s a football story. But really, it''s an American story." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness and Showtime "Where another, less careful observer might have found coincidence in these events, Brian Curtis''s keen eye found a confluence of historical circumstance. In Fields of Battle, Curtis chronicles, contextualizes, and makes meaning of the meeting of boys and men on both the ball field and the battlefield...Where Curtis most profoundly succeeds is in never once allowing the reader to forget that what happens on the gridiron isn''t war, and that what war has never been--and never will be--is a game. It''s a timely message." --Julie Checkoway, author of The Three-Year Swim Club " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII''s battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." -- Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University''s football team, "Fields of Battle is a compelling true tale of how a Pacific wind blew the Rose Bowl from the West Coast to the East Coast and scattered its participants around the world to win history's largest war." --James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers and The China Mirage "Brian Curtis's gripping story about the Greatest Generation reminds us that the freedom we enjoy today came at a steep price. Fields of Battle vividly captures the uncertainty, fear, sacrifice, and heroism of a critical time in our history, and serves as a tribute to those who carried the scars of war with them--and to those who never came home." -- Senator John McCain, author of Faith of My Fathers " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII's battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." -- Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University's football team, "Brian Curtis's gripping story about the Greatest Generation reminds us that the freedom we enjoy today came at a steep price. Fields of Battle vividly captures the uncertainty, fear, sacrifice, and heroism of a critical time in our history, and serves as a tribute to those who carried the scars of war with them--and to those who never came home." -- Senator John McCain, author of Faith of My Fathers " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII's battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." -- Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University's football team, "Fields of Battle is a compelling true tale of how a Pacific wind blew the Rose Bowl from the West Coast to the East Coast and scattered its participants around the world to win history's largest war." --James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers and The China Mirage "Brian Curtis's gripping story about the Greatest Generation reminds us that the freedom we enjoy today came at a steep price. Fields of Battle vividly captures the uncertainty, fear, sacrifice, and heroism of a critical time in our history, and serves as a tribute to those who carried the scars of war with them--and to those who never came home." -- Senator John McCain, author of Faith of My Fathers "With meticulous research and elegant writing, Brian Curtis has put together a page-turning narrative about a group of football players turned war heroes, men who entered gridiron lore and then did their part as members of the Greatest Generation. Football fans will enjoy reading about the unusual circumstances that enveloped the 1942 Rose Bowl, but all readers will appreciate the chance to learn about the times these men lived in and the sacrifices they made for all of us. This is a terrific piece of work." -- Seth Davis, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated and author of Wooden "College football aficionados know that the 1942 Rose Bowl was played in North Carolina, but the stories of the men who played that game and went on to fight in World War II were, until now, largely unknown. In Fields of Battle, Brian Curtis brings the WWII generation alive through the stories of these young men who moved so rapidly from the big game to the war to defeat the German, Japanese, and Italian fascists. Curtis gives us a vivid, invaluable portrait of life as it was lived in the face of so much uncertainty and danger, when nothing less than the fate of the free world hung in the balance." -- Jeremy Schaap, author of Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics and Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History "In Fields of Battle , Brian Curtis takes you back to a time when honor and duty were more than mere video game taglines and athletes placed their patriotic duty above sport. Yes, it's a football story. But really, it's an American story." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness and Showtime " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII's battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." -- Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University's football team, "Fields of Battle is a compelling true tale of how a Pacific wind blew the Rose Bowl from the West Coast to the East Coast and scattered its participants around the world to win history's largest war." --James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers and The China Mirage "Brian Curtis's gripping story about the Greatest Generation reminds us that the freedom we enjoy today came at a steep price. Fields of Battle vividly captures the uncertainty, fear, sacrifice, and heroism of a critical time in our history, and serves as a tribute to those who carried the scars of war with them--and to those who never came home." -- Senator John McCain, author of Faith of My Fathers "With meticulous research and elegant writing, Brian Curtis has put together a page-turning narrative about a group of football players turned war heroes, men who entered gridiron lore and then did their part as members of the Greatest Generation. Football fans will enjoy reading about the unusual circumstances that enveloped the 1942 Rose Bowl, but all readers will appreciate the chance to learn about the times these men lived in and the sacrifices they made for all of us. This is a terrific piece of work." -- Seth Davis, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated and author of Wooden "College football aficionados know that the 1942 Rose Bowl was played in North Carolina, but the stories of the men who played that game and went on to fight in World War II were, until now, largely unknown. In Fields of Battle, Brian Curtis brings the WWII generation alive through the stories of these young men who moved so rapidly from the big game to the war to defeat the German, Japanese, and Italian fascists. Curtis gives us a vivid, invaluable portrait of life as it was lived in the face of so much uncertainty and danger, when nothing less than the fate of the free world hung in the balance." -- Jeremy Schaap, author of Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics and Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History "In Fields of Battle , Brian Curtis takes you back to a time when honor and duty were more than mere video game taglines and athletes placed their patriotic duty above sport. Yes, it's a football story. But really, it's an American story." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness and Showtime "Where another, less careful observer might have found coincidence in these events, Brian Curtis's keen eye found a confluence of historical circumstance. In Fields of Battle, Curtis chronicles, contextualizes, and makes meaning of the meeting of boys and men on both the ball field and the battlefield...Where Curtis most profoundly succeeds is in never once allowing the reader to forget that what happens on the gridiron isn't war, and that what war has never been--and never will be--is a game. It's a timely message." --Julie Checkoway, author of The Three-Year Swim Club " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII's battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." -- Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University's football team "A fine sports book with a stirring extra dimension." -- Kirkus Reviews, " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII's battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." --Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University's football team, "Fields of Battle is a compelling true tale of how a Pacific wind blew the Rose Bowl from the West Coast to the East Coast and scattered its participants around the world to win history's largest war." --James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers and The China Mirage "Brian Curtis's gripping story about the Greatest Generation reminds us that the freedom we enjoy today came at a steep price. Fields of Battle vividly captures the uncertainty, fear, sacrifice, and heroism of a critical time in our history, and serves as a tribute to those who carried the scars of war with them--and to those who never came home." -- Senator John McCain, author of Faith of My Fathers "With meticulous research and elegant writing, Brian Curtis has put together a page-turning narrative about a group of football players turned war heroes, men who entered gridiron lore and then did their part as members of the Greatest Generation. Football fans will enjoy reading about the unusual circumstances that enveloped the 1942 Rose Bowl, but all readers will appreciate the chance to learn about the times these men lived in and the sacrifices they made for all of us. This is a terrific piece of work." -- Seth Davis, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated and author of Wooden "College football aficionados know that the 1942 Rose Bowl was played in North Carolina, but the stories of the men who played that game and went on to fight in World War II were, until now, largely unknown. In Fields of Battle, Brian Curtis brings the WWII generation alive through the stories of these young men who moved so rapidly from the big game to the war to defeat the German, Japanese, and Italian fascists. Curtis gives us a vivid, invaluable portrait of life as it was lived in the face of so much uncertainty and danger, when nothing less than the fate of the free world hung in the balance." -- Jeremy Schaap, author of Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics and Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History "In Fields of Battle , Brian Curtis takes you back to a time when honor and duty were more than mere video game taglines and athletes placed their patriotic duty above sport. Yes, it's a football story. But really, it's an American story." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness and Showtime "Where another, less careful observer might have found coincidence in these events, Brian Curtis's keen eye found a confluence of historical circumstance. In Fields of Battle, Curtis chronicles, contextualizes, and makes meaning of the meeting of boys and men on both the ball field and the battlefield...Where Curtis most profoundly succeeds is in never once allowing the reader to forget that what happens on the gridiron isn't war, and that what war has never been--and never will be--is a game. It's a timely message." --Julie Checkoway, author of The Three-Year Swim Club " Fields of Battle is a riveting account of the men who faced off against each other in the 1942 Rose Bowl; the only [one] to be played outside of Pasadena as a result of the Pearl Harbor attack. Tossing aside football rivalries, the men who played went on to fight alongside each other on WWII's battlefields. Football fans and military buffs will enjoy this powerful tale of courage, leadership, grit, and greatness." -- Bobby Bowden, former head coach of Florida State University's football team
