NONFICTION

The Greatest College Football Rivalries of All Time: The Civil War, the Iron Bowl, and Other Memorable Matchups

Rowman & Littlefield. Aug. 2014. 360p. photos. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9781442229839. $40; ebk. ISBN 9781442229846. SPORTS
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The 14 intense college rivalries in this book fall into three categories: in-state, such as the University of Alabama vs. Auburn University; interstate, such as Ohio State University vs. the University of Michigan; and nongeographic anomalies—think Army-Navy for example. Sportswriter Gitlin often begins a chapter with a key moment from a pivotal game in the series and expands from there to provide an overview of the entire run of the rivalry. He notes significant athletes, the progression of head coaches, the highs and lows of the programs, and the swings of dominance in the sequence of games. No college is featured here more than once, so some outstanding rivalries are excluded, such as the University of Florida vs. Florida State University, but it is a solid selection.
VERDICT Well executed and featuring an engaging topic, this book should be of interest to all college football fans.
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