Book Review-The All Americans

One of the benefits of working at a bookstore (as I did so for a stretch a few years ago) is the free uncorrected proofs that would flow into the basement that workers could pore over in search for cheap reading material. Of course, the tendency was to load up on several books and watch many of them collect dust or become part of heavy boxes to lug around. This was the unfortunate and undeserving fate of The All Americans by Lars Anderson, a book I recently picked up and found myself wishing I would have cracked upon its addition to my library.

1941 was Red Blaik’s first year as coach at Army, hired as the first civilian head coach at West Point to rejuvenate an Army football program that had fallen on hard times. A driving force behind this radical hire was the struggles Army was enduring on the gridiron against Navy, who had won two consecutive matchups between the two academies and was a fixture in the national polls. Upon Blaik’s hire, a previously downtrodden Army squad once again became a national fixture in college football and were a threat once again to the powerful Navy team.

As the sporting nation’s attention began to center on Army vs. Navy, the entire nation could not help but pay attention to the headlines coming from Europe and Asia and the building threat that Germany and Japan were to the United States. Among the preparations for possible hostilities from these rogue nations was the edict that the future officers at West Point and Annapolis would gain their preparation in three versus four years, meaning that the juniors on each football squad would be playing their final game versus their respective opponent on November 29, 1941.

I won’t reveal who won that game, but I will tell you it was a spirited, competitive contest played before the biggest sports crowd for any football, baseball, or basketball game in 1941. Four players who had varying roles in the outcome that day were Robin Olds, Henry Romanek (with Army), Bill Busik and Hal Kaufmann (with Navy). Neither the nation nor these players had much time to savor the game however; merely eight days after the game, Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan and the United States found themselves thrust into the Second World War.

I mention the four players above not because they were all standouts on the football field (although Busik and Olds were All American caliber on the gridiron), but rather because of their contribution to the country during World War II, and the fact that they survived and the author was able to tell their stories. Anderson takes each of their individual stories and presents vivid vignettes of World War II; how Kaufmann was aboard the U.S.S. Meredith, a destroyer in the Pacific Ocean that was overwhelmed by the Japanese, leaving Kaufmann and other survivors stranded in shark infested waters; Busik’s tale of a flukish event keeping him from becoming another casuality of war; Romanek’s entry into the war on June 6, 1944 at Omaha Beach, a slaughterhouse which he somehow survived; and Olds’ distinguished service as a pilot dueling the Luftwaffe in the skies over Europe.

Anderson’s book isn’t quite a sports book and isn’t quite a war book, as it melds the two stories together throughout, but it is one of the finest books I have read in two areas I enjoy reading about immensely (sports and combat). His accounts of the war are among the most vivid writing I have ever read, particularly the stories involving Kaufmann and Romanek. That is not to slight his coverage of the sports aspect of the story-he writes in nice detail about the origins of the Army-Navy rivalry, the era when this was the biggest sporting event on the calendar, and the balance struck by these players between their duties as players and future officers. In addition, he gives an understanding to the reader about the significance and grandeur of this historic game. All this is accomplished in a tidy 248 pages.

It’s a shame this book did not garner a larger audience upon its release; Anderson crafted a great story in an accessible style that gives the reader insights into two very popular topics-football and World War II. A quick check at amazon.com indicates you can get a used copy of this book for less than $2 and a new copy for less than $4. I can assure you, it’d be money well spent.

The All Americans=Bobby Jackson rating

Bobby Jackson-An incredible book. One of my all-time favorites.
Willie Burton-Just shy of legendary status. Top notch.
Townsend Orr-Enjoyable book, but erratic.
Dave Holmgren-Not very memorable.
Mitch Lee-An unmitigated disaster. Run away from this book!