Shake Down the Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football

by Murray A. Sperber

Book Overview

"Sperber...tackles the details, great and small, unearthing atreasure." -- New York Times Book Review Shake Down theThunder traces the history of the Notre Dame football program -- which has acquiredalmost mythical proportions -- from its humble origins in the 19th century to itsstatus as the paragon of college sports. It presents the true story of the program'sformative years, the reality behind the myths. Both social history and sportshistory, this...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805018743
• ISBN13: 9780805018745
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 634 Pages
• Weight: 2.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Busting Myths & Presenting A Complete History

In the 2002 reprint of the early-1990s publication, Murray A. Sperber utilizes unexamined documents from the Notre Dame sports archives and digs even further into unmasking the myths surrounding the beginnings of football as a (inter)national institution at the university. For example, Sperber found Knute Rockne's personal and athletic department correspondence in the basement of a campus library. And though the rules for recruiting were much different in Rockne's time, Sperber concludes that institutional control became nearly impossible as the coach became a living legend. Some things never change, I guess. Though Rockne takes center-stage in the history, Sperber devotes ample space to the founding of the school by French priests and the growth of the university during the times of rampant anti-Catholicisim. Go no further than what the "Orange" nickname actually meant at Syracuse University to understand that issue. Sperber follows the path of the program through the hiring of Frank Leahy in 1941, though his conclusions - as timely now as they were more than a decade ago - takes aim at the money-go-round of major college athletics and the rumblings it can cause in the foundation of the university framework. In 2006, Sperber presented several lectures on the Rockne legend and ND football, proving the book is still reaching fans and those interested in the college's rich tradition on the gridiron that has made it "America's Team," to love or hate.

Family history

Dr. Sperber unearthed Knute Rockne's personal and athletic department correspondence in the basement of Hesburgh Library and relied heavily upon it to create this insightful account of the times and tenure of Knute Rockne. Anyone who longs for the old days but wants to know what they were really like will find this book fascinating. Over time, the world has forgotten the way the nation mourned the passing of the great coach. It has also forgotten the genius, showman, businessman, and competitor that produced football's greatest record of achievement.This book relies upon primary documents to breathe life into old attendance figures, names enshrined in Monogram Hall, and won-loss records. Newspaper accounts of the time and Rockne's correspondence reveal the corruption of the officiating, eligibility rules, and recruiting of his contemporaries but does not absolve him from his role. Preview: "Pop Warner football" should bear a different name.Shortcomings include the meandering accounts of coaches, trends, and University presidents that can quickly become confusing. I strongly recommend "The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia" (Marder, Spellen and Donovan, Citadel Press, 2001) as a companion to put the results of critical wins, losses, and seasons into perspective. The author's treatment of individual topics (the Rockne biopick, Geoge Gipp, etc.) separately tends to make the context of the seasons and their results hard to follow.Dr. Sperber also shows his opions about big-time college athletics too boldly. He describes the "reform" movement of Rockne's era deftly but cannot help editorializing from his own campaigns at Indiana University, going so far as to name Coach Bob Knight in a footnote as an example of sport gone awry. Although his distinguished American Studies background serves him and the reader very well, his views come through clearly. This book is excellent and provides wonderful insight into how Notre Dame football came to life.

Shake Down the Thunder

All ND fans should read this book and keep it in their library.The most comprehensive history of the early days of ND football.

Lee Marvin Playing The Role Of George Gipp

SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER is a scholarly look at a sports phenomenon - the creation and early development of football at Notre Dame to 1941 and the hiring of Frank Leahy as coach. Much of the book is devoted to the politics within the university community among the coaches, administrators and influential alumni. It is also a story about the rise of Notre Dame football during a period when Catholics were striving for more influence politically and more acceptance in general in the United States.The author makes much use of the private correspondence of Knute Rockne and paints a very unromantic picture of the great coach and some of his star players. Based on this book Lee Marvin or Robert Mitchum instead of Ronald Reagan are the best choices to play the part of George Gipp in a movie.SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER is more of a cultural history than a football story. It contains very little football action. The book is well-researched and shows how both the urge to overemphasize college football and the resulting forces trying to contain it have been in existence for a long time.

Candor in South Bend

Not everyone would enjoy reading this book about Notre Dame football because it tells the story without the usual mythologizing. Sperber tells the history with all the warts (and triumphs). He even debunks the Gipp myth.