Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame,   ISBN:9780312567217

Customer Rating: 

A very well written book about college football and one of the best coaches to ever field a team. Captures the background, the intensity and dedication of players and coaches. Truly enjoyable to a student of the game and even my wife who knows Ara but had no idea of who John Huarte, enjoyed the book. A great read. Captures all of the human spirit and effort as well as the unparalleled integrity and passion of Coach Parseghian.

Customer Rating: 

//Resurrection// covers the 1964 "miracle season" for Notre Dame football, during which the new non-Catholic coach Ara Parseghian steered them to a share of the national championship. This was also the year that the so-called "Touchdown Jesus" mural appeared on a building adjoining the football stadium; the beginning of the Era of Ara.

Jim Dent provides us with what initially appears to be a fine overview of a team's season in college football. It is more interesting than most such accounts, as he focuses on a handful of players who were unable to play for the Fighting Irish prior to '64 due to suspensions, injuries or personality conflicts with the former head coach. It gives the telling a real-life bad news bears aspect that is entertaining.

This was a season in which the Irish lost only their final fame played at USC. Dent seems to obsess about this "heartbreaking loss..." during which "Notre Dame was defeated by a far inferior team." He spends far too many pages claiming that the game was stolen by the referees, although Parshegian said: "I am not going to blame the officials."

The ND-USC game in question occurred over 45 years ago. Let it be.

Reviewed by Joseph Arellano

Customer Rating: 

Bought this for a family member they passed it back to us after reading, My husband is the Notre Dame fan but I picked it up after he finished and couldn't put it down compelling human interest especially about the players who had spent their entire college career waiting for a chance to play. Meet the only Hiesman trophy winner who didn;t have a letter jacket. These are just a few stories. Some names you will recognize some you'll never see again. A great book about overcoming adversity.

Customer Rating: 

I bought book for my husband, as he was a student at ND when Ara did his magic. My husband loved the book, as he knew so many of the characters. He has passed it on to other ND grads, so I haven't had chance to read it yet.

Customer Rating: 

While Dent is not a great writer his efforts can always be counted on to provide insight and a terrific story. I enjoyed "Resurrection" and would recommend it to Irish fans and college sports fans, but there are better recent sports books for those diehards like me that read a ton of sports lit. The story contained in this book is fascinating and timely as Notre Dame is currently looking for a new head football coach, a modern day Ara Parseghian, to rebuild their historic program.