A fascinating forgotten story ... Gola tells their story with respect and admiration ... Extremely well done. Impeccably researched, with writing that is warm and moving. This beautiful book deserves the broadest of audiences.
This book has a Friday Night Lights element to it ... Gola’s book is a vivid read, showing how high school football brought together communities during a troubled time.
... thoroughly researched and thoroughly engrossing ... [The book's] details flesh out the story while truly grounding City of Champions in its time and place. This is an excellent piece of sports writing, made even stronger by how it treats its characters.
Football fans will relish this history of a bygone era in the sport—complete with 45 photos—and delight in the many anecdotes (the Garfield team’s stay at the upscale Alcazar hotel is particularly endearing) and play-by-plays of Miami’s Davey Eldredge muscling through Garfield’s defense and Benny Babula’s game-winning field goal.
