The Game

Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968

By: George Howe Colt, George Howe Colt - introduction

Narrated by: George Newbern

*A New York Times Notable Book*
*A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year*

From the bestselling National Book Award finalist and author of The Big House comes “a well-blended narrative packed with top-notch reporting and relevance for our own time” (The Boston Globe) about the young athletes who battled in the legendary Harvard-Yale football game of 1968 amidst the sweeping currents of one of the most transformative years in American history.

On November 23, 1968, there was a turbulent and memorable football game: the season-ending clash between Harvard and Yale. The final score was 29-29. To some of the players, it was a triumph; to others a tragedy. And to many, the reasons had as much to do with one side’s miraculous comeback in the game’s final forty-two seconds as it did with the months that preceded it, months that witnessed the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, police brutality at the Democratic National Convention, inner-city riots, campus takeovers, and, looming over everything, the war in Vietnam.

George Howe Colt’s The Game is the story of that iconic American year, as seen through the young men who lived it and were changed by it. One player had recently returned from Vietnam. Two were members of the radical antiwar group SDS. There was one NFL prospect who quit to devote his time to black altruism; another who went on to be Pro-Bowler Calvin Hill. There was a guard named Tommy Lee Jones, and fullback who dated a young Meryl Streep. They played side by side and together forged a moment of startling grace in the midst of the storm.

“Vibrant, energetic, and beautifully structured” (NPR), this magnificent and intimate work of history is the story of ordinary people in an extraordinary time, and of a country facing issues that we continue to wrestle with to this day. “The Game is the rare sports book that lives up to the claim of so many entrants in this genre: It is the portrait of an era” (The Wall Street Journal).

Fabulous detail

Very well researched and the cadence of the game details keeps u on your seat. The only thing that was off, and this is a real minor thing , is the pronunciation of the town of Haverhill Otherwise this is a winner !!

Surprising slice of history through a particular lens

The book is a little all over the place, covering player bios as well as historical events of the mid 60s from antiwar protests to Black activism on campus, as well as the changing character of Ivy League schools and their place in the culture. Lots of good stuff on many fronts, although (1) scattered enough that I was glad it was an audiobook so I could vary my attention, and (2) probably of more interest to those involved with either Harvard or Yale than to others. Familiar names pop up, from Al Gore as a housemate to Meryl Streep dating a player to Tommy Lee Jones on the field and off. Fun!

Fantastic Recap of The Game in 1968 and America in the same period!

I loved this book! Having played in The Game for Yale in Coach Cozza, I can tell you the description of him in the book is spot on. He was a hell of a coach and a better person. Thanks you for capturing all that is the Yale-Harvard football tradition at its best.

More than a game

This was a very good sports book. Technically it is about one Harvard-Yale game in 1968, but it is about much more than that. It is about America in 1968. It is about the divisions in the country over the Vietnam War. It is about the changes in the two Universities. Yale had yet to admit females, but had changed its admission policies to be based on the academic records instead of their family background. This was a change that drew widespread criticism from the alums! And the students really wanted girls on campus, too! It is about the struggle of the black players to fit in at both universities and not be seen as just football players. It is about the struggle of one older player to fit in at very anti-war Harvard after serving in Vietnam. It is about the history of the Harvard-Yale series. Both teams won national titles in the early 20th century and were still very good football programs in 1968. In fact, Yale was ranked in the top 20 at the time of the 1968 game. It is about the players, who were an impressive and diverse group, including an undersized OL for Harvard named Tommy Lee Jones, who roomed with a kid named Al Gore. But, it was also about the most exciting tie in the history of college football. Both teams came into the season finale undefeated, but Yale was a huge favorite. Yale dominated the game as expected and lead by 16 with 42 seconds left. Just enough time for the remarkable Harvard comeback that provoked the headline the next day: Harvard Beats Yale 29-29. The book is very well written and the audio was also superbly read. I really enjoyed it. #SportsHistory #Nostalgic #1960s #IvyLeagueAthletes #NewEngland #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Very Good

Having been born in 1968, this book struck a real cord with me. The 68 Harvard Yale Game was another of the remarkable, seminole, and historical events of that year that truly altered history.

Perhaps because I am now nearly 51 and reflecting so much more on life and legacy, this story makes me long for what was or at least seemed like a more real and innocent time.

I would recommend this book to anybody but especially those over 45.