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Shake Down the Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football Paperback – August 13, 2002

by Murray A. Sperber (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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"Sperber. . .tackles the details, great and small, unearthing a treasure." ―New York Times Book Review

Shake Down the Thunder traces the history of the Notre Dame football program―which has acquired almost mythical proportions―from its humble origins in the 19th century to its status as the paragon of college sports. It presents the true story of the program's formative years, the reality behind the myths. Both social history and sports history, this book documents as never before the first half-century of Notre Dame football and relates it to the rise of big-time intercollegiate athletics, the college sports reform movement, and the corrupt sporting press of the period. Shake Down the Thunder is must reading for all Fighting Irish fans, their detractors, and any reader engaged by American cultural history.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    664 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Indiana University Press
  4. Publication date
    August 13, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.4 x 8.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0253215684
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0253215680
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must-read for Fighting Irish fans, their detractors, or anyone interested in American cultural history. Sept/Oct 2008"―Northern Indiana Lakes

About the Author

Murray Sperber is Professor of English and American Studies at Indiana University and author of Beer and Circuses: How Big-Time College Sports Is Crippling Undergraduate Education.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Indiana University Press; Reissue edition (August 13, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 664 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0253215684
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0253215680
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.94 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.4 x 8.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

About the author

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Murray Sperber

Murray Sperber

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
42 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Nicholas Bennett
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for any Domer
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was a great read. Touches on some of the great stories that shed light on so many different areas of ND Football. Love this book
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Tom McS
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, factual and refreshing . No spin
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
A refreshing book written by a Purdue man who wanted to give a factual account of Notre Dame football from 1890 to 1940.
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William Reifsteck
5.0 out of 5 stars The History of Fortress Notre Dame
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2011
Verified Purchase
Having read most every book published on the history of Notre Dame this book goes far beyond the mere reporting of the games as they happen. Most notably this book tells the how and why a little school in the middle of the Nation became the dandy of the sports pages and the official team of every catholic grade school in the country. This book also details in depth the financial aspects of the sport of college football and how Notre Dame got the formula right. Sperber details that through conservative financial management and the character of Saint Knute the school was able to build a modern campus saving the construction of the iconic Notre Dame Stadium for last. Every building that the school built in the 20's before the depression was built using gate receipts from Rockne's Ramblers. The 1928 and 1929 season gate receipts allowed the school to build the stadium out of cash in hand receipts and when the stock market crashed in the middle of the stadium construction the school had adequate reserves to continue the construction.
Sperber provides the reader with an in-depth look at the beginnings of Notre Dame Football that reports more than just the scores. I highly recommend this book for both the newcomer to Notre Dame study and the experienced Notre Dame reader.
2 people found this helpful
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Edward J. Szewczyk
5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing Read for Fighting Irish Fans
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
The book goes into detail on some of the business aspects of Notre Dame football, especially during the Rockne era, which are largely ignored in the sports pages and popular books and biographies. It also explores some of the personal side of Knute Rockne, which may not be particularly flattering to Rock, but provide additional insight into the man. Sometimes, though, Mr. Sperber seems to engage in personal speculation not supported by the facts he supplies. For instance, he will state a fact and then make a comment such as, "possibly because such and such," which seems arguable at best.
One person found this helpful
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Joseph T. Krause
5.0 out of 5 stars Notre Dame Football in the Rockne Era: More Myth than Model
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
I read this book a few months ago while preparing a Wabash Area Lifetime Learning Association (WALLA) course entitled "College Football Coaches: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Just Plain Crooked". I guess that Rockne would fit in the first category "The Good", but there is so much nonsense abounding about this man and the legends surrounding him. I particularly appreciated learning how Sperber had great access to archives in the basements of Notre Dame libraries. And I especially enjoyed the evisceration of that particularly bad film about Knute Rockne which had a notoriously bad actor starring as the almost totally worthless George Gipp. Notre Dame fans really should read this book to get a truer picture of the Rockne era.
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P. T. Brent
4.0 out of 5 stars Love Thee, Notre Dame N D #29 & S ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
Love Thee, Notre Dame
N D #29 & S D T T

Respect Coach Knute Rockne:
It's Kuh - newt

PTB Hawaii
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Joseph P. Crawford
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and scholarly
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a comprehensive, scholarly study of Notre Dame football and of the university, yet it is extremely readable, full of stories and accounts that are both fascinating and greatly informative. This is far more than just another heavily biased sports book. It is done from the perspective of an individual who has a serious academic background and is not associated with Notre Dame.
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Barb Bangert
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great history, if you are an Irish fan
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