Men of Troy - by Monte Burke (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From a New York Times bestselling author, a deeply reported account of how the USC Trojan football team captivated the sporting world in the 2000s.

The University of Southern California received thousands of calls, emails and letters in 2001, after hiring former NFL coach, Pete Carroll, to resurrect its moribund program. Carroll was a "failure," a "fraud," and a "flake" according to USC boosters, the fans in Los Angeles and the college football cognoscenti. But by the middle of the decade, he had turned USC into a legendary juggernaut, with multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.

In Men of Troy, Monte Burke, provides the definitive account of this singular dynasty, based on original reporting and more than 150 new interviews. Burke illustrates how Carroll and his colorful cast of coaches and players--including cross-eyed quarterback turned national heartthrob, Matt Leinart, and the electric, generational running back, Reggie Bush--not only took over college football, but Los Angeles and the country, as well.

Burke not only takes readers through the iconic games of the era, but also behind the scenes--in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and into the LA nightlife scene, where the players enjoyed their celebrity status and, at times, succumbed to illicit temptations. He also puts the dynasty in proper context, tracing the breathtaking rise of the program, the sudden and inglorious fall, and the scandal that left a program in ruins and precipitated the drastic changes that led to the current era of college football.

Review Quotes

"From his first words until his last Burke has crafted a spellbinding tale of the rise and fall of a college football dynasty that slips into your head and heart and never lets go. Men of Troy may seem like ancient history to some but in the brave new world of NIL the portraits of Pete Carroll, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart alone serve as rich, revealing (and oh so ironic) reminders of a system one court called a 'classic cartel.' In writing, reporting and truth telling a book destined to become a classic."--Armen Keteyian, 11-time Emmy Award-winner and 6-time NYT bestselling author

"At the heart of Monte Burke's latest offering into the ruthless subuniverse and lavish subculture of college football is a universal question, for fans and CEOs alike: What's left if you're a great team that fell just short of greatest-ever? The answers are fascinating, funny, and sad, but most of all, epic."--Seth Wickersham, ESPN Senior Writer and New York Times bestselling author

"In the tradition of Rick Telander and Roy Blount Jr., Monte Burke has written an essential book in the canon of football writing. The best stories from America's greatest team sport aren't about stars or coaches but rather about teams. The USC Trojans, once upon a time, sat atop the mountain. This is the story of how they climbed up and how they fought to stay there-a battle no team ever wins. I think it was Bear Bryant who once said that 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction' and 'what comes up must come down.' This book is about the going up and the coming down."--Wright Thompson, New York Times bestselling author of The Barn and Pappyland

"If you love college football, Men of Troy is your ticket to the story of Pete Carroll and the most fascinating era of USC football--not to mention to one of the greatest games ever played. It's a story right out of Hollywood but all true, detailing how Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Carroll became the biggest celebrities in a city full of them. There's enough drama in this book to keep you reading through the fourth quarter."--Heather Dinich, Senior College Writer, ESPN

About the Author

Monte Burke is the New York Times bestselling author of Saban, Lords of the Fly, Rivers Always Reach the Sea, 4TH And Goal and Sowbelly. His books have won an Axiom Award for biography, been named one of the best books of the year by Sports Illustrated, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream and Amazon and been chosen for Barnes & Noble's "Discover Great New Writers" program. After a 14-year stint as a reporter, staff writer and editor at Forbes, he is now a contributing editor at the magazine. He is also a contributing editor at Garden & Gun and The Drake. Connect with him via @monteburke13, or through monteburke.com.