Fifty-plus years ago, Frank Fear was a fan in the stands at Mountaineer Field, watching his heroes play. Now he shifts roles, relaying the story of an era of Mountaineer football that describes many of the good things associated with college football. There is gridiron success, impressive leadership from head coaches Jim Carlen and Bobby Bowden, and uplifting stories about how coaches and players lived their lives. There is continuity, too. A half-century later, these men are still connected, a self-proclaimed "Band of Brothers."
Part autobiographic, part historical, and loaded with voices of those who participated back then, Band of Brothers, Then and Now is an engaging read. It is about a time, a place, and an extraordinary group of West Virginia University Mountaineers.