Men of Troy

"Chock-full of great reporting, stylish writing, and fast-moving drama."—Garden & Gun

“This look at the dominant mid-2000s USC football program succeeds on multiple fronts, coupling multifaceted character studies with memorable tales…Burke wrings an impressive amount of drama.”—Kirkus Reviews

"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

"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

“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

"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

"Terrific." —Greg Rajan, Houston Chronicle