Fading Echoes: A True Story of Rivalry and Brotherhood from the Football Field to theFields of Honor

by Mike Sielski

Chronicles the separate journeys of two rival athletes, their dreams, and devotion to their country, as they travel from the football field to the battlefield in the wake of September 11, in this true story from an award-winning sports columnist.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Military Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Mike Sielski is the author of five books, including Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk and The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality. A co-host on Sports Radio 94 WIP, he has been a sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Inquirer.com since 2013 and was formerly a reporter at The Wall Street Journal. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sports Writing and The Year’s Best Sports Writing, and over his career he has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Association of Black Journalists. He lives in Bucks County, Pa.

Reviews

[Nalene · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a current resident of the school district from which these two football-turned-war heroes lived, I found the local history interesting. Certainly Colby Umbrell's (and his family's) sacrifice is inspiring. The book itself is not bad, not great. Mike Sielski has done his extensive research well, and the style of the book very much reveals his journalistic background. It seems, however, that he at times let his research drive the content rather than the other way around, so I'm not sure how much this would interest people outside of the local area. And, yes, I feel a little dirty for casting any criticism on a book which focuses so heavily on the grief of a community and a family on the loss of their American soldier(s), so perhaps the greatest virtue of the book is that it keeps Colby Umbrell's memory alive and reminds all of us that those lost in war are real men and women from Everytown, USA.

[Shannon T.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

an interesting book about people from a place very close to my hometown. framed through the lens of a high school football rivalry then leading up to the time the two main folks spent in the armed forces. i wish there had been a bit more time spent on their time post football. the book also jumped around a lot when it came to time and that made it really confusing at points. it could also have narrowed down the cast of characters.

but overall it was an interesting story, made more so by the connection i have to the town.

[Mike Courson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 54 of 2023
Damn. Snagged this for a buck at our local library book sale. Wasn't sure how interested I'd be. Took a while to get into. As other readers have said, the material is not always interesting to those who are not familiar with the area. So getting into the story, there's a fair bit of pretty dry history.

Fast-forward to the final day of 2023 and I ripped off about 140 pages to finish it, basically in one sitting. While the information presented earlier in the book remains dry, it does also kind of set the tone for the greater stories at large. Three hundred thirty pages later, I'll actually miss the writing style and characters.

I know a book with this much detail takes an inordinate amount of time to write. I can appreciate that Mr. Sielski went the extra mile to tell a pretty interesting and moving story. And he probably did not make much money from the venture. In telling it with such great detail, Sielski really does the characters justice. It's a nice way to have Mr. Umbrell remembered.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Sielski at Main Point Books on Independent Bookstore Day in April, and I bought this along with his book about Kobe Bryant (more on that book in another post). Mike was gracious with his time, and he sold me on this book, about which I knew nothing. As I've described Fading Echoes elsewhere, it's one of those rare nonfiction books that reads as though it is fiction. Mike's knowledge of the C.B. West and C.B. East high school football rivalry is amazingly well researched, as is his knowledge of the war in the Iraq. Both the rivalry and the war shape the two protagonists, their families & friends, and their community.

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took awhile to get into it but I'm glad I read it :) This book is about two boys that grew up in the same town. The town has a history with football. Both boys went to middle school together, but went to different highschools. Their highschools happened to be rivals. This book tracks them through their Senior seasons and their life up through their military life. It's a very good, patriotic story.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am normally a fiction reader but saw this book and thought it sounded interesting. It did take me a while to get into it, and it took me a while to complete, as the text was detailed and heavy. However, I am glad I read this story. The power of teamwork on the football field, in the military, and within families is amazing; this book portrays the beauty of these teamworks and the power of the individual determination of two intriguing young men. My heart goes out to the Umbrell family.

[David Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fading Echoes: A True Story of Rivalry and Brotherhood From the Football Field to the Fields of Honor by Mike Sielski (Berkeley Books, NY 2009)(Biography). Players at two Pennsylvania high schools that are rivals in the 2000's die in Iraq, and parallels are drawn. Yawn. DNF. My rating: 2/10, finished 2010.

[Victoria Harben · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a heroic tale, there's no doubt about that. However the writing style is laborious and it's not an easy read on a lot of levels. Gets bogged down heavily with random names and side stories, losing focus on the main players.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm from Doylestown and I knew both of the guys so I liked it - not sure if I'd recommend it to anyone else....

[Jim Noyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very good book, tracking the two main subjects through their formative years to their service to their country. Heartbreaking that one was killed

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two young men, football, and war.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good non-fiction account of high school football friends and their coach and how one dies in Iraq and the effect it has on the town.

[Paulbrown929gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very moving true story of friendship, high school football, and what a real hero is. If you're from Bucks County, PA a must read.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fading echoes BY Erin Hunter second book in the fourth arc of the warrior cats. FIRST EVER AUDIO BOOK. Trust me. You have to put ALOT of effort into a book like this.