A People's History of Sports in the United StatesA People's History of Sports in the United States

In this long-awaited book from the rising superstar of sportswriting, whose blog “The Edge of Sports” is read each week by thousands of people across the country, Dave Zirin offers a riotously entertaining chronicle of larger-than-life sporting characters and dramatic contests and what amounts to an alternative history of the United States as seen through the games its people played. Through Zirin's eyes, sports are never mere games, but a reflection of--and spur toward--the political conflicts that shape American society.

Half a century before Jackie Robinson was born, the black ballplayer Moses Fleetwood Walker brandished a revolver to keep racist fans at bay, then took his regular place in the lineup. In the midst of the Depression, when almost no black athletes were allowed on the U.S. Olympic team, athletes held a Counter Olympics where a third of the participants were African American.

A People's History of Sports in the United States is replete with surprises for seasoned sports fans, while anyone interested in history will be amazed by the connections Zirin draws between politics and pop flies. As Jeff Chang, author of Can't Stop Won't Stop, puts it, “After you read him, you'll never see sports the same way again.”

To those who scoff at the idea that sports counts in the real world, casually bring up Jackie Robinson, Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Kenichi Zenimura, whose dedication to baseball created major-league-level play in internment camps during World War II. Journalist Zirin gives due credit to the unsung, pointing out the very close relationship between the idols and lesser idols of sports and the city functionaries, mayors, governors, legislators and presidents who courted them. The endorsement of a sports hero was magic, of course, and the support of the politicos created venues, stadiums and parks, but as Zirin points out, how sport has been played in America and by whom (and watched by whom) are not-so-subtle inside looks into the heart of America. Readers can opt for just enjoying the sports stories; more likely, they will see how sport raised us up and let us down as a people. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
A myth-challenging history of sports in America offers insight into the role of politics, pop culture, and other influences on the nation's athletics, in a narrative account by the creator of "The Edge of Sports" blog that places an emphasis on how race-related conflicts made a significant impact on sporting events.
Offers insight into the role of politics, pop culture, and other influences on the nation's athletics, in a narrative account that places an emphasis on how race-related conflicts have had a significant impact on sporting events.