The Birth of the New NFL: How the 1966 NFL/AFL Merger Transformed Pro Football (Paperback)

by Larry Felser (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A riveting insight into the men and egos who created the uniquely American spectacle we call pro football.”—Tim Russert

Product Description

An insider's view of the drama, intrigue, and machinations that gave  birth to the modern-day NFL.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599211513
• ISBN-13: 978-1599211510
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,761 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 24, 2008

By	N. Kahl (Gaithersburg, MD USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read reams and reams of pages regarding the history of the NFL and have enjoyed many of the recent books tapping into the market of NFL history buffs. I was assuming this book would deliver as some of the others have, but it's hard for me to recommend it.

I guess my biggest issue is that it is not well-written or edited. I think the writing is convoluted and almost too conversational, jumping back and forth on the timeline and just not coherent. It has honestly been difficult to read at times in that I've had to go back and double-check where we were and what he was talking about and how we had gotten to a particular point. And as most of you know, you can usually breeze through these books. Also, there are numerous fact errors. They are fairly inconsequential, but still...if I can spot them, the author should know better. And lastly, there isn't much here I haven't heard before.

If you have not read "America's Game," start there before getting this. That may be the best book about the history of the NFL there is and you will learn more about the AFL-NFL merger and rivalry in that book than you will in this, even though this topic is solely what this particular book covers. And if you haven't read "Going Long," it too is a better read about the AFL and the issues surrounding it.

I can't say I'm sorry I got this book, it's just nearly as good as I was expecting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where were the editors?, March 25, 2009

By	R. J. Wells (Chantilly, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had high hopes for this book, based on the author's long history reporting on pro football. Sadly, those hopes were cruelly dashed.

This might be the worst-edited book I have ever read. It is replete with errors in spelling, grammar, and most annoyingly, basic facts. For example, in several places the author refers to the "AFC East" when he obviously meant AFL. Would it have been so hard to clean the book up a bit before rushing it out the door?

These problems are all the more infuriating when I noticed that the publisher is part of The Globe Press, a well-respected operation.

In short, while there are some entertaining yarns in this book, I cannot recommend it. It could have been so much better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inside stuff, October 6, 2008

By	WDX2BB (New York State) - See all my reviews

"The Birth of the New NFL" by Larry Felser displays the power of access.

When the American Football League started up in 1960, everyone was essentially in it together -- owners, administrators, players and media. There were no foundational barriers in place. That meant that everyone was much closer personally, enabling reporters to know what was really going on. Every AFL city had one or two football reporters who fit that description.

Larry Felser was Buffalo's top reporter, and he goes through the history of the AFL -- concentrating on the merger activity -- in this book. It's short, to the point, and chatty. There are many good stories to go with some information I've never seen before and the perspective that time allows.

About the only drawback are a few mistakes that pop up in the text -- I'd bet Larry would like to have back the lines about watching football for 50 decades, and about Arthur Miller (and not Marvin) being the head of the baseball players association. It doesn't spoil the book though. Longtime football fans will race through this.