How Football Explains America [Hardcover]

Sal Paolantonio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

This fascinating volume takes readers on a journey through the cultural history of American football - from its earliest post-Civil War roots to the high-flying acrobatics of the modern game - and explains why the game evolved, and how its evolution was often a mirror on American society and culture.Drawing on meticulous research, and interviews with some of the game's most prominent voices, "How Football Explains America" looks at everything from why the sport hasn't caught on around the world, to why it is one of the most violent, and from why it is the only sport to feature a 'huddle', to the impact of Old World immigrants on the shape of the game.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Paolantonio, a television football correspondent, opens with an intriguing question: Why does conventional wisdom say that it was television that made football so popular, when other countries that have television are not the slightest bit interested in the game? What if the truth was exactly the opposite—football helped make television? The book relates the evolution of the sport to the evolution of the country: just as America declared its independence from England, so American footballers redesigned the game and made it independent from the British import, rugby. And just as immigrants to the U.S. helped build the country, so various ethnic groups helped build football. The parallels between football and combat are obvious, but Paolantonio doesn’t hammer at them, preferring instead to talk about the way the sport captured the interest of its fans to a degree that few recreational pursuits ever equaled. The hyperbole of its title aside, this volume has surprisingly insightful things to say about football as a sociocultural phenomenon. Expect some interest beyond football fans. --David Pitt

From the Publisher

"So it turns out that Sal Paolantonio doesn't just talk about football on television, he really thinks about it! His book is a breezy, conceptual tour through the history of America and of football, showing they are, in fact, one and the same. From war to jazz, from racism to integration, from immigrant waves of Scotch Irish to Tonga Islanders, from dioramas in the display windows of newspapers to Monday Night Football, from Jim Thorpe to Eli Manning, the story of the game mirrors the story of our country. Who knew? All those lazy Sunday afternoons on the couch were really anthropological research. I'm giving this book to my wife!"
--Mark Bowden, author of The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL and Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War

"Sal Paolantonio's How Football Explains America is brimming with excellent reporting, intellectual breadth, personal insight, and a deep affection for our real national pastime. This is fascinating stuff."
--Mark Kriegel, author of Namath: A Biography, and national columnist, FOXSports.com

"I have been a student of football my whole life, and this book gave me a completely original perspective on the game we call our national pastime. Sal Paolantonio has captured the essence of why we love football."
--Ron Jaworski, analyst, ESPN's Monday Night Football

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600780466
• ISBN-13: 978-1600780462
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Football Fans, September 8, 2008

By 

Donald Sico (Riverton, New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Football Explains America (Hardcover)

This might very well be the most literate sports book I have ever read. If you like football, you will love it. If you like history, you will be fascinated. If you like politics, there is something there for you as well. How Football Explains America is the ONLY sports book I have ever brought into the house that my wife has enjoyed!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Answering the most important questions about America's biggest game..., September 13, 2008

By 

John McDonald - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Football Explains America (Hardcover)

It's easy to answer any number of questions about America's (real) national pasttime: What is it about the game that so captivates people every Sunday? Why do 100 million people watch the Super Bowl each year? How did the game get so...big? But Sal Paolantonio ups the ante by searching for -- and finding -- the answer to the most meaningful and revealing question of all: Why America is the only place in history football could be. "How Football Explains America" is at once a history of our game and a reflection on our country. It's a book born out a love for the sport that millions and millions of Americans have shared. But at its heart it's a patriotic work -- a glimpse at how football has become a perfect expression of the best the United States of America has to offer.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Classic For History Courses, October 3, 2008

By 

John Fitzgerald (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Football Explains America (Hardcover)

A great new book. An excellent new book. A magnificent theme.

This book should be used in history classes throughout the United States. Sal Paolantonio shows how the best qualities and leaders in the course of our country's history have impacted football -- and how the structure of football has benefitted therefrom. Teddy Roosevelt and Bill Parcels; General MacArthur and Bill Walsh; John Coltrane and Johnny Unitas -- all in one book (and rightly so).

Sal Paolantonio deserves acclaim. He crystallizes for us how shared commitment, shared sacrifice, and shared determination are the hallmarks of football, just as they have in other major episodes throughout course of U.S. history.