Customer Reviews

Lacrosse: A History of the Game

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are a few good books out there on lacrosse, but this one should be regarded as the Bible of the sport. If you have a serious passion for lax, you have to read this book from cover to cover. It's thoroughly researched, well-written, thought-provoking and enlightening. The book talks about both field lacrosse in the US and the indoor box game in Canada. It covers lacrosse on Indian reservations and even in the Olympics!! It's a very rich and complex history that really makes you think. It's hard to summarize 150+ years of lacrosse history in this review, so you have to read it for yourself. The book also includes a bunch of neat photos.

Don Fisher has provided Lacross enthusiasts with some
valuable,and refreshing facts.His book is packed with lots
of interesting insight into the game and its history.His
knowledge on the subject comes from his experiences of
playing Lacross in college in Upstate New York.
I highly recommend Don's book for anyone with an interest
about the subject of Lacross.You will definitely find his
knowledge intriguing and helpful.
Thanks for the book,Don!

Anyone with an interest in the game of LaCrosse will find
Don Fisher`s volume most helpful. Don provides a very concise
look into the history of the sport,taking the reader where most
writers have not yet ventured.Although the author never played
LaCrosse in any professional capacity,the knowledge that he
he offers herein shines throughout this book.I recommend Don`s
book to everyone out there.
Jeffrey Bryan
White Oak,NC

A great work that provides a phenominal amount of historical content. A good book about a great game.

Got this for my son; he chose this as the source material for a Social Studies/history term paper. The history is all there. This book is full of detail; it's good in that respect. But the writing style is ponderous and makes for a slow read. Recommended for serious students of the game's history, perhaps those who are die-hard fans undertaking a master's degree in history.

I played lacrosse for 5 years, including 1 at the varsity level. It is the fastest game on two feet, a combination of power, speed, agility, and skill unmatched by any modern sport. And it's American, North American that is, through and through. I don't read much for pleasure but when I do, I like to read books like Fisher's. I've read it several times; my only regret is not having reviewed it earlier. There is some serious intellectual meat in here but the book is engagingly written, the research is impeccable, and the balance is perfect. (I noticed an earlier reviewer had some odd things to say about Fisher's leftward bias. Fisher does use terms like class but a close reading shows that he is not using the term in a Marxist sense at all. In fact, I'd wager Fisher is slightly right-of-center if anything but I wouldn't put too much money down because, again, the balance is beautiful.) The best aspect of the book, imho, is that it is an example of the history of sport, a subfield of history that places sports into a wide cultural context. The context that Fisher provides improved my understanding of, and love for, the game. I think every lacrosse player, certainly at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels, should read this book carefully and thoughtfully. Were I coaching, I'd get at least one copy for my players to read and then give them an age-appropriate quiz to make sure they got the main points. I bet most would as this is one of the best histories of sport, any sport, I've ever seen or heard about.

I was torn between giving this book two or three stars. I wanted to give it a positive review because it is obvious that the man did amazing research and he was very thorough. In that sense, he did a great job.
On the other hand, I disliked it because it was dry and because he projects too much of his own political anxiety and agenda onto the game. I could have over-looked the dryness and given it a positive rating. But I can't overlook the leftist politics that simply get in the way of what would have been a good history of a great game.