The Million Dollar Backfield: The San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s [Paperback]

Dave Newhouse (Author), Bill Walsh (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2000

This is the story of four San Francisco 49ers: Joe Perry, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson, and Y. A. Tittle. Though together for only three years—1954 through 1956—their stories made history, and each player went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tracing their heroics on the field as well as the struggles encountered in their personal lives, The Million Dollar Backfield offers a unique look at the world of football—and life in America—in the 1950s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When I think of Joe Perry, I think of someone who hit the hole like lightning, an undersized fullback who could change directions, was exciting to watch, and who could vault for yardage."
—John Steadman, Baltimore Sun

"The King [McElhenny] could turn a short pass into a crazy-legged, broken field adventure."
—Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated

About the Author

Dave Newhouse has been a leading sportswriter for thirty-five years. He has been as columnist since 1979, finishing three times in the top ten of the nationally prestigious Associated Press Sports Editors competition. He is also the father of two sons, who lives with his wife, Patsy, in Oakland, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Frog Books (November 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583940073
• ISBN-13: 978-1583940075
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Puffery and pastiche, November 10, 2003

By 

Lime Directional-Lights "Ethbrqwrgqpa!" (Ethbrqwrgqpa-land) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Million Dollar Backfield: The San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s (Paperback)

I really wanted to like this - the story of the Niners' Million Dollar Backfield is certainly one which deserves to be told - but I guess I was fooled into buying this by its enticing cover, which I caught on the web. I know, I know - books and covers.

I won't make the same mistake again.

Actually, to a certain extent you can judge this book by its cover. Tittle is depicted in his most famous photograph, bloodied and weary - and in the uniform of the New York Giants. And John Henry Johnson is shown carrying the ball not for San Fran, but for Pittsburgh. This is a portent of things to come, because what awaits on the inside is not really of account of how the Backfield was formed, or how well it performed together during its brief existence, but separate biographies of each of the four players, steeped in as much sycophancy as you can stomach. Not only does this mean details of certain games and incidents are repeated - as many as four times - but it also makes it almost impossible to follow the progress of the quartet as a unit in any sensible manner.

Then there is Newhouse's rather fawning prose, written more from the perspective of an adoring fan than an objective writer. He resorts to some awful similies ("He starts upfield, and his body reacts as if it's filled with jumping beans") - not to mention blindingly obvious observations ("Pro football was primitive at that time compared to nowadays"), and some puffery of the first order. Few superlatives are spared for any member of the famous backfield, yet in the end all we really learn is what we pretty much knew all along: Tittle was courageous, Johnson a punishing runner, Joe Perry was very fast, and Hugh McIlhenny was great in the open field. Come on, Dave, these guys are already in the Hall of Fame!

So why didn't the Niners ever win a title with these four? Well, their defense wasn't very good. That's all we're told. Why wasn't it any good, then? Who was to blame, and what did the team attempt to do about it? And what about the Backfield's finest hours - which games did it all come together for them as a unit (rather than individuals), and why? These were the kind of topics I was hoping would be addressed. Instead, Newhouse simply leans on encomia from teammates and opponents ("he might have been the greatest ever," "he's a really great guy," "he's just as good as [insert name of any current NFL superstar]," etc. etc.), to say nothing of an interview he apparently conducted with Tittle's daughter which frankly I found too tedious to perservere with.

A definitive book on the NFL in the 1950s is still yet to be written, and I continue to wait for it eagerly. This, folks, ain't it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A GOOD PIECE OF FOOTBALL NOSTALGIA, June 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Million Dollar Backfield: The San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s (Paperback)

THIS IS ABOUT THE BACKFIELD OF THE 49ERS OF THE MID 1950'S. THE AUTHOR PROVIDES A LOOK AT THE 4 GREATS UP CLOSE. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. IT IS WELL WRITTEN AND HAS SOME GREAT DETAILED GAME ACTION. THE INTERVIEWS ARE ENLIGHTENING AND WELL DONE. TITTLE, JOHNSON, PERRY, AND MCELHENNY ARE ALL CERTAINLY DESERVING OF THE HALL OF FAME. THE STORIES AND INSIGHT BY OPPOSING PLAYERS AND COACHES ADD TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE NOSTALGIA THIS BOOK BRINGS.
RECOMMENDED FOR ALL 49ER AND FOOTBALL FANS.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Million Dollar Backfield Book, November 12, 2008

By 

katcalby "katcalby" (CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Million Dollar Backfield: The San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s (Paperback)

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