King Football: Sport and Spectacle in the Golden Age of Radio and Newsreels, Movies and Magazines, the Weekly and the Daily Press (Paperback)

by Michael Oriard (Author) "On a typical fall weekend in 1939, newspapers, magazines, the radio airwaves, even movie theaters were full of football..." (more)
Key Phrases: football journalism, football fiction, football cover, New York, Notre Dame, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Having examined football from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries in Reading Football: How the Popular Press Created an American Spectacle, Oriard (American literature and culture, Oregon State Univ.), a former player for Notre Dame and the Kansas City Chiefs, here looks at the game from the 1920s through the 1950s. During this period, Americans followed their favorite college or professional team in newspapers, magazines, and newsreels or by listening to the radio, and Oriard shows that the media were a powerful force in constructing the football culture we know today. He also shows how football culture reflects broader changes in U.S. society. The volume includes an exhaustive bibliography and notes, plus appendixes on football films and football cover images on the Saturday Evening Post/Collier magazines from 1920 to 1960. A book football enthusiasts will enjoy, this is recommended for all libraries where demand warrants. Larry R. Little, Penticton P.L., BC
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"A book football enthusiasts will enjoy, this is recommended for all libraries." -- Library Journal

"For the fan with a scholarly bent." -- USA Today --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (December 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807855456
• ISBN-13: 978-0807855454
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #826,521 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Reflections on the rise of America's Game, November 17, 2006

By	Professor Brizz (Interlochen, MI) - See all my reviews

This is really a fascinating and well written book. Oriard looks at every angle in deconstructing how and why football became America's Game by 1960. Great illustrations accompany very readable text. It's a social history as much as a football history, but it speaks volumes about the sporting heritage of America and how race, class, and ethnicity are reflected in the game - and indeed how the game has forced us to confront some of the less savory facets of American society, particularly race. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of football and American popular culture.