- Hardcover: 344 pages
- Publisher: Scholarly Book Services Inc (Jun 27 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0812236270
- ISBN-13: 978-0812236279
- Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.3 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 757 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,085,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Bernstein, a journalist, cartoonist and lawyer who graduated from Princeton, reminds the world that the roots of American football are entrenched on the campus grounds of the Ivy League, even if its brand of football now inspires little interest. He writes that Ivy League schools "invented the All-America team and filled all the early ones, produced the first coaches, arranged the basic rules, conceived many of the strategies, devised much of the equipment, and even named the positions." And much like the schools he covers, Bernstein eschews the thrills of the college football experience in deference to a more scholastic pursuit. Though the book's tone recalls an academic paper, Bernstein does leaven his history with anecdotes bringing the subject to life. After a game-winning kick for Princeton against Yale in 1899, for instance, player Arthur Poe engaged a de facto PR agent to handle his fans. "Mr. Poe directs me to thank you for the lock of hair," a representative response began. "He prizes it highly and regrets that another engagement will prevent his presence at Cadwalader Park, Friday evening." While the book starts out as a history of college football as it related to the Ivy League, it develops into a history of Ivy League football. The latter may be of less interest to the general gridiron buff, but anyone looking here to find a detailed account of the sport's origin will scarcely be disappointed.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
Mr. Bernstein's meticulous study makes interesting arguments. . . . [and] offers dazzling descriptions of long-forgotten people and events. -- The Wall Street Journal, December 4, 2001
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First Sentence
As America is the daughter of Europe, President John F. Kennedy once joked to open a commencement address in New Haven, Connecticut, so he was pleased to be at Yale, the daughter of Harvard. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
As America is the daughter of Europe, President John F. Kennedy once joked to open a commencement address in New Haven, Connecticut, so he was pleased to be at Yale, the daughter of Harvard. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, but needs a thorough editing; too many mistakes,
By Engineering Jones (Eastern States, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession (Hardcover)
Mark F. Bernstein's history of Ivy League football is generally interesting, though it doesn't offer a lot of new material. The bibliography is fascinating. Most problematic however, is the proliferation of mistakes, sometimes self-corrected later. A good editor should have caught these. Consider the following:1) On page 199, Mr. Bernstein implies that Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Cornell dropped Pennsylvania from their schedules in 1951 and 1952. In fact, Pennsylvania played all of these teams in both of those seasons and the author even refers to the 1951 Princeton-Penn contest on page 209. 2) On page 257, the author writes that "(Penn coach Jerry) Berndt continued to win, claiming a share of still another Ivy title in 1988, with Cornell....". However, this is not correct as Berndt left Pennsylvania after the 1985 season, which the author correctly indicates on page 258. 3) On page 242, and again on page 280, Penn receiving legend Don Clune, is referred to as Don McClune. 4) There is no mention of Frank Riepl's miracle kickoff return for Pennsylvania against Notre Dame in 1955, Coach Ron Rogerson of Princeton's untimely death in 1986, Brown is continually called the "Bears" when their nickname was the "Bruins" until recently, and I swear, somewhere in the book Bob Blackman is called Bob Blackmun. All in all, it's a good book with a decent balance of coverage of each of the eight teams, though Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Penn get by far the most attention. The beginning takes a bit to get through as well and of course, please check the facts, ma'am.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read About the Ivy League and Football,
By CaribMike (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession (Hardcover)
Even though I have not yet finished reading this excellent book on football and the Ivy League, I already have enough tidbits to keep up a lively conversation at holiday cocktail parties. Before the end of the first chapter, I found out that there really is no Ivy League. And who could resist dropping on their friends from Cornell the fact that one of their college presidents refused to let "thirty men travel 400 miles to agitate a bag of wind". The tales are intriguing, and Bernstein's writing is engaging. If you have an Ivy League graduate or any other football fan on your gift list, this would be a great choice.
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Meticulous" & terrific stories as the Wall St. Journal said,
By Pete DeCoursey (Harrisburg PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession (Hardcover)
Mark Bernstein's terrific new book shows that the Ivy League invented and struggled with the same problems, and the same glories that permeate college football today.His is a story of the game: the players, coaches, fans, institutions, that shaped everything about football from its rules to the way it is televised. He shows how football's founding fathers had the same arguments, debates, and trash-talking disputes that coaches have today. Anyone who thinks cheating or hooliganism or sportsmanship or glory are any different now than they ever have been, should read this wonderful and entertaining account. From a Princeton football star who died a Fitzgerald-esque figure and mercenary soldier of fortune, to a princeton football star who then attended 450-some straight Princeton games, the people who skirmished are here. From the rules changes that ended almost a decade of 0-0 ties (in some years, teams would win a few games, tie the rest and win the title) to the rules changes that allowed the forward pass, to the rules changes that knocked the Ivies out of major college football, it is all here. Beautifully worded, with glistening anecdotes and a sweeping overview, football's pageant it is all here. And it is wonderful.
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