Scan barcode
pulphead's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.75
kshort206's review against another edition
3.0
A good history of sports in the US. Zirin take the road less traveled by most sports writers as he analyzes the political, social and cultural implications sports most well-known and obscure figures and events have had for America. Great pieces on Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Pat Tillman, and Billie Jean King to name a few well-known figures. Better pieces on the lesser known events of the early 20th century football, the true origins of baseball, and more.
mattycakesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It delivers more or less exactly what it promises, so if you're a leftist who's into sports, this is a solid book for you. There are two main problems that bumped me down from a 5: first, the history was a bit lopsided. The book claims to be about the past 250 years, but in reality, it mostly covers the last 70 years or so. Not that I minded - I somehow doubt sports history was that big of a thing before the 20th century - but it just felt lopsided.
The second issue was that I would have liked more on the "stadiums instead of urban policy" debate. I've read some of Zirin's other stuff on this in the past, and it's pretty awesome stuff. I was hoping for more of that here. Otherwise, pretty good.
The second issue was that I would have liked more on the "stadiums instead of urban policy" debate. I've read some of Zirin's other stuff on this in the past, and it's pretty awesome stuff. I was hoping for more of that here. Otherwise, pretty good.
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
3.0
You know I really wanted to love this book...I think Zirin's short pieces in The Nation and elsewhere are terrific, and a book about how sports are political and how athletes have taken a stand for what they believe? A book telling the stories of those athletes who are often forgotten or marginalized because of their gender or race or sexual orientation (or all of the above)? Come on. This is such a Madeline book...what self-respecting leftist sports geek (*I ran competitive track for 14 years, did you know that?) wouldn't love this?
But honestly, I find Zirin's columns a lot more impressive than this book. The writing is kind of choppy--lots of short sections, interesting for sure but sometimes not tied together at all. And no conclusion to speak of: the book just ends.
The title's not totally accurate either...the first 150 of the 250 years are covered in a few pages, leaving the rest of the book for the last 100 years. And this is not so much a "People's History of Sports" (which to me implies an attempt at telling the stories of all US athletes who've been marginalized when we look at sports) as it is a history of the struggles of male African American athletes to desegregate big-name sports. Fascinating subject for a book for sure, and a huge step forward given that the dominant sports narrative is one of white male athletes and invisible privilege. But women athletes of all backgrounds seemed like footnotes here, and women of color even more so...as did any athletes who weren't white or African American (baseball in the WWII Japanese American incarceration camps gets a couple paragraphs, as does Scott Fujita...that's honestly about it).
I do think this is an important book, and there's value in reading it just for its coverage of the struggles I mention above. But truly doing justice to a people's history of sports in the US would take much more than 300 pages. This isn't bad for an overview...but I'll still take Zirin's columns over this book any day.
But honestly, I find Zirin's columns a lot more impressive than this book. The writing is kind of choppy--lots of short sections, interesting for sure but sometimes not tied together at all. And no conclusion to speak of: the book just ends.
The title's not totally accurate either...the first 150 of the 250 years are covered in a few pages, leaving the rest of the book for the last 100 years. And this is not so much a "People's History of Sports" (which to me implies an attempt at telling the stories of all US athletes who've been marginalized when we look at sports) as it is a history of the struggles of male African American athletes to desegregate big-name sports. Fascinating subject for a book for sure, and a huge step forward given that the dominant sports narrative is one of white male athletes and invisible privilege. But women athletes of all backgrounds seemed like footnotes here, and women of color even more so...as did any athletes who weren't white or African American (baseball in the WWII Japanese American incarceration camps gets a couple paragraphs, as does Scott Fujita...that's honestly about it).
I do think this is an important book, and there's value in reading it just for its coverage of the struggles I mention above. But truly doing justice to a people's history of sports in the US would take much more than 300 pages. This isn't bad for an overview...but I'll still take Zirin's columns over this book any day.
jsgingrich's review against another edition
4.75
I learned so much from this book, both about sports history and politics. Zirin did a great job of illustrating how the two are so tightly intertwined.
mororlesley's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
ohaityler's review against another edition
4.0
this actually had a lot of the same information from "whats my name, fool" but a good read none-the-less.
More...