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War Football-Red Grange-Pioneer Coaches

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 11:37 am
by ChrisSerb
Hello all...I've been a PFRA member for a few years but am only now posting on the Forums for the first time. Just wanted to spread the word about a few new books about pro football history that were published this summer by Rowman & Littlefield.

First off, and the one I'm most excited about, is my own book, War Football: World War I and the Birth of the NFL, which was released in June. It's about the long-forgotten history of military football, which dominated the football landscape by creating the first-ever true all-star teams, from fall of 1917 in the US to the spring of 1919 in Europe. In my view, and I "think" I prove this fairly well, this jump-started the birth of the NFL by at least 5 or 10 years, as at least 240 (the true number is probably far more) War Football veterans, including 7 Hall-of-Famers, played and coached in the early years of the league. George Halas, who starred at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, is the most famous pro football pioneer covered in the book, but I also uncovered the stories, and the War Football connections, of others who shaped the early pro game, such as Bud Talbott, Potsy Clark, Jim Kendrick, Guy Chamberlin, and George Trafton. bit.ly/Warfootball or https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538124840/W ... of-the-NFL

Chris Willis, head of the research library at NFL films and a past PFRA honoree, published Red Grange: The Life and Legacy of the NFL's First Superstar, just this month. It's highly detailed, and a great read. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538101957/R ... -Superstar

And John Maxymuk, a football historian who works at Rutgers University library and another past PFRA honoree, published Pioneer Coaches of the NFL: Shaping the Game in the Days of Leather Helmets and 60-Minute Men, also this month. John focuses on coaches from the early days such as Halas, Clark, Chamberlin, Curly Lambeau, and Clark Shaughnessey. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538112236/P ... Minute-Men

These list prices of these books are fairly high, but the publisher is offering a 30 percent "Friends and Family" discount to those who order direct from the publisher and use the code RLFANDF30. The process is a bit cumbersome (you have to create an account, you can't sign in as a "guest") but worth it to save more than $10 off the list price.

Thanks everyone, and happy reading!

Chris Serb