Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The First Star: Red Grange and the Barnstorming Tour That Launched the NFL
In The First Star, acclaimed sports writer Lars Anderson recounts the thrilling story of Harold "Red" Grange, the Galloping Ghost of the gridiron, and the wild barnstorming tour that earned professional football a place in the American sporting firmament.
Red Grange's on-field exploits at the University of Illinois, so vividly depicted in print by the likes of Grantland Ric...more
Red Grange's on-field exploits at the University of Illinois, so vividly depicted in print by the likes of Grantland Ric...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
December 29th 2009
by Random House
(first published December 1st 2009)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
51)
It's hard to imagine today, but there was a time when the American public simply was not interested in professional football. Football was a college game. Working men, who loved baseball and boxing, thought football was for hoity-toity rich kids, not a real man's sport. Those who did follow the college game thought it wholesome and noble, and wanted it kept pure from the dirty, corrupt influence of professionalism. There were only a few professional football teams, and all of them were going bro...more
3 1/2 stars. An entertaining story about Harold "Red" Grange and the tour that transformed professional football (the NFL) from an obscure, illegitimate and shady organization into the most popular sport in America. Without Red Grange, the National Football League would have collapsed in financial ruin and we'd all be sitting around watching figure skating on Sunday afternoons.
The writing style of this book was very easy and entertaining. There was a lot of information that I knew little or noth...more
The writing style of this book was very easy and entertaining. There was a lot of information that I knew little or noth...more
Aug 10, 2011
Chandler
added it
First half of this book had a nice flow, but the second half felt like a laundry list of Grange's infamous barnstorming tour, and less a biography of the first true star of the sport of football. Overall, I did learn some new stuff however.
Couldn't put this book down...absolutely devoured it. Would have loved to have seen Grange play in his prime...can't believe they had to play 10 games in 18 days...in a time when players played both offense and defense. The NFL owes its current success to Grange and George Halas.
There are tons of book's on baseball's history, but not so many on football. The history of the game remains much more untold, and this is a tremendous story of it's first star. Well written period piece.
Apr 15, 2013
Dillan
marked it as to-read
Jan 09, 2013
Tyler
marked it as to-read
Jul 20, 2012
Matt Kunkel
added it
Apr 30, 2012
Cindy AL
marked it as to-read
Feb 10, 2012
Nathan
marked it as to-read
Sep 04, 2011
Alan
marked it as to-read
Aug 28, 2011
Jason Koivu
marked it as to-read
Aug 07, 2011
Terry Moffitt
marked it as to-read
Jul 23, 2011
Rick
added it
Jul 22, 2011
Laura
marked it as to-read
Jul 15, 2011
Tony Derricott
marked it as to-read
Jan 28, 2012
Steven Harbin
is currently reading it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
