The Golden Age of Red: A Novel of Red Grange, The Galloping Ghost

by Doug Villhard

One hundred years ago, Red Grange became more famous than Babe Ruth and sparked the original debate as to whether college athletes should be compensated for their name, image, and likeness.
At the height of the Roaring Twenties, college football star Red Grange craved normalcy. He longed to finish his season, earn a degree, settle down, and start a business career. Ever modest and shy, Red was poised to achieve his quiet dreams until he scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes against undefeated Michigan (the reigning national champions), and sportswriters across the country anointed him the greatest football player of all time. Red’s extraordinary feat is still regarded by Sports Illustrated as the most unforgettable single-day performance by any athlete.

Catapulted to a level of fame beyond even Babe Ruth, Red didn’t know where to turn. His girlfriend, coach, friends, family, boosters, and the fledgling NFL all craved a piece of him. With swaggering confidence and a silver tongue, C.C. Pyle, America's first sports agent, dangled before Red an alternate destiny.

As the final game clock ticked down, Red struggled to appease those he loved without sacrificing his soul. All the while, his decision played out against the glittering, raucous backdrop of a decade of flappers, jazz, and speakeasies known as the Golden Age of Sports.

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With appearances by Charlie Chaplin, Chicago Bears owner George Halas, New York Giants owner Tim Mara, and several other 1920s celebrities, including an eight-year-old JFK, whose father, Joe Kennedy, produced two movies starring Red Grange, The Golden Age of Red is a fast, entertaining work of immersive biographical historical fiction that will resonate with sports enthusiasts of all ages, and especially those following today’s almost daily changes regarding the compensation of student-athletes.

Genres: Sports

327 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 1920’s, college football was much more popular than the professional game and one of the most prolific stars of that time was Harold “Red” Grange, also nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost.” This novel about Grange by Doug Villhard, based on actual events and people, is a story that is exciting, heartwarming, maddening and most of all, realistic. All at the same time, no less.

What makes the novel so realistic is that every character and nearly every event that takes place are based on real events and people. Not only Grange himself and his family members, but EVERYONE in the novel. That is made clear at the end when Villhard provides a listing of the characters and the highlights of their real lives. While I enjoyed the story a lot while reading it, seeing this at the end made me appreciate Villard's work even more.

This is especially true as he kept the story close to Grange’s actual life. From the famous game against Michigan in which he scored four touchdowns in 12 minutes to turning pro immediately after his final college game to the barnstorming games and injuries, Grange’s football career is covered well in the story.

His personal life and desires are also explained expertly in the novel and it is this part of the story that I believe makes this great novel. Grange’s desire to leave all the fame and attention behind a live something of a more “normal” life after college is a recurring theme through the story and while that never seems to come to fruition, how Grange addresses his fame and talent makes for great reading. As does his blossoming desire for Helen and his realization that football is his best talent.

Finally, as is explained in the synopsis of the book, there are events in this story that have far-reaching effects on football today, such as compensation for players in addition to tuition, room and board. One doesn’t have to be a football fan to enjoy this novel about the Galloping Ghost.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

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[Omar Zahran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a pretty engaged sports fan, but even I did not know much about Red Grange before reading this book. Villhard explores the story and myth of Grange as a work of historical fiction as opposed to narrative non-fiction, which is common for sports books.

The book explores the cult following of Grange, his resistance to fame, but also heavily features the story of CC Pyle (Grange's agent). The book feels incredibly timely in the sense that it's notions about amateurism, player salary, and fame are all relevant today nearly a century later.

This was a fun read and a quick one, and I suggest it to anyone that is a fan of sports and sports history.

[Diane Villhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book! I don’t even care for American football, but I loved the telling of Red Grange’s story. Fun characters, delightful relationships, and intriguing history.

[Brittany Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to PR By The Book, Mabel Publishing, and Doug Villhard for this ARC.

A book about sports is not my usual go-to read, but after I heard about the premise, I knew I needed to give this one a shot. This novel centers around Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost, an incredible college football player, and his rise to fame in the 1920s.

I am a huge fan of a certain NFL team (🖤💛), so it was so interesting for me to learn that during the 1920s, the NFL was looked down on 😅 The players didn’t even make enough money to play full-time 🫣

Doug Villhard created a book that sports enthusiasts will love and a plot line that did not bore or overwhelm a reader like me. From Charlie Chaplain to Babe Ruth, this book had some incredible 1920s vibes, and I slowly got invested in the life of Red Grange.

I loved the short chapters and quick pace of this one. Villhard balances game plays and recaps with Grange’s personal story off the field in a way that will please every single reader. For a non-sports enthusiast, there was never a point where I was bored or felt like DNF’ing. In fact, this
one held my attention in a surprising way.

If you or a loved one loves football or sports history, you will enjoy “The Golden Age of Red.” I loved being immersed in this Golden Age of Sports, where college and professional football rapidly changed. Set against a backdrop of jazz and speakeasies, I also enjoyed learning more about Red Grange and how he shaped the sport of football.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Mabel Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm a pro football fan and follow my team pretty closely, as well as have a basic understanding of the history of the NFL in general. I decided to request The Golden Age of Red because I love historical fiction as well as football and thought it would be a good combination.

One: even with non-fiction books about football, my eyes glaze over when doing a blow-by-blow description of games. Just not my thing. There's plenty of that in this book, so if that's not your jam, you've been warned.

Two: Red Grange's personal life was far more interesting than any heroics he had on the football field. It's clear the author did a lot of research into this book, because the author's notes at the end go over the major characters in the novel and revealed their fates following the end of the book.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, but it was a good read. The story just shows the impact the Galloping Ghost had on football as a sport, from college to the pros, that is felt today. But I didn't love the book. Perhaps it's because I'm a Green Bay Packers fan?

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where every football team has a "greatest of all time" on its roster, it's easy to forget some of the most famous players of the past. Red Grange never wanted to be the GOAT; he earned the title in one impressive display of athletic play against an undefeated Michigan team that would carry him into football history.

Although a fictionalized version of Red's story, Doug Villhard has remained very close to the actual events. His book is an interesting look at how sports fame affected players over 100 years ago. I know many people who are going to love this book!!!!!

[Doug Yonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

An era of athletics of which I knew little is brought to life in this excellent fictional account of the life and times of an American hero. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.

[Sarah Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Villhard has done it again!

A captivating story from a century ago during the early days of professional football, but many of the same tribulations we face today. Human nature hasn’t really changed. Highly recommend !

[Paul Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Fun read alongside the 100th anniversary of Memorial Stadium, although the storyline felt a little flat (and perhaps overly sexualized).

[Kearstin Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book and each character was well shaped and detailed.

I felt the story line was fast paced and kept my attention.
You can tell the author did research on the rules, earnings, players etc. and based his characters on these players and teams.

It dives into one character mainly and shows the college and pro football life from his perspective as well as the rest of the teams.

Really great read for football season!!!!