War Football - by Chris Serb (Hardcover)

About the Book

War Football reveals for the first time how World War I gave birth to the NFL. It tells the story of the army, navy, and marine teams that saved American football during the war, and shows how war football alumni, including star George Halas, broke down barriers to professiona...

Book Synopsis

War Football reveals for the first time how World War I gave birth to the NFL. It tells the story of the army, navy, and marine teams that saved American football during the war, and shows how war football alumni, including star George Halas, broke down barriers to professionalism and helped launch the NFL shortly after the war ended.

Review Quotes

. . . an enjoyable page-turner. . . This account of how the war impacted the growth of the sport takes us in a different direction from previous histories that focus on Walter Camp, George Halas, or the sport's semi-professional roots. Serb's analysis of the impact of WWI as a situational factor provides a new way to understand the sport's growth.

In this impressively researched volume, journalist Serb makes the plausible argument that the success of military service football during World War I prompted the establishment of the National Football League one year later. These games and teams demonstrated that fans would show up for post-graduate football that lacked college connections. Moreover, prominent figures such as Walter Camp and Gen. John J. Pershing expressed the view that football was useful in the training and fitness of soldiers, as well as providing men with a positive pursuit in their free time. Serb details the proliferation of service ball at U.S. military bases in 1917-18 while the army and navy were being assembled, and features extensive accounts of significant contests. Several soldiers who played service ball during the Great War would later play in the NFL, including George Halas, who would prove to be the driving force of the league for over 60 years as the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears. He and many other major players and coaches are profiled here. VERDICT For anyone interested in the early days of football and its interaction with the U.S. military, this book will prove to be a valuable reference.

In War Football, Chris Serb not only makes a strong case that football played during The Great War "created an environment where professional football could finally succeed on a large scale," but also crafts one of the more complete records of the game as it was played at various stateside training camps.... Although he recognizes that professional football was becoming more popular before the war, he argues that the pros suffered from a lack of organization, a dearth of known players, and negative public perceptions. He makes a persuasive case that the taste for gridiron glory that was extended for many former college stars during the war, along with the athletic networks that they formed in the various training camps, set the stage for a postwar surge in professional football's popularity.... With an engaging narrative that is accessible to a wide audience, Serb's book should interest academics and general readers. It also would be a good read for undergraduate students in a football history course, as well as for those in a more general course on World War I. War Football is well worth a read.

An impeccably researched work which details the time period during the Great War when football was being played at U.S. military bases at home and abroad

Chris Serb's War Football is a revelation. It is a thoroughly researched and wonderfully written saga. This book shines a light on the untold story of World War I, including its role in the birth of what would ultimately become today's National Football League. The rich detail that brings to life those early days--endowed by our football forefathers, Walter Camp and George Halas--is not to be missed!

RECOMMENDED . . .In this descriptive history, independent sports journalist Serb argues that "war football" played in military training camps and overseas during World War I directly led to the creation of the NFL by improving the environment around--and reputation of--professional football. The book is well documented with references to primary historical sources, particularly newspapers and programs, thus adding new information to the field . . . This is a valuable contribution to the field, given its focus on an often overlooked period of sport history.

Think you know all there is to know about the NFL? Think again. In his fascinating book, War Football, Chris Serb digs deep into American history to tell the riveting story of how World War I directly led to the birth of the NFL and brings to life the intrepid pioneers who formed what has become the nation's most important sports league.

About the Author

Chris Serb is an independent journalist who has written extensively for such publications as Chicago Tribune, Chicago History, Writer's Digest, Chicago Athlete, and Men's Fitness. He is the author of Sam's Boys: The History of Chicago's Leone Beach and Legendary Lifeguard Sam Leone (2000), whose profits were donated to charity. Serb was a finalist for Chicago Headline Club's prestigious Peter Lisagor Award for Best Sports Feature in 2000.