American Sports and the Great War
College, Military and Professional Athletics, 1916–1919
$39.95
In stock
About the Book
Drawing on newspaper accounts, college yearbooks and the recollections of veterans, this book examines the impact of World War I on sports in the U.S. As young men entered the military in large numbers, many colleges initially considered suspending athletics but soon turned to the idea of using sports to build morale and physical readiness. Recruits, mostly in their twenties, ended up playing more baseball and football than they would have in peacetime. Though most college athletes volunteered for military duty, others replaced them so that the reduction of competition was not severe. Pugilism gained participants as several million men learned how to box.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Peter C. Stewart
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 243
Bibliographic Info: 22 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8105-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4044-0
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Introduction: Before America Entered the Great War 5
1. Professional Baseball 9
2. College Baseball 20
3. Military Baseball at Home and Abroad 35
4. College Football 54
5. Professional and Military Football 85
6. Track and Field 104
7. Basketball and Volleyball 119
8. Golf and Tennis 135
9. Rowing, Swimming, Yachting and Motorboat Racing 144
10. Boxing and Wrestling 149
11. Auto, Motorbike and Bicycle Racing 160
12. Ice Hockey and Other Winter Sports 164
13. Equestrian Sports 168
14. Gymnastics, Lacrosse and Soccer 173
15. Potpourri: Archery—Trapshooting 178
16. The Inter-Allied Military Olympics 183
17. Legacy of the War 193
Appendix: Records, 1916–1919 199
Chapter Notes 205
Bibliography 221
Index 225
