MacCambridge, Michael. The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2023. Pp. 496. $26.49 Hardcover and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski It is important to point out at the beginning that The Big Time is not marketed as an academic book. In fact, it does not aspire or pretend…
Brown, Ashley. Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2024. Pp. 616. $29.95 hardcover. Reviewed by Bill Pruden Before there was the Williams sisters, there was Althea Gibson. In the late 1950s, her efforts cracked open the formerly-closed door to the historically all-white, upper-class world of tennis to the…
O’Neil, Sean. Spirit and Sport: Religion and the Fragile Athletic Body in Popular Culture. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2022. Pp. 210. $50.00 paperback and e-book. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski Sean O’Neil introduces himself in the Preface to his book as “an ordained Christian minister and a bishop” (p. xi). And both occupations set the tone for…
Moore, Louis. We Will Win the Day: The Civil Rights Movement, the Black Athlete, and the Quest for Equality. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2021. Pp. 260. $24.95 paperback and e-book. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski Louis Moore’s We Will Win the Day is the first book in a new series from the University Press of…
Wood, Keith Brian. Memphis Hoops: Race and Basketball in the Bluff City, 1968–1997. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2021. Pp. 218. $35.00 hardback and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski The first integrated high school game in Memphis took place on September 15, 1965, between all-white Catholic High and all-black Father Bertrand High. The game functions…
Trutor, Clayton. Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta––and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports. Lincoln: Nebraska University Press, 2022. Pp. 504. $34.95 hardback and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski A major American city––one that is either in development or dealing with social, economic, or environmental issues––never fully “arrives” or “emerges” on the national map until it lands a…
Aiello, Thomas. Dixieball: Race and Professional Basketball in the Deep South, 1947-1979. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2019. Pp. 182. $34.95 hardback and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski Atlanta and New Orleans do not exactly appear at the top of the rankings of basketball-obsessed cities. As shown by Thomas Aiello’s extraordinarily entertaining and fun book…
Coverdale, Miles Jr. The 1960s in Sports: A Decade of Change. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. Pp. 371. Black and white photos, index, bibliography, and notes. $75 hardcover. Reviewed by Richard A. Macales “During the turmoil of the 1960s, the world of sports provided a positive distraction for the American people.” – Author Miles…
By Kate Aguilar It was a Sunday evening soccer program promoted as foundational for anyone wanting to play travel soccer in Southern Minnesota. We were new to the state and signed our middle child up immediately. We thought it would be a great way for her and us to build community. Between 50 to 75…
Steidinger, Joan. Stand Up and Shout Out. Women’s Fight for Equal Pay, Equal Rights, and Equal Opportunities in Sports.Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020. Pp. 232. $24.95 hardback and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski Judging by pure numbers, women’s participation in organized sports is at an all-time high. This was made possible due to Title IX,…
Sport in American History 