Overview

American Sports, now in its ninth edition, is a comprehensive, analytical introduction to the history of American sports from the precolonial era to the present. Concise, thought-provoking chapters outline the complex relationships between sports and class, gender, race, religion, sexuality, and region in the United States, offering a definitive examination of how athletics have both shaped and reflected American culture across generations. Building on the expanded attention paid to women, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinos in the previous volume, this new edition brings the narrative to the present, covering subjects such as the rising interest in soccer, the legalization of sports gambling, and the transformation of college sports through the advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Students will develop critical thinking skills by connecting sporting events with broader historical contexts. Engaging sidebars on topics that include the Black Sox scandal, the worldwide influence of Jack Johnson, the significance of softball in lesbian communities, and the reasons for recent changes in baseball rules will spark meaningful classroom discussions. Ten new primary source activities invite deeper student participation. This insightful introduction continues to be a vital tool for the study of both sports history and American history.

Full Product Details

9781032347745

Table of Contents

Reviews

Praise for the previous edition: ""Since its first edition, American Sports has admirably detailed not only the rise of sports in the country but why they are important. Ben Rader, and now Pamela Grundy, illustrate how our games reflect our society and provide agency for change. American Sports is everything I could ask for in a brief one-volume history."" Randy Roberts, 150th Anniversary Distinguished Professor, Purdue University ""This well-written, excellent text presents a much more inclusive history of sport in the United States than most textbooks do, broadly exploring the experiences of American athletes of various genders, races, ethnicities, and economic statuses across the centuries. The text embraces the diversity of American athletes and, thus, provides a comprehensive look at the strengths and weaknesses of sport in American society."" Sarah K. Fields, Professor, University of Colorado - Denver ""A perfect mix of specific anecdotes and broader trends. Comfortable prose that moves well yet includes tons of detail. Astute and timely quotations from prominent historical figures. Grundy and Rader have produced a comprehensive history of American sport - and they've done it well!"" Chad Carlson, Professor of Kinesiology, Hope College

Praise for the previous edition: ""Since its first edition, American Sports has admirably detailed not only the rise of sports in the country but why they are important. Ben Rader, and now Pamela Grundy, illustrate how our games reflect our society and provide agency for change. American Sports is everything I could ask for in a brief one-volume history."" Randy Roberts, 150th Anniversary Distinguished Professor, Purdue University ""This well-written, excellent text presents a much more inclusive history of sport in the United States than most textbooks do, broadly exploring the experiences of American athletes of various genders, races, ethnicities, and economic statuses across the centuries. The text embraces the diversity of American athletes and, thus, provides a comprehensive look at the strengths and weaknesses of sport in American society."" Sarah K. Fields, Professor, University of Colorado – Denver ""A perfect mix of specific anecdotes and broader trends. Comfortable prose that moves well yet includes tons of detail. Astute and timely quotations from prominent historical figures. Grundy and Rader have produced a comprehensive history of American sport – and they've done it well!"" Chad Carlson, Professor of Kinesiology, Hope College

Author Information

Pamela Grundy is an independent historian who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is the author of Learning to Win: Sports, Education and Social Change in Twentieth-Century North Carolina and, with Susan Shackelford, of Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball. She is also the editor, with Brad Austin, of Teaching US History Through Sports. Her work has received awards from, among others, the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the North American Society for Sport History. Benjamin Rader is James L. Sellers Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He is the author of Down on Mahans Creek: A History of an Ozarks Neighborhood (2017), When Grandpa Delivered Babies and Other Ozarks Vignettes (2024), and Baseball: A History of America’s Game (5th edition, 2025).

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