A history of American sports in 100 objects

In this book, the author discusses American sports history based on 100 important objects. These were selected because of their accessibility, the information they offer about interesting aspects, and the idea that the objects helped portray the roles of technology and innovation. Other requirements included that objects belong to a story related to eminent or lesser-known athletes and are part of a moment that became an important benchmark within sports culture. Of the 100 represented objects, only 13 derive from pre-1900 and 46 are from 1970 and later. It is important to note that this is not a work about material culture--the objects are illustrations, not historical evidence. Representative objects include soil from the Elysian Fields, Abraham Lincoln's handball, Annie Oakley's rifle, Hank Aaron's jersey, and Chris Evert's shoes. Chapters with photographs of equipment such as tennis rackets, horseshoe nails, hockey sticks, or uniforms do not illuminate these objects' roles in sports history or their evolution. The average entry is about three pages and is adequately researched, primarily from secondary sources. The book aims for a general readership, not an exceedingly academic audience. The work includes endnotes, illustrations, and credits. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, general readers. --Steven A. Riess, Northeastern Illinois University

*Starred Review* Can the history of American sports be rendered by 100 objects? Yes, it can. Journalist Murphy was inspired to undertake this project by the BBC's A History of the World in 100 Objects (2011), which launched a mini-wave of similar volumes (the Smithsonian tackled the world in 1,000 objects, and America in 101). This immensely entertaining and beautifully written variation on the theme offers up eclectic choices that range from Yogi Berra's catcher's mitt to hockey Hall-of-Famer Bobby Orr's knee brace. Murphy moves chronologically through her 100-object countdown, beginning with a statue, discovered in the early twentieth century, depicting a Native American chunkey player from about 1100 CE. Her selections resonate socially, politically, and technologically across American sports history, with each item containing a perceptive explanation of its significance. It's not all bats and balls. For example, she includes a brain scan from a sufferer of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the condition we now recognize plagues football players. Among the most interesting are the Immaculata College women's basketball uniforms worn in the early seventies when the Mighty Macs won the first three national collegiate women's basketball championships. The uniforms included bloomers and were made of wool. The backstory surrounding those championships is an eye-opening and too-little-known chapter in the history of women's sports. This is a great concept for a sports book, and it's expertly executed.--Lukowsky, Wes Copyright 2016 Booklist