"A gorgeous and thoughtful overview of the visual record of the early years of the game."—John Maxymuk, Library Journal starred review
"Michael Oriard returns to the themes of culture and media interpretations of football with this lavishly illustrated book that focuses on the early years of football art in the media."—Katie Taylor, Journal of Sport History
"This is a handsome and imaginative book that will satisfy both readers of football and observers of popular art, and it further cements Oriard's reputation as a most thoughtful and creative interpreter of American football."—Rich Loosbrock, Sport in American History
“A gem of a book that traces the sport’s aesthetic side all the way back to its emergence from the primordial ooze 150 years ago. . . . Where NFL Films and ESPN now stand, there were Homer, Bellows, and Remington. Leave it to a typically cerebral old offensive lineman to appreciate the difference.”—John Schulian, editor of Football: Great Writing about the National Sport
“The Art of Football takes us deep into the sport’s golden age. Michael Oriard brings us these marvelous images of the early sport, when the amateur game dominated and some of America’s greatest artists took up pen and brush to capture the rough play on the gridiron. Equally important, he presents and discusses dozens and dozens of wonderful images that make early football come alive. That’s the key word: this is lively history.”—Elliott J. Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America
