In this impressively researched volume, journalist Serb makes the plausible argument that the success of military service football during World War I prompted the establishment of the National Football League one year later. These games and teams demonstrated that fans would show up for post-graduate football that lacked college connections. Moreover, prominent figures such as Walter Camp and Gen. John J. Pershing expressed the view that football was useful in the training and fitness of soldiers, as well as providing men with a positive pursuit in their free time. Serb details the proliferation of service ball at U.S. military bases in 1917–18 while the army and navy were being assembled, and features extensive accounts of significant contests. Several soldiers who played service ball during the Great War would later play in the NFL, including George Halas, who would prove to be the driving force of the league for over 60 years as the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears. He and many other major players and coaches are profiled here. VERDICT For anyone interested in the early days of football and its interaction with the U.S. military, this book will prove to be a valuable reference.

Library Journal

In War Football, Chris Serb not only makes a strong case that football played during The Great War “created an environment where professional football could finally succeed on a large scale,” but also crafts one of the more complete records of the game as it was played at various stateside training camps.... Although he recognizes that professional football was becoming more popular before the war, he argues that the pros suffered from a lack of organization, a dearth of known players, and negative public perceptions. He makes a persuasive case that the taste for gridiron glory that was extended for many former college stars during the war, along with the athletic networks that they formed in the various training camps, set the stage for a postwar surge in professional football’s popularity.... With an engaging narrative that is accessible to a wide audience, Serb’s book should interest academics and general readers. It also would be a good read for undergraduate students in a football history course, as well as for those in a more general course on World War I. War Football is well worth a read.

Sport in American History

RECOMMENDED . . .In this descriptive history, independent sports journalist Serb argues that "war football" played in military training camps and overseas during World War I directly led to the creation of the NFL by improving the environment around--and reputation of--professional football. The book is well documented with references to primary historical sources, particularly newspapers and programs, thus adding new information to the field . . . This is a valuable contribution to the field, given its focus on an often overlooked period of sport history.

Choice Reviews

. . . an enjoyable page-turner. . . This account of how the war impacted the growth of the sport takes us in a different direction from previous histories that focus on Walter Camp, George Halas, or the sport’s semi-professional roots. Serb’s analysis of the impact of WWI as a situational factor provides a new way to understand the sport’s growth.

Sport in History

An impeccably researched work which details the time period during the Great War when football was being played at U.S. military bases at home and abroad

Insidehook

Think you know all there is to know about the NFL? Think again. In his fascinating book, War Football, Chris Serb digs deep into American history to tell the riveting story of how World War I directly led to the birth of the NFL and brings to life the intrepid pioneers who formed what has become the nation's most important sports league.

Christine Brennan, USA Today sports columnist and ABC News, CNN, and NPR commentator