The First Star: Red Grange and the Barnstorming Tour That Launched the NFL

I’m reading the book and enjoying the vivid descriptions and intimate details of the story but it’s hard to know what to believe because there are factual errors with well know historical events that even the most cursory research would reveal. Two examples from the first few chapters – Anderson says Jim Thorpe organized the initial meeting that led to the formation of the American Professional Football Association which later became the NFL – simply wrong, it was Ralph Hay in Canton who gets the credit ([…]) Then Anderson gives credit to Ralph Hay for signing Jim Thorpe to play for the Canton Bulldogs in 1915, but Hay did not become owner of the Bulldogs until he bought the team from Jack Cusack in 1918 (see the same reference); Cusack signed Thorpe. And I think Anderson is over the top in his description of Jim Thorpe’s drinking issues – read Kate Buford’s Native American Son for the better telling of that story. I like the writing style, I enjoy the dramatic narrative, I just wish I could trust it was true.

Great book about Red Grange. A must read for any fan of him or football.

Had to buy and read this book for class but wow it was good. It’s more of a children’s read but good history and makes you wish Illinois was still a good football team. Boo Tim Beckman

Great easy read! Recommend the book to any one. Not just a sports book, but reads like a novel with a lot of information and facts that make the book interesting.

As a student of the university of Illinois, I am grateful to the professor for assigning this book. If you are a fan of football, history, and a rising of an empire, this is a must read.

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