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Dave Zirin's rebellious, myth-busting history of sports in America tells an alternative history of the U. S. as reflected in the games Americans play or follow as spectators. Sports are not mere games, as Zirin shows. Sports mirror and illuminate the political conflicts that have shaped American society.

Zirin and his new book join arms with the rebel athletes like Ali or Pat Tillman. He reveals how sports have been used by the people in power to stoke the fires of war, corporate control, racism, sexism, and homophobia. "A People's History of Sports in the United States: 250 Years of Politics, Protest, People, and Play" is replete with surprises for seasoned sports fans, while historical and political junkies will be amazed by the connections Zirin draws between politics and pop flies. There's as much in his book on the Civil Rights Movement as there is on pro baseball or basketball. As Jeff Chang, author of "Can't Stop Won't Stop," puts it, "After you read him, you'll never see sports the same way again."

Dave Zirin writes the popular weekly online sports column “The Edge of Sports” and is a regular contributor to SI.com, The Nation, SLAM, and the Los Angeles Times. Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Editor & Publisher of The Nation, praises Zirin as “Perhaps the best young sportswriter in the United States today. Zirin is the only person my fifteen-year-old, basketball-loving daughter reads on The Nation.com.”

"A People's History of Sports in the United States" is part of The New Press "People's History Series" edited by Howard Zinn.

Dave Zirin's previous books include "What's My Name Fool? Sports and Resistance in the United States"; "Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports"; and the "Muhammad Ali Handbook."

Reviewed by Christine Bowman, BuzzFlash.com

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BUZZFLASH REVIEWS