The League

How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire

By: John Eisenberg

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

The epic tale of the five owners who shepherded the NFL through its tumultuous early decades and built the most popular sport in America

The National Football League is a towering, distinctly American colossus spewing out $14 billion in annual revenue. But it was not always a success. In The League, John Eisenberg focuses on the pioneering sportsmen who kept the league alive in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, when its challenges were many and its survival was not guaranteed. At the time, college football, baseball, boxing, and horseracing dominated America's sports scene. Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell believed in pro football when few others did and ultimately succeeded only because at critical junctures each sacrificed the short-term success of his team for the longer-term good of the league. At once a history of a sport and a remarkable story of business ingenuity, The League is an essential listen for any fan of our true national pastime.

©2018 John Eisenberg (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"John Eisenberg tells the fascinating account of how five owners, including the Bears's George Halas, cut through their disputes and differences to work together to form the foundations of the league."—Chicago Tribune

"The pluck-and-luck tale of the creation and stabilization of the league is a small but exemplary chapter in American capitalism and popular culture."—Wall Street Journal

"[A] deeply researched, surprise-on-every-page, and altogether marvelous new book"—Weekly Standard

Great listen.

Very good historical account of the early days of the NFL. Highly recommended for fans of the game.

what a great book. loved it completely.

had a great time reading it. Had some history I was unaware of in the NFL. if you're a football fan of must-read.

Great book on the NFL

The book is a solid read that details the struggle of a small group of individuals forging what we know today as the national football league. The book showcases the emergence of the different teams representing large eastern towns and how they came to be so popular and beloved. The book seems incomplete and almost felt more of an admiration of a biographical piece following George Halas while giving some time to the other owners as well. However, it feels like there was more beyond 1955 which is when the book ends.

loved it

love the history of the NFL definitely worth checking out of you are interested in how it all started.

Must for NFL fans

Great historical tale of how not only League was shaped but also how the Rules of the Sport were shaped for the better. A must for any NFL fan, especially fans of the Bears, Eagles, Giants, Redskins, and Steelers.

Veeck as in Wreck

The book is fascinating. It is a wonderful listen. However, the narrator needs to be able to know how to pronounce names correctly, please

Great history of the NFL

If you are interested in the story of the NFL, you will enjoy this book.

Almost a miracle

That five very different men could continue to be intensely competitive yet have the wisdom and foresight to put league above team is almost a miracle. They could not have known what they were creating. Without their unselfishness this would not have happened. As a Catholic, I was also impressed that three of them were devout Catholics. I am also impressed that the families of those three continue to own those teams today! A very great book!

Excellent

This is a well-written, beautifully narrated history of the beginnings of the National Football League. A great listen/read for all NFL fans.

good listen

it was very informative at times read like a textbook but I did enjoy learning everything I did about the creation of football. different world.