Sports and the American Presidency

Synopsis:

Explores the relationship between US presidents, sport and athleticism in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries This book presents an overview of the symbiotic relationship between US presidents and some of the nation's most popular pastimes. Starting with Theodore Roosevelt's significant role in linking the presidency with advocacy of - and active participation in - sports, this book traces how occupants of the White House continued to develop these connections in various guises across the following century for both pleasure and political purposes. Split into three thematic sections, the book approaches the topic from different but related angles to create a multidimensional portrait of the evolving relationship among the US presidency, sports and individual athletes, from the dawn of the twentieth century through to the Trump administration.

Reviews:

"Presidents have long pursued sport for both health and political purposes. In this timely, engaging, and up to date discussion of such relationships the editors provide an interdisciplinary examination that fills a gap in the scholarly literature. The concluding chapter, in particular, points the way for future research on an international scale." -- Gerald R. Gems, North Central College

"[The editors] have compiled a quite remarkable collection on, as the title indicates, sports and the American presidency from the time of Theodore Roosevelt to the present... One can imagine that any number of these chapters would work well in classes on twentieth-century (and twenty-first-century—yes, we need to start thinking about teaching the last two decades or so) American history, political history, the presidency, or sports studies courses. Scholars will also certainly benefit from these contributions and find ample space to build upon them… a very fine collection." -- Derek Catsam, Journal of Sport History (Summer 2024, pp. 143-145)

"Burns and Gambrell’s volume, which reveals how sports can both support and level political playing fields, serves as a turning point for research on sports, politics, and political leaders that will continue to be cited and built upon for years to come." -- Rachel L. Carazo, European Journal of American Studies (September 2024)

"… the book ticks all the boxes and delivers what its subtitle promises. It persuasively shows that sports and the American presidency are very much intertwined, and that sports can provide a useful lens to study politics." -- Abhishek Khajuria, International Affairs (July 2024, p.1814) 

"This edited volume, consisting of 13 chapters, presents multiple approaches to the historical analysis of the intersection of sports and the US presidency. […] The interdisciplinary nature of the volume should appeal to a wide variety of students and researchers." -- Steven Lichtman, Shippensburg University (Reprinted with permission from CHOICE http://www.choicereviews.org, copyright by the American Library Association)