Sports and the American Presidency

[This] 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, Jawaharlal Nehru University * International Affairs *
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 interdisciplinary nature of the volume should appeal to a wide variety of students and researchers. -- S. B. Lichtman * CHOICE *
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 *
[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 Charles Catsam, University of Texas-Permian Basin and Rhodes University * Journal of Sport History *