The Real All Americans

The Team that Changed a Game, a People, A Nation

By: Sally Jenkins

Narrated by: Don Leslie

If you’d guess that Yale or Harvard ruled the college gridiron in 1911 and 1912, you’d be wrong. The most popular team belonged to an institution called the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Its story begins with Lt. Col. Richard Henry Pratt, a fierce abolitionist who believed that Native Americans deserved a place in American society. In 1879, Pratt made a treacherous journey to the Dakota Territory to recruit Carlisle’s first students.

Years later, three students approached Pratt with the notion of forming a football team. Pratt liked the idea, and in less than twenty years the Carlisle football team was defeating their Ivy League opponents and in the process changing the way the game was played.

THE REAL ALL AMERICANS is about the end of a culture and the birth of a game that has thrilled Americans for generations. It is an inspiring reminder of the extraordinary things that can be achieved when we set aside our differences and embrace a common purpose.©2007 Sally Jenkins; (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

“Spectacular . . . I could barely put it down.”
—Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL

A fascinating historical account and an implicit commentary on modern sports.” —Wall Street Journal

“[The Real All Americans] does a marvelous job of making a direct and intimate connection between our beloved, modern game and the unlikely team that, a century ago, helped make it what it is today.” —Newsweek

great story of more than just football!

well told story about the thorny issue of native americans in a white man's world around the turn of the 20th century. its full of familiat names from football history and their stories.

Amazingly awesome!!!

Truly a great work - this book teaches about US history close up through the real lives of those who changed the world not only with regards to football , but also in ways we will never be able to measure.

Surprises upon surprises!

This weaves two wonderful stories together. There is the poignant tale of the dissolution of Native American Indian culture at the end of the nineteenth century. And there is the remarkable story of how the modern game of American Football developed during this same period of history. I had no idea how closely these stories were intertwined. Filled with remarkable strong characters and vivid detail and read beautifully you are transported back to a fascinating time in American history where you can almost smell the sweat, mud, and blood from the battlefield and football field.

Interesting

Shared this with so many friends. If you love history and football you will love this book. I always enjoy Don Leslie as narrator.

Incredible story about sports and America

We might think we know football, until we read this book. The character, creativity, and struggles of the earliest players come through in an exhilarating tale of perseverance and heartbreak and unbelievable games. Strong performance by the narrator, although I did increase the playback speed to 1.3.