Battles at Annapolis

“Battles at Annapolis highlights key players, coaches, equipment, crowds, and pivotal moments in Army-Navy football. Author David Gendell delivers a richly detailed account of this lesser-known aspect of sports and military history, sure to engage fans of both.”

“Battles at Annapolis is much more than a history of football games. The meditation on tradition and service highlights the ways sporting contests reflect society. Gendell writes with clarity and respect for his subjects and offers both die-hard football fans and general readers a lens into why the Army-Navy rivalry remains one of the most meaningful in American sport.”

“In Battles at Annapolis, David Gendell effortlessly weaves history, sports, and biography. Through his telling of the 1893 and 1942 Army-Navy football games, he reminds us why this rivalry is so revered … the players will not only be remembered for performance on the gridiron, but also for their service to our nation.”

“Beyond the finite details of statistics and strength, iconic tales of America’s beloved athletic pastimes offer revealing historical snapshots of society at large. Resplendently set against the sprawling backdrops of both the Gilded Age and the Second World War, David Gendell’s Battles at Annapolis drops readers into the bleachers and brawls of bygone eras. These stories of long-ago gridiron rumbles transport us to unique moments when service and sportsmanship met on a common playing field.”“Having covered the Army-Navy football rivalry for nearly 30 years, I am well-versed in the history of the series. David Gendell never ceases to amaze me with the interesting facts and unique notes he digs up through hours upon hours of reviewing archival materials. In Battles at Annapolis, Gendell paints a vivid portrait of the Army-Navy games held at the Academy. As a newspaper reporter and real-time historian who often writes retrospective stories reflecting on past events, I have tremendous appreciation for the work Gendell has done to put this book together.”“With strong reporting and clear-eyed prose, David Gendell depicts the unique experience of a pair of Army-Navy football games played by the Chesapeake Bay nearly a half century apart. But Battles at Annapolis is about more than those two games. It explores the origin and early development of college football itself, and also the change, drama, and sense of sacrifice that enveloped the United States during World War II. Quite an achievement.”