"The most important work on sports in nineteenth-century America since John R. Betts' classic America's Sporting Heritage. Adelman offers a major reinterpretation of the relationship between sports and urban life, well anchored by extensive research and perceptive analysis."--Jules Tygiel, author of Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy
"Without a doubt this splendid book is one of the best studies yet completed in sport history."--Benjamin G. Rader, author of Baseball: A History of America's Game
"Must reading for anyone interested in mid-nineteenth century American social, cultural, and urban history."--Steven A. Reiss, author of City Games: The Evolution of American Urban Society and the Rise of Sports