Christopher Rowley is a journalist and reporter for a local newspaper in the Catskills region of New York. He is the author of twenty-three science fiction and fantasy novels.

In this self-proclaimed nonacademic work, Rowley traces the origins of seven contemporary ball games—all variants of American football, soccer, and rugby—to a common beginning. He organizes the book chronologically but frequently digresses as he covers the history of these games from ancient to modern times. This span allows only a cursory description of the material, but Rowley's purpose is to provide not a detailed analysis of the history and significance of each game but rather a descriptive history that will give the fan a better understanding of each. Rowley is a journalist and novelist, and that background is evident in the writing style. He often places the reader as a spectator at a ‘re-creation’ of the historical games, embellishing generally acknowledged facts into snapshots of history. . . .Rowley's account of commonalities of the games is entertaining.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter One: Ancient GamesChapter Two: From Greece to the CradleChapter Three: The Cradle of FootballChapter Four: The Middle AgesChapter Five: The End of the Middle AgesChapter Six: The Age of Rules, Part IChapter Seven: The Age of Rules, Part IIChapter Eight: Around the WorldChapter Nine: The Football Association and Football LeagueChapter Ten: Rugby Union - Rugby League - Gaelic FootballChapter Eleven: Soccer Goes GlobalChapter Twelve: America—The Exception and the RuleChapter Thirteen: On to the Modern WorldBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

Christopher Rowley is a journalist and reporter for a local newspaper in the Catskills region of New York. He is the author of twenty-three science fiction and fantasy novels.

In this self-proclaimed nonacademic work, Rowley traces the origins of seven contemporary ball games—all variants of American football, soccer, and rugby—to a common beginning. He organizes the book chronologically but frequently digresses as he covers the history of these games from ancient to modern times. This span allows only a cursory description of the material, but Rowley's purpose is to provide not a detailed analysis of the history and significance of each game but rather a descriptive history that will give the fan a better understanding of each. Rowley is a journalist and novelist, and that background is evident in the writing style. He often places the reader as a spectator at a ‘re-creation’ of the historical games, embellishing generally acknowledged facts into snapshots of history. . . .Rowley's account of commonalities of the games is entertaining.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter One: Ancient GamesChapter Two: From Greece to the CradleChapter Three: The Cradle of FootballChapter Four: The Middle AgesChapter Five: The End of the Middle AgesChapter Six: The Age of Rules, Part IChapter Seven: The Age of Rules, Part IIChapter Eight: Around the WorldChapter Nine: The Football Association and Football LeagueChapter Ten: Rugby Union - Rugby League - Gaelic FootballChapter Eleven: Soccer Goes GlobalChapter Twelve: America—The Exception and the RuleChapter Thirteen: On to the Modern WorldBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

Christopher Rowley is a journalist and reporter for a local newspaper in the Catskills region of New York. He is the author of twenty-three science fiction and fantasy novels.

In this self-proclaimed nonacademic work, Rowley traces the origins of seven contemporary ball games—all variants of American football, soccer, and rugby—to a common beginning. He organizes the book chronologically but frequently digresses as he covers the history of these games from ancient to modern times. This span allows only a cursory description of the material, but Rowley's purpose is to provide not a detailed analysis of the history and significance of each game but rather a descriptive history that will give the fan a better understanding of each. Rowley is a journalist and novelist, and that background is evident in the writing style. He often places the reader as a spectator at a ‘re-creation’ of the historical games, embellishing generally acknowledged facts into snapshots of history. . . .Rowley's account of commonalities of the games is entertaining.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter One: Ancient GamesChapter Two: From Greece to the CradleChapter Three: The Cradle of FootballChapter Four: The Middle AgesChapter Five: The End of the Middle AgesChapter Six: The Age of Rules, Part IChapter Seven: The Age of Rules, Part IIChapter Eight: Around the WorldChapter Nine: The Football Association and Football LeagueChapter Ten: Rugby Union - Rugby League - Gaelic FootballChapter Eleven: Soccer Goes GlobalChapter Twelve: America—The Exception and the RuleChapter Thirteen: On to the Modern WorldBibliographyIndexAbout the Author