Free shipping on orders over $99
Soldier Field

Soldier Field

A Stadium and Its City

by Liam T. A. Ford
Hardback
Publication Date: 01/10/2009

Share This Book:

 
$49.95
Sports fans nationwide know Soldier Field as the home of the Chicago Bears. For decades its signature columns provided an iconic backdrop for gridiron matches. But few realize that the stadium has been much more than that. Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City explores how this amphitheater evolved from a public war memorial into a majestic arena that helped define Chicago.

Chicago Tribune staff writer Liam Ford led the reporting on the stadium's controversial 2003 renovation-and simultaneously found himself unearthing a dramatic history. As he tells it, the tale of Soldier Field truly is the story of Chicago, filled with political intrigue and civic pride. Designed by Holabird and Roche, Soldier Field arose through a serendipitous combination of local tax dollars, City Beautiful boosterism, and the machinations of Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson. The result was a stadium that stood at the center of Chicago's political, cultural, and sporting life for nearly sixty years before the arrival of Walter Payton and William "The Refrigerator" Perry.

Ford describes it all in the voice of a seasoned reporter: the high school football games, track and field contests, rodeos, and even NASCAR races. Photographs, including many from the Chicago Park District's own collections, capture these remarkable scenes: the swelling crowds at ethnic festivals, Catholic masses, and political rallies. Few remember that Soldier Field hosted Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr., Judy Garland and Johnny Cash-as well as Grateful Dead's final show.

Soldier Field captures the dramatic history of Chicago's stadium on the lake and will captivate sports fans and historians alike.
ISBN:
9780226257068
9780226257068
Category:
Sporting venues
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
01-10-2009
Language:
English
Publisher:
The University of Chicago Press
Country of origin:
United States
Pages:
376
Dimensions (mm):
26x19x3mm
Weight:
0.99kg

Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available

Reviews

Be the first to review Soldier Field.