The Athletic Crusade

“Gems has produced a brisk, provocative, clearly written history of the role of sport in US foreign engagements. . . . This is a lucid and valuable study.”—Choice

“Gems is careful to examine each nation and its own experiences and not lump the globe together in a one effort/one reaction model. The study of sport imperialism is not new. Gems provides the largest and most detailed examination of American involvement in this process, and the organization of his book readily allows for nation by nation comparisons of imperialist techniques and reactions. The book is of obvious interest to sport scholars but also those whose interest include sociology, politics, and military history.”—Aethlon: Journal of the Sport Literature Association

 

 

“Gems has done a great service to all those interested in the role of sport in the imperial adventures of the United States. He has offered a devastating analysis of the American imperial enterprise and has demonstrated the significant role of sport both for the conquering power and for those who tried to resist the imperial intrusion.”—Journal of American History

"[The Athletic Crusade is] an important contribution to our understanding of the international ramifications of American sports."—Aram Goudsouzian, American Studies Journal