The Crimson Tide

Celebrated author and diehard Bama fan Winston Groom covers the illustrious history of football at The University of Alabama from 1892, when William G. Little introduced the game, to the dramatic 1999-2000 season during which the Crimson Tide made a miraculous turnaround to reclaim its place at the top of national polls. The book's nearly 300 historic and contemporary photographs of coaches, games, players, cheerleaders, fans, artifacts, commemorative items, and vintage game programs immerse the reader in the Alabama football experience. The text and photos capture all of the team's triumphs: Alabama's 1922 defeat of the University of Pennsylvania (a victory that put Alabama on the national football map), the Tide's celebrated upset win over the University of Washington in the 1926 Rose Bowl, the legendary years under Coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant, the twelve national championships, the heart-stopping victories over the big rivals, and, of course, highlights from the remarkable and record-breaking final season of the 20th century. Keith Jackson of ABC Sports has written a foreword for the book, which also features short essays from author and former UA student newspaper sports editor Gay Talese, former UA quarterback Scott Hunter, actress and former UA cheerleader Sela Ward, the late southern writer Willie Morris, Alabama native and New York Times editorial page editor Howell Raines, long-time Birmingham News sportswriter Clyde Bolton, and UA English professor Philip Beidler. Every Bama football fan--and every other fan who thinks he or she knows something about the sport--should own a copy of this definitive history of the Crimson Tide.