These themes are brought together through the uniquely American phenomenon of college football
CHICAGO, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A native of England, and long-time resident of the United States author Peter Woan sets out four influences that have contributed to the development of the United States, seen from the perspective of an outside observer His new book contains four overarching ideas and ties them all together though the American spectacle of college football.
In "FIGHT SONG: Four American Narratives Converge in College Football," Woan identifies these key constituents: Westward expansion and the allure of the moving frontier; Aggressive geopolitical pursuit of new territories by the federal government, coupled with an individual hunger for land that culminated in the iconic Homestead Act of 1862; The land-grant college movement, with Congressman Justin Morrill's seminal legislation of 1862 and 1890 as its capstone; The transformative effect of the 1944 GI Bill of Rights. In the final part of the work, Woan ties these strands together through the spectacle of college football and the impassioned fervor it arouses, something Woan states is "so familiar to American eyes, but so surprising to a foreigner."
"The book concludes by proposing a fifth formative element, the American system of higher education itself," said Woan. "Even with its flaws, the unparalleled engine of instruction, research, and discovery with far-reaching and fiercely loyal stakeholder networks, helps explain America's rise to global eminence."
Woan first arrived in the United States in the fall of 1982 because of a job transfer, and almost immediately encountered something he had no idea existed: Americans' fanatical obsession with college football. This phenomenon, so unlike anything back in England, jolted him into realizing how little he really knew about the USA, and planted an idea that he would revisit years later when he wanted to capture some essential elements of his adopted country by writing this book.
"I find it compelling how the United States went from thirteen disparate and cash-strapped former colonies hugging the Eastern Seaboard to possessing the entire continent between Canada and Mexico and becoming a global powerhouse," says Woan. "The book suggests reasons for this spectacular progression by highlighting aspects of U.S. history that may be widely recognized, but perhaps not always fully understood or appreciated."
"FIGHT SONG: Four American Narratives Converge in College Football"
By Peter Woan
ISBN: 9781665744805 (softcover); 9781665744782 (hardcover); 9781665744799 (electronic)
Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the author
Peter Woan was born and educated in England and has lived in America since 1982.He received his bachelor's degree from the University of York in England. A former resident of Atlanta, he now lives in Chicago. He is married to Rebecca, and they have two children. To learn more, please visit http://www.fight-song.com.
Media Contact
Ziggy Goldfarb, LAVIDGE, 4803067065, [email protected]
SOURCE Archway Publishing
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