FROM THE PUBLISHER

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.

About the Author: Winston Groom, a graduate of The University of Alabama, is the author of ten books, most famously the best-selling Forrest Gump and most recently Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl. He lives with his wife and daughter in Point Clear, Alabama, and in the mountains of North Carolina.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Winston Groom is the perfect writer to recapture all the glory of Crimson Tide football—and he's done exactly that. Anybody who loves college football—and not just Alabama football—will surely want to fondle this book, and even read it with relish. — (Dan Jenkins Author of Semi-Tough and I'll Tell You One Thing: The Untold Truth About Texas, America & College Football)

The next best thing to game day! Buy it, read it, live it. — (Lee Roy Jordan UA letterman 1960-1962)