American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback
4.5 | 299 ratings
Price: 17.8
Last update: 02-10-2026
Product details
- Publisher : Hyperion Avenue
- Publication date : September 9, 2025
- Language : English
- Print length : 416 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1368099181
- ISBN-13 : 978-1368099189
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.22 x 1.42 x 9.28 inches
- Best Sellers Rank:#2,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Sports Essays (Books)
- Sociology of Sports (Books)
- Football (Books)
- Customer Reviews:4.54.5 out of 5 stars(299)
Top reviews from the United States
- Robert R RuchAwesome bookFantastic read. If you enjoy football, this is for you! Wickersham goes through the evolution of the position of QB as well as include insights from Hall of Famers, current players, college quarterbacks, and even high school recruited quarterbacks. Fascinating and enjoyable.
- csszrrGood read for casual fans andrabid fans of American football culture and historyThis was a fun read. There were a bunch of great stories that were engaging, touching and humorous. It's also a tremendously successful attempt at humanizing those who are admired or loathed like no other figures in the modern American sport landscape. Furthermore, it reflects the mirror upon society as a whole with the author placing himself in the public seat; indeed, his words and views would seem to generally reflect the whole--or a good deal of it
The book suffers from poor editing. Instead of putting the book together in a coherent manner, it felt cut up and repasted together in an attempt to make the narrative more compelling. One would think that a "less is more" approach would have been for the best and just let the stories tell themselves coherently. This also accounts for long chapters that at some points seem to ramble. Shorter chapters based upon each of the QBs would have been the most apt driver.
This is a good book that sheds light on our approach to the "most important position in sports." The stories involving Y.A. Tittle, Warren Moon, Bob Waterfield and Joe Willie were outstanding. The author's sharing of these interviews, and anecdotes is much appreciated. It is not only an excellent football book, but it is also a good example of cultural history in the present United States. I have recommended this book to several people and none were disappointed. - EmilySuch a good book!Amazing book!!! Loved it!
- JL PopulistEvolution Of QuarterbacksLike the title says, this book is a biography of the quarterback. Or more aptly, it’s a series of mini biographies about a lot of quarterbacks from Y.A. Tittle to Caleb Williams and many others.
More than anything this book traces out the evolution of the position over time.
The author explains how the pro and college game has changed and why college football star QBs don’t always find the same level of success in the N.F.L.
Something I found more than a little interesting was Sean Payton’s method of evaluating QBs in the 2024 draft. That seemed prescient.
Mr. Wickersham writes from the perspective of someone who played the position when he was younger. If you want to learn about what makes a great QB and what makes each different beyond the stats, I think this book nails it! - Dan ColemanGreat InsightsI didn’t know what to expect when I got this book but figured it would be interesting. It definitely was interesting and provided remarkable insights into the development of the stars we know as well as the guys who never made it. The end-of-career info was also very good.
- BDistilled magazine snippets stretched into 400 pages.Follow along the highlighted biographies of Football's most important position as noted sportswriter frenetically bounces between unrelated players in a fashion charitably described as loose. Stitched between moments of genuine and compelling interest like Steve Young's primitive lust for the fame and glory despite years of retirement are seas of the mundane and dull.
Read all about the atmosphere of the swanky club Seth visited to chat with John Elway for 8-12 paragraphs and maybe 1 for Elway's thoughts. Sprinkle in personal, uninteresting diatribes from Seth's personal life. Voila, an overextended series of short stories with vague connections between them. Enjoy. - timothy p. mcgoughBad MistakeI enjoyed the book and would give it five stars, but for, in my mind, an unforgivable error on page109. Writing about John Unitas, it says, “The venue where he played - Municipal Stadium- on Thirty-third Street…” The Colts played at Memorial Stadium. At one time know as the world’s largest outdoor insane asylum.
- Kevin KadukFantastic book!One of the new sportswriting classics and essential to understanding the quarterbacks who take the field to win every Sunday.