Ten-Gallon War

By: John Eisenberg

Narrated by: Jim Vann

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the 1960s, on the heels of the “Greatest Game Ever Played”, professional football began to flourish across the country - except in Texas, where college football was still the only game in town. But in an unlikely series of events, two young oil tycoons started their own professional football franchises in Dallas the very same year: the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and, as part of a new upstart league designed to thwart the NFL’s hold on the game, the Dallas Texans of the AFL. Almost overnight, a bitter feud was born.

The team owners, Lamar Hunt and Clint Murchison, became Mad Men of the gridiron, locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of the Texas pigskin faithful. Their teams took each other to court, fought over players, undermined each other’s promotions, and rooted like hell for the other guys to fail. A true visionary, Hunt of the Texans focused on the fans, putting together a team of local legends and hiring attractive women to drive around town in red convertibles selling tickets. Meanwhile, Murchison and his Cowboys focused on the game, hiring a young star, Tom Landry, in what would be his first-ever year as a head coach, and concentrating on holding their own against the more established teams in the NFL. Ultimately, both teams won the battle, but only one got to stay in Dallas and go on to become one of sports’ most quintessential franchises - “America's Team”.

In this highly entertaining narrative, rich in colorful characters and unforgettable stunts, Eisenberg recounts the story of the birth of pro football in Dallas - back when the game began to be part of this country’s DNA.

©2012 John Eisenberg (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

great football history

All great non fiction books are deeply personal. This book is no exception. The title is apt two men with the same vision fraught each other for the hearts and minds of football fans in Dallas. .
This book tells that story brilliantly. While the battle between the two was never settled on the field it is a classic.
Why, because like all battles it was one of opposites. Name the line it fits. From old vs new to stale vs fresh ..
I am younger then the era this story tells about but I do have a n appreciation for football history as long as the story is told well.
I learned a lot of new things I won't tell here. This is a book that truly was worth reading and buying.

Great listen!

Really enjoyed this reading. I'm a big football fan but not a supporter of either the Cowboys or the Chiefs but I found it quite engaging nonetheless. The narrator was excellent and brought a richness to it with his own Texan drawl that really made it feel authentic. Anyone who is fascinated by the history of pro football should really enjoy this book.