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Rebel Halfback
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
2 people want to read
About the author
Joe Archibald
113 books3 followersProlific writer of sports themed books for boys and teens. His first book was published in 1947 (Rebel Halfback) and was followed by more than 50 titles through the 40's, 50's and into the 1960's.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 27, 2018
So, it's a bit embarrassing to admit how much I tend to enjoy boys' sports stories, but there you have it. And it would be hard to hide the fact, considering the review I'm giving this one, so I won't try. :)
The just-post-WWII setting was very obvious in places, with a number of references to the prospects for peace, the atom bomb, the UNO (United Nations), and the boys who hadn't come home. Unlike some books of the period, this one doesn't sugarcoat or paint a glorious, problem-less future. However, it's easy to see how the repercussions and ideals of the war have influenced various people's views, especially those of the young hero, Larry Barstock.
The beginning of the book sets up a pretty classic struggle--the contest between two rival prep stars for a coveted college scholarship and the discovery by our hero that the college sports teams are biased toward members of the exclusive fraternity. The struggle that follows, however, didn't always follow the well-trodden path (at least, not the one that I've seen over and over again). It's impossible to talk about what I liked about this book without spoilers, so continue at your own risk.
As to the characters, Larry was without doubt the model true-blue, warm-hearted, generous-to-a-fault cliche that book heroes are made of. But honestly, even though I sometimes sighed and shook my head along with his friends when he persisted in giving a seemingly rotten apple the benefit of the doubt, it was impossible not to like him. (Though I did have to smile when Blimp lamented that someone should have burned all his dad's Horatio Alger books.)
His best friend and sidekick is of course, sigh, a hefty individual nicknamed Blimp. However, at least part of that cliche is remedied by the fact that Blimp (not sure I ever got his real name) is a smashingly good center (sorry, I couldn't resist!) and a definite asset to the team in his own right. For all that, he's not always an unquestionable asset to Larry, as his warm friendship and his big mouth can be an uncomfortable combination for the friend he's trying to defend. There's not a whole lot of depth to the remainder of their circle of friends and enemies, but there are a lot of nice, solid friendships and not many intact stereotypes. The coach actually had me both scratching my head and holding my breath through a lot of the book as I tried to figure out his character. It's way too big of a spoiler to give away, but I'll just say he didn't end up falling under either of the cliches I was expecting.
A warning for non-sports fans--there is a lot of play-by-play in the football scenes, but it's not terribly difficult to follow the thread of who is doing well and who isn't, although the exact nature of the plays was often over my head.
Overall, a nice, solid, heartwarming read. Now that I've discovered this author, I doubt I'll be able to stay away. :)
Content--a few mentions of smoking; mention of boys stripping for a physical and half-dressed after showers; some violence, including hard football hits (sometimes intentional); some dangerous bullying; one reference to profanity (not written); the then-accepted terms "colored" and "Negro" are used for a black boy, but no epithets; discrimination along racial and other lines ; ; joking references to psychics and crystal balls
The just-post-WWII setting was very obvious in places, with a number of references to the prospects for peace, the atom bomb, the UNO (United Nations), and the boys who hadn't come home. Unlike some books of the period, this one doesn't sugarcoat or paint a glorious, problem-less future. However, it's easy to see how the repercussions and ideals of the war have influenced various people's views, especially those of the young hero, Larry Barstock.
The beginning of the book sets up a pretty classic struggle--the contest between two rival prep stars for a coveted college scholarship and the discovery by our hero that the college sports teams are biased toward members of the exclusive fraternity. The struggle that follows, however, didn't always follow the well-trodden path (at least, not the one that I've seen over and over again). It's impossible to talk about what I liked about this book without spoilers, so continue at your own risk.
As to the characters, Larry was without doubt the model true-blue, warm-hearted, generous-to-a-fault cliche that book heroes are made of. But honestly, even though I sometimes sighed and shook my head along with his friends when he persisted in giving a seemingly rotten apple the benefit of the doubt, it was impossible not to like him. (Though I did have to smile when Blimp lamented that someone should have burned all his dad's Horatio Alger books.)
His best friend and sidekick is of course, sigh, a hefty individual nicknamed Blimp. However, at least part of that cliche is remedied by the fact that Blimp (not sure I ever got his real name) is a smashingly good center (sorry, I couldn't resist!) and a definite asset to the team in his own right. For all that, he's not always an unquestionable asset to Larry, as his warm friendship and his big mouth can be an uncomfortable combination for the friend he's trying to defend. There's not a whole lot of depth to the remainder of their circle of friends and enemies, but there are a lot of nice, solid friendships and not many intact stereotypes. The coach actually had me both scratching my head and holding my breath through a lot of the book as I tried to figure out his character. It's way too big of a spoiler to give away, but I'll just say he didn't end up falling under either of the cliches I was expecting.
A warning for non-sports fans--there is a lot of play-by-play in the football scenes, but it's not terribly difficult to follow the thread of who is doing well and who isn't, although the exact nature of the plays was often over my head.
Overall, a nice, solid, heartwarming read. Now that I've discovered this author, I doubt I'll be able to stay away. :)
Content--a few mentions of smoking; mention of boys stripping for a physical and half-dressed after showers; some violence, including hard football hits (sometimes intentional); some dangerous bullying; one reference to profanity (not written); the then-accepted terms "colored" and "Negro" are used for a black boy, but no epithets; discrimination along racial and other lines ; ; joking references to psychics and crystal balls
Displaying 1 of 1 review