To most of us mainlanders, the islands of Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket are resort destinations, summer homes for the Kennedys, the
Obamas, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick. But after the tourists and
jetsetters leave, the cold weather descends, and the local shop owners,
carpenters, and fishermen ready themselves for the main event: high
school football. For over fifty years, the local teams have been locking
horns every November. They play for pride, a coveted trophy, and, very
often, a shot at the league championship. Despite their tiny
populations, both islands are dangerous on the football field.
This far-reaching book tells the story not only of the Whaler-Vineyarder
rivalry, but of two places without a country. Filled with empty houses
nine months of the year, Nantucket and the Vineyard have long, unique
histories that include such oddities as an attempt to secede from the
United States and the invention of a proprietary sign language. Delving
into the rich history of both places, Sullivan paints a picture of a
bygone New England, a place that has never stopped fighting for its
life-and the rights to the Island Cup.
James Sullivan is the author of Seven Dirty Words, The Hardest Working
Man, and Jeans. He has written extensively for the Boston Globe,
and previously served as a feature writer and culture critic for the
San Francisco Chronicle. He has spent considerable time, including his
honeymoon, on the islands.
