Sports fans nationwide know Soldier Field as the home of the Chicago
Bears. For decades its signature columns provided an iconic backdrop for
gridiron matches. But few realize that the stadium has been much more
than that. Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City explores how this
amphitheater evolved from a public war memorial into a majestic arena
that helped define Chicago.
Chicago Tribune staff writer Liam Ford led the reporting on the
stadium's controversial 2003 renovation--and simultaneously found
himself unearthing a dramatic history. As he tells it, the tale of
Soldier Field truly is the story of Chicago, filled with political
intrigue and civic pride. Designed by Holabird and Roche, Soldier Field
arose through a serendipitous combination of local tax dollars, City
Beautiful boosterism, and the machinations of Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson.
The result was a stadium that stood at the center of Chicago's
political, cultural, and sporting life for nearly sixty years before the
arrival of Walter Payton and William "The Refrigerator" Perry.
Ford describes it all in the voice of a seasoned reporter: the high
school football games, track and field contests, rodeos, and even NASCAR
races. Photographs, including many from the Chicago Park District's own
collections, capture these remarkable scenes: the swelling crowds at
ethnic festivals, Catholic masses, and political rallies. Few remember
that Soldier Field hosted Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr., Judy
Garland and Johnny Cash--as well as Grateful Dead's final show.
Soldier Field captures the dramatic history of Chicago's stadium on
the lake and will captivate sports fans and historians alike.
