Hold ’Em, Girls! The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Men and Football By Judson P. Philips and Robert W. Wood, Jr.

Published in 1936, this wonderfully titled little volume is a book of tips, facts, and advice for women who plan to attend football games.  It approaches an autumn afternoon in the grandstand as an occasion requiring both sporting knowledge and social strategy. What to wear. How to behave. What to do between the halves. And, naturally, how to make certain the gentleman extends another invitation.

Hold ’Em, Girls! belongs to a world of football dates, carefully chosen outfits, and courtship conducted within cheering distance of the fifty-yard line. Its premise makes the stakes delightfully clear: following the action on the field was only part of a successful afternoon. There was also the fellow beside you to consider.

Today, the book offers an entertaining glimpse of 1930s manners, when even a football invitation could come with an unwritten set of instructions. The title carries a playful double meaning, while the subtitle promises to untangle two subjects that have inspired considerable confusion ever since.

There is a literary surprise, too. Coauthor Judson P. Philips would become celebrated among mystery readers under the name Hugh Pentecost. Before turning to the business of fictional murder, he helped tackle the mysteries of men and football.

A distinctive addition to a sporting library, a conversation piece for the den, or a gift for the woman who already understands the game – and has a few observations about its spectators.

G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1936. Hardcover. 85 pages.  Previously Owned.