North America's Indian peoples have always viewed competitive sport as something more than a pastime. The northeastern Indians' ball-and-stick game that would become lacrosse served both symbolic and practical functions. Today a multimillion-dollar industry, lacrosse is played by colleges and high schools, amateur clubs, and two professional leagues.

In Lacrosse, Donald M. Fisher traces the evolution of the sport from the pre-colonial era to the founding in 2001 of a professional outdoor league, told through the stories of the people behind each step in lacrosse's development. They include the Canadian dentist George Beers, father of the modern game; Rosabelle Sinclair, who played a large role reinforcing the feminine qualities of the women's game in the 1950s; and Indian star Gaylord Powless, who in the 1960s endured racist taunts both on and off the field.

"This book will long serve as the standard history of lacrosse."- Journal of American History

"An important contribution to our understanding of how sport emerged as a professional, commercial spectacle in modern North America."- Canadian Historical Review

"A sweeping history of the game. Fisher traces the emergence of modern lacrosse in both Canada and the United States."- Library Journal

"A thoroughly researched, clearly written, handsomely designed, very comprehensive history of North American lacrosse since the mid-nineteenth century... this is one of the most informative histories of any sport that I have ever read."- The Beaver

"[A] definitive history of lacrosse... Will be enjoyed by sports fans and referenced by social historians."- Montreal Gazette