Publisher Description

Join author James Lilliefors on his journey through Ball Cap Nation.As the country grows increasingly diverse and complicated, Americans seek, and occasionally find, a common thread to unite them. And, as Jim Lilliefors reveals in his new book, that common thread is what the baseball cap is made of -- indeed, what has transformed it into America's National Hat. As fads go, it's no longer even a fad, but a part of the national identity that, for better or worse, is a symbol of America. It feeds an illusion that Americans cherish -- that despite their differences, and no matter what position they play -- when wearing a baseball cap, they're all part of the same team. Exploring every aspect of caps and their culture -- including the history, manufacturing, and evolution of baseball caps; collecting and caring for caps; cap etiquette; and even cap urban legends -- and packed with photos throughout, Ball Cap Nation is a delightful look at a uniquely American phenomenon.

Author Biography

JAMES LILLIEFORS is an award-winning journalist and novelist whose work has appeared in the Miami Herald, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Baltimore Sun, and various other publications. His books include America's Boardwalks, Highway 50, and Bananaville. Lilliefors grew up in the Washington, D.C., area and currently lives in Naples, Florida. He owns a large but not particularly distinguished collection of baseball caps.

Table of Contents

Born in the USA The Cap Revolution Top Cap: The New Era Story The Wide World of Caps Capturing the Market: Hat World and Lids The Proper Care and Feeding of Your Cap Cap Collecting Cap Etiquette Caps Gone Global Ball Cap Trivia Afterword: Ball Cap Earth

Review

"If you are looking for a fun, informative read this summer, grab your cap and grab this book before you head to the ball park, beach, or hammock." -- Snaggy at GeekCulture.com "'Ball Cap Nation' is a delightfully perceptive, playful and thoroughly nonacademic foray into an American love affair..." -- Philip K. Jason, Florida Weekly "Without a doubt, this is the most complete book to date on the iconic Ball Cap." -- Fred Belinsky, VillageHatShop.com "...a light, yet comprehensive look at one of our most ubiquitous fashion accessories." -- Jonathan Foerster, Naples Daily News

Long Description

As the country grows increasingly diverse and complicated, Americans seek, and occasionally find, a common thread to unite them. And, as Jim Lilliefors reveals in his new book, that common thread is what the baseball cap is made of -- indeed, what has transformed it into America's National Hat. As fads go, it's no longer even a fad, but a part of the national identity that, for better or worse, is a symbol of America. It feeds an illusion that Americans cherish -- that despite their differences, and no matter what position they play -- when wearing a baseball cap, they're all part of the same team. Exploring every aspect of caps and their culture -- including the history, manufacturing, and evolution of baseball caps; collecting and caring for caps; cap etiquette; and even cap urban legends -- and packed with photos throughout, Ball Cap Nation is a delightful look at a uniquely American phenomenon.

Review Quote

If you are looking for a fun, informative read this summer, grab your cap and grab this book before you head to the ball park, beach, or hammock."

Excerpt from Book

1: Born in the USA The invention of a national pastime; how the ball cap was born and raised on America's baseball fields; a visit to the "birthplace" of baseball; and an interview with a baseball uniform historian. OVER the past thirty years, the baseball cap has emerged as America's national hat, evolving from a sports accessory to a universally accepted part of our casual wardrobe. No one knows exactly why this happened. The ball cap is by far the most popular headwear apparel in the United States today, accounting for more than 80 percent of hat sales, according to some estimates. Moreover, it has been adopted by virtually every social stratum in the country, from disaffected teens to celebrities to software moguls to middle-aged, middle-class moms and dads to retirees. Nearly everybody in the United States owns at least one ball cap. If the cap has become a part of our collective national uniform, though, there is nothing uniform about why or how it is worn. We wear ball caps to make a statement; to show an allegiance; to shade our eyes from the sun; to look and feel sporty or hip; to be a part of something larger than ourselves. We wear them backwards, forwards, and sideways, tilted at various angles. They are a simple but ingenious product--inexpensive, utilitarian, and aesthetically appealing. An American invention, the baseball cap is now worn and sold in most countries around the world. Along with blue jeans and Coca-Cola, it has become one of our most ubiquitous cultural symbols. Internationally, ball caps are a two- or three-billion dollar industry, which has roughly doubled in size every few years since the early 1980s. How ball caps ascended to such prominence is a question with no simple, single answer. Nor can we say with certainty where the cap-wearing trend will lead or how long it will last. But we do know where the ball cap came from: It was born on the fields of America's "national pastime." Like baseball itself, early ball caps were derived from existing models--among them cricket, jockey, and military caps. But in the mid- to late-nineteenth century, as the country began to distinguish itself on the world stage, baseball took on a uniquely American personality, complete with its own unifying rules, its own traditions, its own venues, and its own uniform. The baseball cap as we know it today--with the six-panel crown, visor, and top button--has its roots in this era. The idea that baseball is America's "national sport" first began to circulate in the decade before the Civil War (on the heels of such ideas as American exceptionalism and Manifest Destiny). Baseball was one of a number of factors that stitched together our disparate, still-fledgling country, helping to assimilate droves of immigrants and to strengthen the identities of America's cities. In some ways, the story of how the cap evolved parallels the story of how the country evolved. To learn the origins of the baseball cap, we went first in search of the origins of baseball--journeying into a rich and rolling land of lore, where the scenery is often awe-inspiring but seldom to be trusted. We begin with a visit to baseball's "birthplace"--Cooperstown, New York, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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