An illustrated centennial history of a premier college marching band. After an explanation of how marching bands came to be so popular, from their early 19th century origins to today, ten chapters each cover a decade of the band's history and include biographies of its five directors.

This history opens with the story of how marching bands came to be so popular in America, from their early nineteenth-century beginnings at West Point to the tremendous growth of their appeal into the present day. The story continues by explaining how that popularity and the importance of music in student military training at Penn State eventually led to establishment of the Cadet Bugle Corps, the Blue Band's precursor, in 1899.

Ten chapters follow, each devoted to a single decade coveting the major events in the band's development over the next hundred years, such as the adoption of the name "Blue Band" in 1923. Interspersed throughout are biographies of its five past and present directors, as well as "Spotlights" that focus on special aspects of the band, including fight songs, marching style, majorettes, silks, "flipping" drum majors, and various band traditions. Also included is a comparison with other prominent collegiate marching bands today. Illustrations from the band's early history to the present enrich the story throughout.