About this title: In the finest tradition of baseball journalism, David Halberstam captures the drama and joy of the 1949 pennant race, which pitted the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. Personalities include Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, and Jerry Coleman. Halberstam evokes a different time, when baseball was broadcast on the radio and games were played in daylight.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Avon Books
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780380710751ISBN:0380710757
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Nice soft cover, lightly read, slight shelf wear to cover, light creases on spine. 336 p.; 1.05" x 6.88" x 4.22". read more
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. some wear to cover edges; RTB81. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 352 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. some crimping and wear to cover edges; some stains; RTB69. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 352 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Avon, Dresden, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1997
ISBN-13:9780380710751ISBN:0380710757
Description: Very Good. 0380710757 Mass market paperback, previously read used book in very good condition, may have slight worn corners and varying degre...02608182 _ read more
"Halberstam's book is justly considered a classic. Halberstam vividly recreates the story of a great, down to the wire pennant race between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees -- two deep and talented teams. The rearder is caught up in the majesty of this race -- even though he or she knows (mercifully, if you're a Yankee fan!) how it will all turn out.
At the same time, Halberstam explores the role of radio and advertising and how they were changing not only baseball but American culture itself. He also takes a look at the infancy of television and how the changes it would bring would change the game -- and us all -- even more."
"Halberstam tells the story of the 1949 American League pennant race between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The outcome rested on the final game of the season when these two legendary rivals faced off in Yankee Stadium. The topic has obvious appeal for fans of the game (particularly to those of us with a stake in this rivalry), but Halberstam offers a narrative that can charm the general reader as well. He tells of a bygone era when the crack of the bat was crisp over the radio and many major league players worked off-season jobs. It is nostalgia, however, without naiveté. Halberstam periodically describes how mid-century baseball also invokes some of the less compelling traits of American society at the time. Unfortunately, this is when he is at his weakest. Halberstam falters only when he strays too far from his narrative of the season. These include not only his too frequent tangents about minor "characters", such as individual sportswriters and a New York tavern owner, that are largely irrelevant to the story, but also his clichéd attempts at social commentary. The motif of sports as life writ small is a compelling one, but Halberstam is not able to deliver on it and his attempts prove distracting. He is at his best when he sticks to the tale of the season, the games, the players, and the fan reactions. For example, reading the account of the final game (in chapter fourteen) is as close to watching from the seats of Yankee Stadium as is possible. Despite the sixty years that have passed, Yankees and Red Sox fans will find themselves rooting for their teams and following each pitch as if the outcome was still an unsettled issue. Halberstam offers an appreciation of baseball as America's pastime - one that is harder to find in an age of television broadcasts, million dollar salaries, and doping scandals. He will leave you asking, in the words of Paul Simon, "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.""
"A classic sports book. I reread it this week There have been a number of Red Sox-Yankee rivalry books in the last decade. This book preceeded them all and is in my mind the best of the lot."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
