|
The National Game: Baseball and American Culture | 
 enlarge | Author: John P. Rossi
Publisher: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy New: $1.99
You Save: $23.01 (92%)
New (13) Used (15) from $0.93
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 2016019
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1
ISBN: 1566632870
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.3570973
EAN: 9781566632874
ASIN: 1566632870
Publication Date: February 25, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Baseball may be just a game on the field, but off the field, its hold on the American heart, its place in American history, and its impact on American society are as powerful as a squad of clean-up hitters. For a pastime, this is serious stuff demanding serious reflection, and historian John P. Rossi steps up to provide it. Approaching his subject with the rigorous gravitas of an academician, the number-love of a statistician, the awe of a fan, and the inalienable right of all ticket-holders to offer analysis when the impulse strikes, his result mirrors a typical afternoon at the yard: The National Game sprinkles its share of action, intriguing fact, and observations that merit more amplification over a predictable and familiar narrative. He tries to cover the bases, and he does. His examination of baseball's transition from a country game to a city game, and with it the enormously symbiotic role it played in introducing--and synthesizing--each new wave of immigrants into American culture, is splendid. He makes the game's often Byzantine business practices--going back to the 1870s--at least understandable, and he takes some good cuts at the implications of the Black Sox scandal, the legacy of Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson's crossing of the color line, the tangled web of the reserve clause and free agency, the game's flight to the suburbs, and its return to downtown. For a concise introduction--"concise" and "introduction" must be stressed here--to baseball history, The National Game does its job; it's the literary equivalent of a solid utility infielder. Ironically, by trying to touch as many bases as he does, Rossi also spreads himself thin. That, in a nutshell, is the upside and downside of trying to compress a couple of centuries' worth of names, dates, events, trends, facts, fables, myths, and interpretation into just a couple of hundred pages. --Jeff Silverman
Product Description
John Rossi offers not only an expert overview of baseball over the past 175 years; he shows how the game has reflected and contributed to changes in American society over time. The National Game chronicles baseball's popular successes and financial failures; its interleague wars and continuing struggles between owners and players; and its accommodations to radio and television--without neglecting the colorful players and managers who have won the hearts of fans. A succinct, knowledgeable synopsis...recommended. --Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A Quick Read on Baseball's History March 26, 2001
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
No, this is not an all encompassing history of baseball, but if you are looking for a quick read on baseball's history this book would be perfect for you. I finished it in two sittings, but I feel the author knows what he is talking about and it is worth five stars. Author Rossi correctly points out that baseball's problems, for the most part, are not new ones. He correctly points out that baseball's future is up in the air at this time, and unlike decades past, baseball is faced with other sports as competition for the interests of individuals. The problem of unequal television revenue among the different teams ranks as the key problem that baseball owners must solve. The book is easy reading, but for a book that is 235 pages long the author does a great job covering baseball's history. It will be a keeper in my extensive library of baseball books.
 Heavy on Baseball, Light on History June 25, 2000
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
It seems as though nothing has changed throughout baseball history. It always was and still is repleat with gambling and alcholism. There is no delay in getting to the details. Mr. Rossi jumps right in and never lets up with facts, figures and insights. It has ample doses of baseball statistics throughout history, but does not give ample attention to the days current events. There simply isn't room. I'm not a baseball fan, but I enjoyed reading this book.
Good summary of baseball history, but lacking June 7, 2000
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
A quality, readable short history of baseball. However in only 200+ pages this book is superficial in its treatment of major events. I am not sure to whom Mr. Rossi was directing his book. It was too brief to be a book for serious fans, and probably best for the casual fan. Clearly it was well researched and well written. I find the best baseball books focus on an era and weave more of the current events into the book. Summer of 49, The Boys of Summer, and A Clever Base-Ballist(1880's) are examples of these type of books. Mr. Rossi set out to write a survey of many eras and I do not fault him for that lofty purpose. However it seems that he had an opportunity to write a more full treatment of each era covered.
Brilliant resource May 10, 2000
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
A great resource as to the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that has actually shaped baseball, it's impact on the game itself, and how all of it ties in with American culture and society.
Mainly for the serious baseball fan April 21, 2000
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is probably different than most baseball books you may have read. This isn't a wistful recollection of Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and the Big Red Machine. In fact, the owners are more of a focus of this book than the players. You will learn how baseball, the economy, and social life throughout American history have often been intertwined. It's as much a history book as a baseball book.While the book covers all of baseball's time periods, the best parts cover the sport's beginnings in the mid-1800s through the 1930s. The author seemed to especially skimp on the chapters covering 1970 to today. Also, this book includes tons of numbers, and as such, might prove to be tedious reading for the casual fan. Perhaps some additional pictures or other graphics could have been included to break up the chapters a little better. I wouldn't call this my favorite sports book of all time, but it's certainly worth reading.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
