The Summer of '49by David Halberstam

If you like sports books, you should read The Summer of '49 by David Halberstam. This book explains and glorifies the intense Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry. This book portrays the 1949 American League pennant race between the Red Sox and Yankees.

Halberstam lays out the season from game one to the final game of the regular season and enables the reader to get a feel for who the players are on and off the field. You will find out who the players are even if you never saw them play. If you enjoy the game of baseball, love the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, or you want to know who the players are, then this is the book for you!

If you love the game of baseball and are fascinated by great pennant races like the 1949 A.L. pennant race, then you will love The Summer of '49. People who read this book will see how out-of-hand players' salaries have gotten since 1949. Halberstam shows how the game has evolved from new hitting techniques to the aerodynamics of stadiums today.

If you are a Red Sox or Yankees fan, then you know the animosity these two teams have for each other. The Bosox and Bronx Bombers have been arch enemies since the beginning of organized baseball, but really heated up since the "Curse of the Bambino." The sale by the Sox to the Yanks of Babe Ruth is the curse. This curse brought about the Yankees' rise to stardom, and it brought about the Red Sox' demise. In The Summer of '49, the rivalry is enhanced and is shown to be an asset to baseball. Halberstam believes that without rivalries the players have no drive and the game does not mean as much. The rivalry is exalted because of the all-out play between these two teams and the hate for each other that is instilled in the players. The Summer of '49 gives a unique perspective to this fiery rivalry.

The Summer of '49 tells readers about the players' attitudes on the field toward fans, coaches, teammates, and the opposition. Some players would not sign autographs, some players felt they were better than their coaches and their teammates because of their stats, and everybody hated their opposition. It shows the veterans' reactions to the bonus babies, who were players who came out of the draft and were paid to sign their contracts to make sure they would play.

The Summer of '49 gives the reader a look at some of the players' childhoods. It shows us the players' actions before, during, and after their baseball careers. This book gives the fans a chance to see who these athletes are as people.

As you have seen, The Summer of '49 by David Halberstam is an intense book. If you love baseball, you will love this book! n



Review by M. P., Beverly, MA